Searching for our Perfect Eurocamp Holiday for 2018

Oh the weather really is dreary now, isn't it? The rain has arrived, the sky is dull, the trees are shedding their leaves and all I want to do is fly away to sunnier climes. It's not to be at the moment though, so the next best thing I can do is start to look for our perfect family holiday for 2018.

In May this year our family stayed as guests of Eurocamp at the Playa Montroig Camping Resort on the Costa Dorada, Spain and we had such a wonderful time. It was just what we needed - superb accommodation with a great decked area for quality family time, amazing swimming pools and fun entertainment that engaged us all. It's no wonder that I'm thinking we will stay with Eurocamp again in 2018.

I asked some fellow bloggers where they have stayed with Eurocamp and which sites they would recommend, here's what they said -

1km of water slides at Duinrell!

Duinrell Campsite in Wassenaar, Holland
I know quite a few friends who have holidayed here and they all agree it has the most amazing entertainment, theme park and water complex. Sounds pretty amazing, right? Alana from Baby Holiday travelled there with her young family in September this year and she says it is perfect for toddlers, in fact what she said about Duinrell was that 'it's not relaxing but fab for the kids' and every parent knows that if the kids are happy then chances are they are too!

Joy at the Sensory Seeker said their families favourite Eurocamp site (they're stayed in a few) is Duinrell as well 'as there is just so much to do both day and night for the whole family. In fact we have been several times and never managed to explore the local area as the kids love the camp so much' and her kids are much older, so that gives a great perspective from the other end of the parenting spectrum.

Review: Mountain Warehouse Backpacker Lightweight 2 Man Tent

My JJ loves to camp, he has been so many times that I've lost count and I'm really quite proud that he is a competent camper. When we go to events that involve fire-starting or outdoors work like wood whittling or kayaking JJ is on it and always asked to help set things up or to supervise.

Previously on his camps he has shared a tent with his Dad or with other scouting friends so we haven't needed to get him a tent but this time around he was asked to take his own tent rather than use a Scout group one and Dh's is a bit big for him to take when he needs to carry all his own kit, so we asked Mountain Warehouse if they could help us out with a small but effective tent that JJ could take to this Scout camp.

I have to say, they really came up trumps. JJ was sent the Backpacker Lightweight 2 man tent which is currently an absolute bargain at £49.99, this being half price from its regular price of £99.99. When JJ first showed me this tent online and said he was interested I thought it looked a good model as it is super small when packed and only weighs 1.8kg.

Reviewing Our Camping Equipment from Outdoor World Direct

In just over a month my girls are going on their first official camp as Cub Scouts. They have been going on about this for quite some time and are on countdown, even to the point that they keep convincing me they must try out camping first and are taking over my house one room at a time for indoor camping.

When Outdoor World Direct heard that my twins needed to get kitted out for camping they were very happy to help us out and agreed to send me some items for review. I then spent a couple of enjoyable hours browsing their website and deciding what might work for the girls. I opted for a sleeping bag and self-inflating mat each and choose differing ones so we could really try them out and see where our recommendation would lie.

There is loads of choice on the Outdoor World Direct site and I found it easy to navigate as the menus are clearly set out. There also appears to be loads of good deals, with discounts off many everyday essentials for camping and outdoor fun.

Camping Can Be Fun....

Really? was my response when I a friend said this to me recently. I'll be totally upfront with you, I've not camped since I was about 14 years old and that was with the Girl Guides.

My husband camps, my kids camp (they are all part of the scouting movement) but I just haven't got round to it yet. I've let the excuse of not having the right equipment for all of us stop me from going but Outdoor World Direct have been doing a good job of kitting some of us out so that my excuse is being blown out of the water!

A group of friends are going camping together in August quite local to home and I am tempted to take the kids along and give it a go. How bad can it be? Especially when I'll have the most luxurious sleeping bag ever. Take a look at the Camper Lux from Outwell, I had no idea it would be so gorgeous when I ordered it from Outdoor World Direct. I was just after some sleeping bags and roll mats for the girls to take to their first official Cub camp in July and picked this as my husband said it was important to get a 3-4 season bag so it can be used in all weathers.

Adventurer Mens Waterproof Boots from Mountain Warehouse

JJ came home from Scouts a couple of weeks ago with his new programme for the term and it looked like they were going to have lots of fun - explorer camp, hiking, life skills, emergency aid, buggy races, tending their allotment and a water camp. As I scanned the list I noted the remark that all scouts would need to make sure they had sturdy walking boots for the hike as it would be over rough terrain and shoes, however study, just do not give the ankle support that is needed.

I recalled that last time we had gone out for a ramble JJ had been moaning that his walking boots were pinching, so I got them out to have a look and low and behold I found they are only a size 7 and he is now between an 8-9. I therefore knew it was time to have a look on the Mountain Warehouse site and see what was available for JJ at a good price. I was super impressed that there were walking boots on there ranging from just £19.99 for a basic pair up to £159.99 for top of the range Apex Isogrip ones.

As JJ is still a growing lad (he is only 12 years afterall) I didn't want anything too expensive but I wanted his feet to be comfy, dry and well-supported so I opted for a pair of Adventurer Mens Waterproof Boots  in a grey and orange colourway. I see the other colour option - blue and dark grey, which is also very nice, has gone into the sale and is just £29.99 now too. The boots are available in sizes 7 - 12 and I think they come up true-to-size.  We went for a 9 for JJ as he can wear thicker socks or even two pairs whilst they are on the larger size and then grow into them, making them a wise investment.

I never dreamed we'd be a wetsuit kind of family! #CountryKids

Our lake that the kids love to swim in every day in summer and a wetsuit makes it so much more pleasant

That might seem like a strange statement. What is a wetsuit kind of family you might ask?

