Holidays – We Made a Wish https://wemadeawish.co.uk Adoption and Parenting Magazine Thu, 13 Apr 2023 09:55:01 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 https://wemadeawish.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/site-icon-150x150.png Holidays – We Made a Wish https://wemadeawish.co.uk 32 32 How to Use Offroad Ebikes on Vacation https://wemadeawish.co.uk/how-to-use-offroad-ebikes-on-vacation https://wemadeawish.co.uk/how-to-use-offroad-ebikes-on-vacation#respond Thu, 13 Apr 2023 09:47:40 +0000 https://wemadeawish.co.uk//?p=4305 This is a collaborative post.

Are you looking for an exciting and eco-friendly way to explore new destinations? How about taking your ebike to your travel destination?

With their battery-powered assistance, these versatile bicycles make adventure travel accessible to riders of all experience levels. So helmet up and read further.

Ways to Use Ebikes While Traveling

You can use offroad ebikes for all sorts of vacations. Below are some ideas to get you started:

Bikepacking: Bikepacking is a form of adventure travel that combines biking and camping. You can use your ebike to explore backcountry trails and get off the beaten path. Just be sure to pack light, as you’ll have to carry all your gear on your bike. Your bike should have a luggage rack that supports up to 50 pounds of weight.

Bike touring: Touring is another great way to see the world by bike. With an ebike, you can cover more ground than you can on a traditional bicycle, making it easier to see more of your chosen destination. Whether you’re doing a self-supported tour or joining an organized group, ebike touring, especially offroad, is a great way to explore and see the great outdoors.

Exploring bike trails and parks: If you’re looking for a way to add some adventure to traveling, consider exploring bike trails and parks on an electric bike. This is a great way to get some exercise while seeing some spectacular sights.

Tips for Going the Distance on an Ebike

Maybe you want to use your ebike on a longer trip. If so, below are some tips to get the most out of the experience.

1. Get comfortable with your ebike before heading out on a long ride or trip. If possible, take some shorter rides to get used to your ebike’s power and handling. This will help you feel more confident when riding for longer periods of time on unfamiliar terrain.

2. Make sure you have all the necessary gear for a comfortable ride. In addition to bringing along things like food, water, and a first-aid kit, add a GPS and phone. Some bikes are equipped with phone holders and chargers. If you take a trip in colder weather, dress in layers and make sure you carry a blanket and cold-weather-friendly sleeping bag.

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How to go on an adventure holiday as a family https://wemadeawish.co.uk/how-to-go-on-an-adventure-holiday-as-a-family https://wemadeawish.co.uk/how-to-go-on-an-adventure-holiday-as-a-family#respond Fri, 18 Nov 2022 16:08:39 +0000 https://wemadeawish.co.uk//?p=3917 This is a collaborative post.

So, you want to get away and spend some quality time with your family? But if you’re looking to do something a little more adventurous than your typical beach vacation, you might be wondering how to go about it. An adventure holiday is the perfect way to bond as a family and create memories that will last a lifetime. Yet, it can be a little daunting to plan, especially if you have young children. So, it’s essential to approach planning your trip in the right way.

If you’re looking to create a great holiday for your family, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at the key steps you need to take to plan the best adventure holiday for your family.

1. Have a Conversation

It’s always a good idea to talk to your kids and see what they’re interested in first. Are they keen on hiking, biking, or swimming? Maybe they want to try something new like zip-lining or rock climbing. There are plenty of options out there, so it’s important to narrow down what everyone is interested in before you start planning.

2. Do Your Research

Once you know what everyone wants to do, it’s time to start researching different locations and trip ideas. You want everyone to be comfortable and have a good time, so it’s important to look into options that meet everyone’s needs—particularly when you’re doing something different from what you normally would.

3. Pick the Right Destination

Next, you’re going to want to make sure that you choose the best possible location for the trip. As you’re making your decision, be sure to consider things like climate, cost, and activities when making your decision. For example, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, you might want to consider camping in a national park or look for activity centres. If you’re looking for something more extreme, you might want to go white-water rafting near a river or hiking in the hills.

Photo by MChe Lee on Unsplash

You could then put the final contenders up for vote among the whole family. Ask everyone what they think of the locations and see which one comes out on top.

4. Pack Smart

Once you’ve chosen your destination, it’s time to start packing! When packing for an adventure holiday, it’s important to pack smart. This means bringing along items that will be both useful and comfortable. For example, if you’re going camping, you’ll want to make sure to bring plenty of bug spray and sunscreen. If you’re going hiking, you’ll want to pack sturdy shoes and plenty of water.

You’ll also want to make sure to pack clothes that can be layered. This way, if the weather changes or you end up doing more strenuous activities than expected, you’ll be prepared. Lastly, don’t forget to pack any necessary medications and first-aid supplies—you never know when you might need them!

