Friday 8 September 2017

Back to School with Term Footwear - A Review

We have previously had some great experiences with Term Footwear, having reviewed both a pair of wellington boots and school shoes in the past. We have been thoroughly impressed on both occasions and with Riley starting reception year in school, it made them my 'go to' brand for a pair of great quality shoes for him.

I have grown to love the brand this year, after being introduced to Term Footwear back in January. Both the wellies and my daughter's school shoes have been heavily tested for both comfort and wear over the last few months and so it is a brand that I have come to trust in terms of quality.

One aspect that I really love about Term Footwear's school shoes, is that they are also really stylish. So not only do the shoes provide comfortable footwear for my children, but they also look great too. I usually ask my children to pick which styles they like and sometimes can be a bit unsure about their choices, but I loved all of the styles on offer on the New Brands website. I sat down with Riley one afternoon and we went through all the different options. Initially he liked a pair with laces, but I explained to him that this could be a bit tricky when needing to get changed for PE and that he would also need to learn to tie them himself. We therefore began to look at the velcro designs and Riley settled upon the Hoddle Double shoes which looked great. I placed the order for the shoes in a size 10 and immediately received an order confirmation email. The following day, I received another email confirming that Riley's shoes were on their way already and would be with us very soon.

A couple of days later the shoes arrived and Riley couldn't wait to get the box opened and try them on. The box, like on previous occasions, was smart and stylish. It is also compact enough to keep in your wardrobe, giving you a handy place to store the shoes when not in use.


Riley immediately opened the box and had a good look at the shoes, he said he was going to feel really big and grown up wearing smart shoes to school and he couldn't wait to try them on. Everything from the materials used, to the stitching around the shoe, seemed to be of excellent quality. I particularly liked the subtle soft padded collar around the heel area which would give him support throughout the day and also prevent any rubbing or blisters.


The Hoddle Double shoes are manufactured from high grain leather and also have flexible thermo rubber soles. Riley moves so much during the day that it was important for him to have a shoe that could move easily and comfortably whether he is walking, running or even climbing. As you can see from the picture below, the shoes also have a really good grip which I am hoping will help to prevent any slips or trips in the playground.


The insole inside the shoe is really well cushioned and he said that they were just as comfy inside as his trainers. My children's school shoes don't only just see action in the playground, so it was important to me that the shoes were also comfortable enough to walk 2 miles a day in to school and back, as well as being able to withstand activities in the park after school. Riley was obviously more than happy to put the shoes to the test both in school and at the park!


Overall we have been really impressed with these shoes. Riley has just completed his first week in reception and the shoes have caused him no discomfort whatsoever. He has told me that they are really comfy and that he also enjoys wearing them. He never seems in too much of rush to kick them off after school and there have been no complaints at all about any rubbing whilst on the walk to or from school. We both feel that they look really smart and love the sleek and trendy design, as well as being easy to put them on and take them off. The RRP of these shoes is £39.99 which I think is great value for money and I am very confident that they will last him for a lengthy time, until they are outgrown.

About Term Footwear

Term Footwear is a new UK brand registered in 2016 by a husband and wife team, who have over six years worth of experience in importing and selling children's footwear brands within the UK. They had a desire to create great shoes and boots that children would actually want to wear and initially launched the brand with their own range of wellington boots that are available in a variety of funky colours which are purple, navy, green, pink, red and blue.

Term Footwear now supply a great range of school shoes to the UK market and all the shoes are manufactured in accordance with EU standards. The brand has concentrated on providing school shoes that are of a great design, comfort and fit and they are available in both traditional and modern styles.

The brand has also recently put together a great video called 'A Day in your Shoes' which you can view here: A Day in your Shoes by Term Footwear - YouTube


Disclaimer: We were provided with a complimentary pair of Hoddle Double School Shoes for the purpose of providing and honest review and opinion of the product. All opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated.

Wednesday 6 September 2017

How I Prepare for Back to School!

After an amazing six weeks together, September finally arrived along with the return of "Back to School". I understand that for a lot of people it can be a relief, especially when you work full time and need to arrange childcare, but I absolutely love the summer holidays and so I was a little sad to see the kids go back to school on Monday.

Riley has just entered reception, Ben has gone into Year 5 and Emma is now in Year 6 which is her final year in primary school. It still feels like yesterday that I was taking her to nursery and cannot believe just how quickly the time flies by.