Just not one I ever thought I'd be part of is the honest answer. Growing up no-where near the sea and with parents who were not exactly adventurous I've never done any kind of activity that means I needed to don a wetsuit and now being a larger lady I suspect I may never. My husband grew up in similar circumstances and whilst he did lots of adventurous scouting type things when he was young, kids didn't really wear wetsuits when we were young.

Now our lives have changed beyond recognition and we live in 220 acres of beautiful land and have three lakes, one of which has a dedicated swimming area but of course it is cold so the kids want a wetsuit as they love to take a dip every day after school. I'm so looking forward to the nicer weather and them being able to enjoy the lake for swimming and boating.

JJ updates his Scout Camping Kit

Camping with Daddy and the cubs when he was 3 years old

My son JJ has been involved in scouting for as long as I can remember. I can't recall if he was 2 or 3 when he went on his first cub camp but yes it was far earlier than it should of been. The reason being of course that my husband was a cub leader for ten years from 2002 and JJ always went along for the ride.

It was quite funny when he started his new scout group after our move last year that his 'nights away' award was already far higher than most of the scouts 3 or 4 years older than him. It is so reassuring to me to know that when he goes away he is really senssible and knows all the different rules about camp fires, cooking outside, tracking, going off alone etc.

He missed camping last year with our house move but he is making up for it this year and has already gone on two scout camps and hopes to do another in the autumn. It is the aboluste highlight of his year to go camping and he will sacrifice mosts things for it. He is very funny though, when I suggest getting a piece of equipment that might make things easier or more comfortable he confidently rebukes them and tells me it would then not be 'proper camping'. He is all about the rustic and getting back to basics.

When we got out all the camping equipment back in April we found that he had grown our of his sleeping bag and that much of his kit neeed replacing - large rucksack, new waterproofs, new camp cutlery, new torch and new sleeping bag. It all adds up and can cost a bit so I did some web searching and I bought quite a few good deals from the Mountain Warehouse eBay store. His coat was an excellent buy at £11.99 for a waterproof pakka coat and it has really proved itself to be effective. In fact I ended up buying most things we needed from there.

As my husband was not camping this time JJ just borrowed his sleeping bag for the last couple of camps but as it is an extra lage it is too big really so when Mountain Warehouse asked me if I'd like to review the Microlite 500 mummy sleeping bag I jumped at the chance. JJ had the choice of green and grey or red and grey and he opted for the red as you can see, he felt this would make it nice and easy to identify at camp with all the others.

Probably my favourite thing about this sleeping bag is the size and weight, it is so small and compact (measuring 35cm x 14cm when packed in the carry bag) and it weighs just 1kg. I had worried this might mean it was very hard to get back in the holding bag and when JJ tried the method suggested by one of his scout leaders - just stuff it in - it was indeed difficult, but when we laid out the bag and folded it in half and then rolled it tightly it fitted in just fine and I feel confident even my 10 year old can do that himself on camp.

The Microlite 500 is a 2 season sleeping bag and you can choose a left or right handed zip, which is 2 way for ease. You can also zip two together if you would like to make a double bag. Designed for temperatures between 7C - 11C degrees, this sleeping bag is ideal for summer and spring camping trips. The outer shell is made from 100% nylon ripstop material, with a soft polyester inner lining. Mummy shaped, the design insulates even better thanks to the increased warmth, keeping you snug outdoors.

JJ has only used the sleepign bag inside so far but he slept fine in it with the windows open and can't wait to go and camp outdoors and give it a real roadtest.

The RRP for this sleeping bag is £54.99 but it is currently on sale for £29.99 and if you don't fancy this one there is an excellent selection of different sleeping bags and camping equipment on the Mountian Warehouse website and after our purchase of waterproofs, camp cutlery and crockery, torch and a 75 litre rucksack from them I can happily tell you they sell quality products and we would recommend them.

Now JJ just needs to work his magic on me and convince me that I might enjoy camping!

Disclosure: We received the sleeping bag free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

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A Tale of Two Weekends...

....well one weekend if I am being pernickety! This last weekend both dh and I went away but separately, now don't be worried by that, nothing is wrong, it is just the way it worked out.

Here is my perfectly peaceful ladies retreat in the Shropshire countryside -

It was just a little bit different where dh was! 

For a start he had our 3 kids with him, but then there was about another 40 kids too.  Whereas I had a comfy bed with crisp linen and 2 pilows he had a tent and sleeping bag with 2 over excited little ladies.

We both had home cooked food but mine was things like a roast beef dinner followed by banoffee pie, his was more bangers and mash over the gas stove.

We prayed the rain would stay away and God was kind.  My girls have pronounced this the best holiday ever and it sounds as if they all had a perfect Fathers Day. My dh sure knows how to keep the kids happy!



The big boy returns!

JJ arriving at camp

Hidden in a box!

Assault course



On the downhill trolleys.....

Pot-holing - brave boy!

Relaxing after a hard days camping.

My big boy is back from camp minus a tooth, so that is now 2 he has lost and at the tender age of 5 he has one of his adult teeth growing through. Can that be right? surely he is too young, I will have to google and investigate.

I can tell he has been with 9 - 15 year old for a week as he is a tad more cheeky than when he left me (Daddy and I will soon knock that out), dh is being referred to as Dad, the Daddy has been dropped and his voice even sounds different. I know that sounds a bit crazy but I suppose he has just become used to conversing at a different level for the last week.

He had an amazing time at camp, his second year and got an award for 12 nights away, so once he is invested as Beaver he will be able to get his first badge straight away. We have to frame his certificate apparently.

He did a wide variety of activities: potholing, swimming, wide games, hiking, racing trolleys etc etc and apparently they all did skits around the camp fire to earn points for their team and JJ stood up and did some knock knock jokes. Where does he get the confidence from?