5. Create an Itinerary…But Be Flexible

One of the most important things to remember when planning an adventure holiday as a family is that not everything will go according to plan. That’s why it’s important to create an itinerary…but also be flexible. By having a loose plan, you’ll be able to adjust on the fly if necessary and still make sure that everyone in your family gets to do the things they want to do.

Plus, part of the fun of an adventure holiday is not knowing what’s going to happen next! So embrace the spontaneity and enjoy spending quality time with your loved ones.

6. Enjoy the Trip

And finally, you need to make sure that you have fun! This is the most important thing of all. An adventure holiday should be about making memories and spending time with the people you love. Even the most active families need some time to relax on vacation. Make sure you leave some room in your itinerary for things like naps, movie nights, and just hanging out together. So go forth and explore the world with your family in tow!

Planning the Perfect Adventure Holiday

An adventure holiday is a great way to bond with your family while also getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But it can be tough to know where to start when planning such a trip. Luckily, we’ve got you covered! By following these tips, you can ensure that everyone has a good time while also staying safe and within budget. So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your next big adventure today!

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Playing out https://wemadeawish.co.uk/playing-out https://wemadeawish.co.uk/playing-out#respond Tue, 07 Aug 2018 19:56:38 +0000 http://www.wemadeawish.co.uk/?p=880 When I was a child, playing out was a big part of my life. I played out with my friends in the streets around our house. My sister and I had boundaries and a curfew but we were left to our own devices. We explored, made dens, cut up worms and generally had fun.

Unfortunately, we live in a very different world now. Playing out in the street isn’t the norm. Apart from all of the other dangers, roads are so much busier now. It simply isn’t safe for children to play in the street like we did.

As well as the moving dangers from the road, our streets are often seen as unsafe for unsupervised kids. Barely a week goes by without some horror story of a child being attacked or disappearing. Their childhood innocence taken away in the blink of an eye.

Hubby spent a lot of holidays as a child staying in caravans along the Northumberland coast. He loved exploring and has so many happy memories of his holidays there. So, we’ve been trying to give little Miss similar experiences with caravan holidays.

She’s 4 and a half and has never been a child that has tried to run off when we’re out and about. She’s generally good at holding hands and keeping within sight of us if she wants to run or scoot. When we’re at the caravan, this has been getting harder and harder to control. She can see the other children playing around our caravan and we can see that she’s desperate to join in.

One of the little girls who plays with the group of kids is younger than little Miss. This got us thinking that perhaps we need to relax things a bit. My initial thought is she is way too young to be going out on her own, but seeing the younger girl having so much fun joining in, really made us think. Our caravan is at one corner of a cul-de-sac so we have a good view from inside and the decking of quite a big area.

We started off just letting her run round the outside of the caravan. Hubby said he used to spend hours doing that when he was young. Every time she went out of site for the few seconds to go round the back, my heart was in my mouth. Seeing the look of sheer delight on her face though made me realise I have to get a grip. She was completely safe. And she was having fun playing outside.

Later that day we get braver and let her scoot on her own. We showed her the boundaries of where she could go which was to the end of one street, back to our van and then to the end of the adjoining street. I sat on the decking so I could see one way and hubby sat inside so he could see the other way.

The look on her face as she scooted up and down was priceless. She was so chuffed she was out on her own. It took me a while to relax but I did. She played out for about an hour and absolutely loved it. She said hello to anyone who went passed and sang pretty much the whole of Frozen and Moana at the top of her voice. It was lovely to see her growing in confidence and exploring things on her own.

The other kids were playing out around her and I’m sure it won’t be long before she’s joining in. It takes her a while to be confident enough to join in with people she doesn’t know so we’re hoping this summer at the van will help her with that.

Finding the right balance between protecting your child and being over-protective can be so hard. I’m very protective of little Miss but I know that I’ve got to let her have a bit more feedom. She needs to learn to be street safe and she won’t do that being wrapped in cotton wool. Playing out is such a crucial part of being a child so we need to find a way of letting her do it safely.

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The end of beach holidays abroad? https://wemadeawish.co.uk/holidays https://wemadeawish.co.uk/holidays#comments Tue, 14 Nov 2017 12:50:35 +0000 https://lifegaveusthegiftofyou.wordpress.com/?p=220 Until we had or daughter, holidays for my husband and I were a very relaxed affair. They involved a lot of sun, great food and wine and lots and lots of relaxing. We saved hard and stayed in some beautiful hotels abroad. Our favourite was in Fuerteventura where we spent our honeymoon. My husband has a physically demanding job, mine is stressful and mentally draining so we cherished our holidays abroad to just switch off, relax, soak up the sun and re-charge our batteries.