Although we have had plenty of fun over the summer holidays, it is also a time for "Back to School" preparation. New uniforms, shoes, coats, bags & stationary all need to be arranged, as well as planning ahead for snack money, dinner money or packed lunches and school trips. I know that both Emma and Ben will both have the opportunity to go on a residential trip this year and from past experience I know that all classes usually go on at least one school day trip before Christmas so I try to budget and plan ahead for these eventualities as well as making sure my budget covers everything that they need for returning back to school.



School Uniform

Our school has recently introduced a new school logo and although they are phasing the old school uniform out over a couple of years, I decided that I would like them to return in September with the new clothing. We were made aware of the costs a few months ago and so back in May, I made a list of everything that they would need. I checked the school uniform list carefully and made sure that I made a note about which items needed to have the school logo and which items didn't. Every year I always save £30 a month towards school uniforms so that each August I have £360 so spend on clothing and equipment without feeling the pinch. I increased this ever so slightly from May to August to £35 as the new supplier of the uniform was slightly more expensive than the previous.

Once I know that I have my budget sorted, I can then begin to shop around for the non logo items such as shirts & blouses, skirts, trousers, & joggers. I have purchased supermarket items in the past, and still do buy school shirts, blouses and socks from our nearest Asda. However, when it comes to skirts, trousers and joggers, I have found that they can wear quite quickly, so usually try to find my nearest stockist of the Trutex brand. I have found Trutex to be of really good quality in the past and that their trousers seem to withstand any playground test that my son Ben puts them through.

They have put together a handy back to school guide this year that features advice from experts, a handy school uniform checklist and top tips on preparing for back to school. This can be found here:

Trutex Back to School Guide

School Shoes

It is so important to get well fitting shoes for your children for when they head back to school. A child will be wearing these shoes for an average of 7 hours a day, as well as running around in them at play times, so it is vital that they fit well and are comfortable. Some stores offer a foot measuring service to ensure that you buy the perfect size, but a lot of online retailers also now have a handy print out guide that helps you to get the right size even when choosing to purchase online.

Back in July we reviewed some Bella Brogue Lace Up shoes from Term Footwear. My daughter was really impressed with them and they were so comfortable for her during the day. In addition to wearing them in school time, we walk just over two miles a day to get to school and back and so it is always important to me that they don't rub or cause any discomfort during the walk to school. As my daughter has had no complaints about her shoes at all, it made Term Footwear my "go to" brand when looking at new school shoes for Riley. As he is starting reception it would be the first time that he has had to wear smart shoes all day and I also know how active he is at play times, so I knew that they would be the ideal choice for him when considering his comfort.


Riley hasn't mastered the skill of tying his own shoe laces yet, so a velcro fastening was a must have for me, to make sure that he had no difficulties taking his shoes on and off for PE lessons, or worrying about tying his laces. After having a good look through the choices we finally settled on the Hoddle Double shoes, which look fantastic.

Term Footwear have also put together a great little video called 'A Day in your Shoes' which gives a true reflection of what happens in a school day and how Term shoes are the ideal footwear. It also features animated captions explaining the benefits of Term School Shoes. The video can be found below:



School Bags & Stationary

Riley doesn't really have much need for a school bag in reception, instead just opting for his lunch bag and school branded book bag. However Emma and Ben both like to have sports branded bags which as most parents know, can be quite expensive. We always have a look online to try and get a good deal, but the last couple of years, I have found our local Nike Outlet store to offer the best deals and value for money with their bags costing around £12 as opposed to around the £20 mark in other stores.

None of my children actually require stationary at the moment as this is provided by the school, but Emma likes to have some of her own pens in her bag for writing and drawing. She loves art and likes to do some sketches, if it is a rainy day and they have to stay in the classroom, so we do buy a few things for her to keep in her bag. We find that Asda & B&M to have a great range of stationary at affordable prices. I remember my mum always having to take me to an actual stationary shop to purchase mine and it costing a small fortune, but nowadays most large stores seem to stock a great range of stationary in the run up to back to school.

School Trips

The last thing you want after spending a small fortune on uniform is a letter on the first day telling you about an upcoming school trip that needs payment by the following week. With Emma and Ben only being a year apart, I have found that a lot of their school trips are the same and that they often go together, so it means double expenditure for me. Luckily I have learnt to prepare for this and put aside £20 a month for school trips. This means that I never have to worry about money for school trips or deposits for residentials and this certainly takes a lot of the pressure off. On the first day of school this week they both came home with a letter for a trip taking place next week, that they also need a costume for. Although I hadn't planned ahead for the need for a costume, it does mean that I have been able to pay for their school trip without any issue.

Saying Goodbye at the Gate

Well this is one thing that I am never prepared for and cry on the first day back every single year! This year has been particularly hard, as its the first time in 10 years that I haven't had a little sidekick with me all day. I am already missing building train tracks with Riley & our little trips to the shop for sneaky treats whilst Emma and Ben were in school. It is definitely going to take some getting used to!

I hope everyone's Back to School days have gone well, and that your children have a fantastic school year in their new classes!


Disclaimer: This post was written of my own accord and I have not been asked to include any brands mentioned, or received any additional payment. Opinions and thoughts are my own unless otherwise stated.

Tuesday 5 September 2017

Family Travel - 48 Hours in Hamburg

As a family we love to explore and visit new towns, cities and countries. We are therefore always on the look out for new places to visit and regularly visit Skyscanner to try and find some bargain flights. Back in July, I visited the website one evening and entered Manchester as the departure airport and then selected "everywhere" as the destination and August for the month. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find anything super cheap due to it being the school holiday period, but couldn't believe my eyes when flights came up for Hamburg for only £8! I double checked that I had entered the information correctly, thinking that I must have made a mistake somewhere, but after clicking through to the Ryanair website, I was astonished to see that the price was indeed correct! I added seat selection and the total price for 2 adults and 3 children from Manchester Airport to Hamburg from the 15th August to the 17th of August, came to a grand total of £89.72. That is cheaper than a return ticket to London for just one of us on the train!

I immediately began to do my research, in order to find out what there was for families in the area and whether there would be enough to keep my children entertained. Whilst searching, I came across the Come to Hamburg scheme who help bloggers & journalists arrange their visit to Hamburg and also help them to find accommodation. This sounded an absolutely brilliant idea, so I submitted my application and within a couple of days I received an email back stating that they would love to welcome us to Hamburg and help us with our trip!

We were allocated some lovely accommodation at the Appartello Smarttime Living hotel and received some suggestions on places to visit. The Miniatur Wunderland came highly recommended on Tripadvisor, as did Hagenbeck Tierpark, so we decided that we would have to visit both of these places whilst staying. I also continued my research for other events that were on in the area and found out that the Hamburger Dom would also be taking place, so gradually began to put our itinerary together and got our flights booked! The Hamburg Tourist Board also kindly offered to provide us with a Hamburg Travel Card which would allow us to make use of the public transport in the area to get us around the city without the need for a car. Everything began to come together and we all started to look forward to our trip.


We had an early morning flight on the 15th August, so we arrived at Manchester Airport a little tired, but in plenty of time for our journey. The flight only took 1 hour and 30 minutes, so it was a really comfortable short flight time for us all. We travelled hand luggage only, with it being a short trip, which meant that we were soon out of the arrivals area in Hamburg and ready to find our bus stop for the short journey to the Appartello Smarttime Living Hotel.

The bus trip was only 10 minutes long and we exited the bus at the Alsterdorfer Damm bus stop, which was located just down the road from the hotel. I had arranged in advance to drop off our bags prior to exploring, but we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived, to be told that our room was already available and that we could check in straight away.

Our apartment was lovely, tastefully decorated and with a modern decor. There was ample space and it was immaculately clean and tidy. It was a great place to have a quick rest and freshen up before heading to our first attraction of the day. The staff on reception were wonderful and even printed off a bus timetable for me, to help make sure we had all the directions we needed for the day. The whole hotel was just fantastic and we would definitely recommend it to others. You can read more about the Appartello Smarttime Living Hotel in our blog post here: Our Stay at the Appartello Smarttime Living Hotel


Our first attraction was the Miniatur Wunderland and so we caught the train to Baumwall before having a nice walk around the area. We saw the magnificent Elbphilharmonie building on the waterfront which was absolutely stunning and the kids enjoyed watching some of the street performers. We had a nice drink and snack from one of the local cafes before making our way to the attraction, which was located just next to the Hamburg Dungeons.