We knew that for the first few years once we became parents, sun holidays would be off the agenda. Getting away somewhere closer to home was going to be the way forward. To prepare us for UK holidays, we went away with my sister, her husband, their 2 kids and my mum to Beadnell on the Northumberland coast, the summer before we met little Miss. We went in August, the height of the holiday season.

Having never holidayed in the UK before, we didn’t really know what to except. Neither of us really thought about the weather, so we merrily packed our usual holiday clothes for our week away. I’ll never forget the look of amusement on my nieces faces when they saw what clothes we’d brought. I’d thrown in a cardigan as a last minute addition, but other than that it was all short sleeves, vest tops and linen. My husband didn’t fair much better. His suitcase was full of t-shirts and shorts.

Standing on a hill at Alnwick Castle was the turning point. I was laughing as my husband battled to put my mum’s pink pac-a-mac on to try and find some relief from the cold and realised that if we were going to make our new style of holiday work, we’d need a whole new UK holiday wardrobe.

Fast forward 4 years and sun drenched holidays by the pool are well and truly a distant memory. Other than the guaranteed sunshine, there is very little about them that I miss. Holidaying in the UK has really opened our eyes to the beauty of the country we live in. We’ve been to some amazing places and are looking forward to exploring more over the coming years. Our favourite place is Northumberland. Despite the cold weather, our first holiday there had us hooked

This summer is the first time we haven’t been tied to afternoon naps so it’s felt like we’ve had more freedom to explore. We love getting in the car and just driving. We’ve gone a bit further north each time, stopping off at some beautiful places on the way. Here are some of our favourites:

Bamburgh
Beautiful coastal village and home to a stunning castle. We haven’t ventured into the castle with little Miss yet, but I’ve been a few times many years ago when I was at school and thoroughly enjoyed it so am looking forward to taking her when she’s a bit older. The beach is stunning. Our favourite place for lunch is The Victoria which has a wide range of food from pub grub to fine cuisine in the restaurant. Dogs are welcome too in certain parts of the pub.

Beadnell
This is where my husband spent many summer holidays when he was young so it holds a lot of special memories for him. It’s a beautiful little village which boats a fish and chip shop, general store and a couple of pubs. We love the sheltered beach and enjoyed our first attempt at kite flying there on a brisk November afternoon. Despite it being freezing and very windy in the car park, a few short strides onto the beach and we basked in the sunshine and a much less strong wind. Utterly stunning. We love stopping for lunch in The Craster Arms. It’s another dog friendly pub and is our favourite place to go for Sunday lunch.

Alnwick
We love Alnwick Gardens, particular on a dry warm day. Little Miss loves playing in the water features although she hasn’t been brave enough to stand under the biggest one yet. We had a fab visit there a couple of years ago to see Father Christmas which was magical.

Alnmouth
A Stunning village with a gorgeous beach and a wide range of places to eat. Our favourite so far is The Red Lion. We first discovered it on our first solo outing without little Miss when we were in the depths of our hideous potty training experience. She stayed at our caravan for the afternoon with her Aunty and Uncle and we escaped for a delicious, chilled and very grown up Sunday lunch. It was bliss and utterly delicious.

Warkwarth
The river Coquet winds its way through the stunning town of Warkwarth which boasts some beautiful buildings that house places to eat, drink and stay. The imposing ruin of the Castle stands proud at the top of a hill, overlooking the town. Little Miss loves sitting beside the fish tank in the The Hermitage Inn which sells lovely traditional pub grub.

Amble
This is one of our favourite places to spend an afternoon. The long U shaped pier is a perfect route for a safe walk to blow away the cobwebs and explore the sea at a safe distance. We took little Miss for her first rock pool adventure there and she loved it. The fish and chips are divine, as is the ice cream from Spureli’s. The Pods are a lovely way to spend your cash on locally produced goodies from beautifully crafted home accessories, to ice cream to handbags. The play park at The Old Storehouse is a safe place for young kids to burn off some energy while you relax. The food is very nice too.

Newbiggin by the Sea
The long promenade which follows the curve of the beach is perfect for riding bikes and scooters. The visitors centre is the home of a lovely café, shop and museum. Little Miss loves going in the museum and dressing up in the life jackets. There is a well equipped park too just beside the car park which has spectacular views of the coastline.

Creswell
Creswell is a beautiful hidden gem right on the Northumbrian Coast. It is a tiny little village with nothing more than stunning houses, 2 caravan parks, an ice cream shop and the fabulous, recently extended Drift Café. We love going there for a late breakfast and then burning it off with a walk along the beautiful beach. Creswell is our little piece of paradise and we can’t wait to go back next year.

Accidental Hipster Mum
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