The Miniatur Wunderland is situated alongside the River Elbe and is easily accessible by public transport. It is home to the worlds largest model railway and features an extensive collection of miniaturised countries, all displayed in an amazing and unique way. It first opened in the year 2000 and is not expected to be completed until 2028.

Riley loved watching the trains journey around the exhibits and we were shocked to find that as of Autumn last year, there are a staggering 1040 trains in total, in addition to more than 10,000 wagons. The longest train measures in at 14.51 metres and the total track length is an astonishing 15,400 metres. You can read more about the Miniatur Wunderland in our blog post here: Our Family Visit to Miniatur Wunderland


Once we had finished our visit to Miniatur Wunderland, we made our way back to the U-Bahn station. We then caught the train again to the Hamburger Dom which is a huge fair packed full of stalls, rides and delicious food. The train journey was literally only a couple of stops away in Heiligengeistfeld and the Dom was right next to the station, in the event area by St Pauli stadium.


My children loved the wide range of rides that were available and each of them chose a few to go on. We bought some delicious sausages from one of the food stalls that tasted incredible and enjoyed a refreshing drink whilst walking through the fair in the sunshine. Some of the rides looked spectacular, although a bit scary! After a very early start and a long day on our feet, the children were beginning to get tired and so we made our way back to the hotel for a good nights sleep, ready for the following day.


We all had a lovely sleep that evening and woke up bright and early the following day feeling refreshed and re-energised. We made our way to the Appartello Living Room for breakfast, before catching a bus to the Hagenbeck Tierpark which was a 30 minute bus ride away. We had read on Tripadvisor that you could feed the elephants there, so we were all very excited at being able to get up close to such beautiful animals.

Shortly after entering, we saw a small crowd gathering to the right hand side, so we made our way over to see what was happening. As we approached, we saw the most beautiful elephants, who were all reaching out with their trunks, to collect fresh fruit and vegetables from the visitors. They looked well cared for and the size of their enclosure was very impressive, along with a large pool for them to cool off or play in. It was amazing for the children to be able to get so close to such a large and stunning animal and they just couldn't believe that they were actually feeding them by hand. You can read more about our visit to Hagenbeck Tierpark in our blog post here: Our Trip to Hagenbeck Tierpark


We spent the whole day at Hagenbeck Tierpark, before returning to the hotel and popping out for an evening meal. We couldn't believe how much we had managed to fit into just 48 hours, but were a little sad that our visit had almost come to an end and there was still so much we wanted to see and do.

We enjoyed a final visit to the Appartello Living Room where Riley had a play with the train sets, before heading back to the room to pack for our journey home. We had such a wonderful time in Hamburg and I have already been looking at returning in November for the Christmas markets and to experience Winter in the city. We would also love to watch the fountain shows that take place late in the evening, so we will definitely be visiting again soon.


I would like to thank Come to Hamburg, Appartello Smarttime Living Hotel, Hamburg Tourist Information & Miniatur Wunderland for helping to provide us with such a fantastic experience. We look forward to visiting you again in the future!


Disclaimer: We received complimentary accommodation from Appartello Smarttime Living through the Come to Hamburg Scheme, along with a complimentary Hamburg Travel Card & Miniatur Wunderland tickets from the tourist board for the purpose of providing a full and honest review of our visit. Our review is based on our own experience & we have received no additional payment for the blog posts. Opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated. This post contains affiliate links.



Friday 25 August 2017

Our Trip to Hagenbeck Tierpark - A Review

Whilst visiting Hamburg last week, we were very surprised at just how much there was to do in the area. We were only staying for a couple of days, but managed to fit so much into the space of 48 hours. One of the places we visited was Hagenbeck Tierpark, which is one of Germany's most popular zoos.

The zoo was approximately half an hour on the bus from the Appartello Smarttime Living hotel, that we were staying in. It was a direct bus service on the number 39, so there was no need for us to make any changes during the journey. It was then a very short walk from the bus stop, to the entrance of the zoo, where you paid at a kiosk for entry. We had Hamburg Travel Cards which give a discount on admission, however the family ticket worked out a much better deal than using the travel card discount, so we opted for this instead.

Hagenbeck Tierpark first opened in 1907 and drew attention, due to the fact that the animals enclosures are surrounded by moats, as opposed to fences. We noticed that this was still the case for many of the animals, only spotting a couple of fenced enclosures during our visit.


At the ticket office we were provided with our map and a list of feeding times. It is important to keep hold of this, as all the signposts throughout the park are numbered as opposed to named, so you will need to keep referring to the map to see which number corresponds to which animal. As we made our way into the attraction, we noticed a small queue of people, who were buying bags of fruit and vegetables. We had read beforehand that you could purchase these bags to feed the elephants and baboons, so the children quickly joined the queue to buy some food. There is no set purchase price, but instead they ask for a donation. I never really know what to give in these kind of situations, so I did feel a bit awkward and worried as to whether I had donated enough, but we gave around 3 euros in change per bag.

Shortly after entering, we saw a small crowd gathering to the right hand side, so we made our way over to see what was happening. As we approached, we saw the most beautiful elephants, who were all reaching out with their trunks to collect food from the visitors. They looked well cared for and the size of their enclosure was very impressive, along with a large pool for them to cool off or play in. It was amazing for the children to be able to get so close to such a large and stunning animal and they just couldn't believe that they were actually feeding them by hand.


We could have spent ages here just watching the elephants, but after half an hour, we decided to go and explore the rest of the zoo. As they were situated close to the entrance and exit, we told the kids that we would come back and see them again before we left. We continued our walk around the zoo and came across some pelicans wandering across the grass. They weren't bothered by the passing crowds and simply carried on about their business by the side of the lake.


In addition to all the wonderful animals, the Hagenbeck Tierpark is also home to some stunning gardens. This was one of our favourite places that we came across whilst walking around and it was so peaceful just sitting by the lake and enjoying some lunch.


There were lots of opportunities to feed animals as you made your way around the zoo. Even though the elephants were definitely the children's favourite, we also enjoyed feeding the baboons, alpacas and goats. It was a great chance for Emma, Ben and Riley to get close to some lovely creatures.


Emma really enjoyed the goat pen, which is where you could walk into the enclosure and feed and stroke the goats. Some were a little on the cheeky side and would try and take the whole bag from your hands, but others were quite happy to simply stand and pose for a photo!


Another popular part of Hagenbeck Tierpark was the children's play park. This was a really large area that provided plenty of room for kids to run around and have some fun. There was plenty for all ages to enjoy and Emma & Ben particularly liked the swinging rope, as they hadn't seen one of these before.


After a short play on the park, we continued our walk towards the Hagenbeck Eismeer, which is spread over 8000 square metres. The clever design allows you to view the animals from both above and below the water, which was very impressive.


Whilst underground we noticed that there were lots of information boards (in German) providing plenty of facts and figures. There were also a few photo opportunities, like this one on the ski mobile.


Overall we had a lovely day out and feeding the elephants is certainly a memory that my children will hold on to. The Hagenbeck Eismeer is spectacular and we spent a couple of hours in this area alone. The whole park is well maintained, with beautiful gardens and scenery, along with plenty of seating to have a rest when you needed to. The majority of the enclosures were very large for the animals, though I was a little disappointed with the lions enclosure as felt that this looked quite small in comparison to the others. Hagenbeck Tierpark was easily accessible by public transport and I felt that the entry price for families was reasonable. We would definitely visit again.

Important Information

Address: Hagenbeck Tierpark, Lokstedter Grenzstraße 2, 22527 Hamburg

Opening times: Hagenbeck Tierpark is open all year from 9am. Closing times vary throughout the year, so I would always recommend visiting their own website, for the most up to date information which can be found here - Opening Hours

Entry prices: The following entry prices are for the zoo only, however you can also purchase combined tickets which allow entry to both the zoo & the aquarium. For the most up to date prices you can visit their website here - Entry Prices

Adult single ticket - 20 euros
Child single ticket (4 to 16 years) - 15 euros
Family Card 1 (2 adults & 2 children) - 60 euros
Family Card 2 (2 adults & 3 children) - 70 euros



Disclaimer: All opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated. Our trip to Hamburg was arranged with the assistance of the Come to Hamburg scheme. Information provided was correct at the time of writing, but is subject to change, so would also recommend visiting the attractions own website before visiting.