Laura Rutherford

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JetKids BedBox

20th June 2018 By thatmummysmile Leave a Comment

We love boarding an aeroplane for our holidays, but when it’s not your average hour’s flight, Stanley gets fidgety and there’s barely enough space for him to lay down- that’s where the BedBox comes into play. The JetKids BedBox was created by an entrepreneurial parenting duo who have experience in children’s products and saw a gap in the market for an in-flight children’s bed.

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Ready and excited!

We had the pleasure of being sent a BedBox for us to trial during our flight to Turkey recently on our May half term holiday. While it is only a 4 hour flight, this was the longest the boys have ever done and we were also aware that our journey home was to be a night flight! The BedBox is both a suitcase AND a bed! It’s a ride-on that contains a handy lightweight mattress which, when assembled the correct way, turns into a platform for your 12mth to 4year old to sleep and stretch out on.

Stan decorated his with some stickers and LOVED taking charge of it when we arrived at the airport. He pulled it along by the strap and looked like a chuffed Cheshire Cat with his own personal hand-luggage! When we got onto the plane, we obviously had to store it in the overhead locker until we were in the air and the captain had turned off the seatbelt sign. Once we got it down, I assembled it effortlessly for Stanley as he was sat in the middle seat. For this journey he was only keen to use it without the mattress which was fine, as it meant he could have his legs elevated. When we landed in Antalya Airport, the BedBox then became a fun ride-on while the children waited patiently for us to find our luggage.

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On our night flight home, the children were super tired so I was very much looking forward to setting up the bed for Stan. The cabin crew on this particular flight didn’t appear too thrilled with me wanting to assemble it. They questioned and queried it’s purpose, but eventually said we could use it. Stanley fell asleep, however yet again made a ‘fuss’ about using the mattress again (thanks matey).

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Stanley fast asleep on our flight home.

While this product ticks a lot of boxes and definitely does what it says, in my opinion, like everything there is still room for improvements. Not ALL flights allow a product like this because it obstructs the foot-well, so it’s worth checking before you purchase. There is a list of airlines HERE who have approved its use. JetKids are working intensively hard to get more airlines on board. Each time the seatbelt sign goes on (turbulence etc), you MUST store the BedBox back in the overhead locker, which of course can be disruptive especially if the child is sleeping on it, however you have to adhere to all safety regulations. I would imagine this is perfect for a long haul flight because it would get used to the maximum potential.

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The BedBox by JetKids is a great concept and made to the highest standard.

Visit the website to purchase your next holiday investment piece HERE.

by Laura x

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Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: aeroplane, bedbox, blog, blogger, children, Family travel, flight, hand luggage, holiday, jet kids, kids, Lifestyle blogger, mummy blogger, product review, travel, travel blogger, travel with kids

Road Trip with Vauxhall

4th April 2018 By thatmummysmile Leave a Comment

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We’re used to going on long road trips, but curtesy of Vauxhall we were loaned a new GrandlandX family car so we could travel in style and comfort down to Cornwall for Easter!

This is a drive we’ve done many times (I say ‘we’ but actually Tye does all he driving!)..in our previous cars, a Volvo estate, a Jeep and more recently in our current car a Land Rover. In the past we’ve set off in the evening and driven through the night, however this time round we set off at 4am on Good Friday to get ahead of traffic. We make sure we have pillows and plenty of snacks and refreshments- basically half of Sainsbury’s!!!!

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Taking in the stunning view of St Ives.

The Vauxhall GrandlandX is a superb family car, in which the kids have had ample space in the back despite being surrounded by plenty of luggage. The car boot is a decent size and we managed to successfully pack in everything we needed despite being used to our giant Land Rover boot and packing it to the rafters! It’s a very comfortable drive, so smooth and has some excellent safety features such as sensors if you’re driving too close to another vehicle. The in-built WIFI system and Sat Nav are excellent necessities and very easy to navigate. Our favourite feature on the car has to be the automatic ‘hands free’ boot door- which opens when you swish your foot under the bumper! Perfect for when your arms are full of the whole family’s clobber 😉

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Marazion beach

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St Michael’s Mount

We’ve had the pleasure of driving our Vauxhall  GrandlandX for 6 day’s from London down to the Cornwall Coast, then back to London via the picturesque Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. It has served us very well and we’ll definitely miss the effortless smooth travel experience! When we’re bumping around in our current family car (which sounds like a tractor when we reach the national speed limit), we’ll look back on our Vauxhall road trip and remember what a luxury it was to test drive the GrandlandX.

Cheddar Gorge in all its beauty.

Cheddar Gorge in all its beauty.

Thank you Vauxhall and apologies for bringing home half of the beach with us!

(oh and we even managed to get Harry’s new Surfboard home in it too!!!!!!!!) 0D9963C4-F3A2-4100-BA81-FB95AC57A93D

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by Laura x

 

 

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Filed Under: Family, Reviews Tagged With: Cheddar Gorge, cornwall, Easter holiday, family car, family holiday, Family travel, GrandlandX, Marazion, Road trip, st ives, st Michael’s mount, SUV, travel in style, Vauxhall

WOW what a Summer!

10th September 2017 By thatmummysmile Leave a Comment

WOW what a summer! We had the best 30 days in France and boy did it fly by. We’re so lucky to get to spend all of the summer holidays at a house in rural France. This year there was an extra special occasion, which was my sister’s wedding on the last weekend of August. Half an hour away from the house, we all gathered at a beautiful boutique hotel called Les Orangeries- where lots of friends and family also came to stay and celebrate with us all.

I flew out to France on the 1st August with my two boys and spent two weeks with my parents there. After those two weeks, my husband drove out, then over the following days my siblings and their families. This year was a particularly FULL HOUSE! At one point there were 15 of us; 9 adults, 4 children and 2 one year old toddlers! There was laughter, singing, dancing, tears, tantrums… you name it, we had it all.

We all go back summer after summer and over the last few years we’ve discovered even more hidden gems and beautiful areas to visit. Considering we are so rural, it often on average takes between 20-50 minutes to drive anywhere. Luckily all of the children are used to those drives now, so it’s pretty normal for us all. Spending all year living in central London, it really is a breath of fresh air (quite literally) spending so much time in the countryside. We have everything we need at the house and when we are there we really don’t need much. We all have each other and with it being such familiar territory, the children and their cousins are all comfortable with their surroundings. It’s summers in France that always remind us how little we really need. Simple pleasures are what it’s all about.

The house is situated in a tiny hamlet, on the edge of a national park: Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne, in the South West of France. We are spoilt for choice in terms of beautiful villages, towns and Lakes to visit. These are some of our favourite places we like to visit time and time again;

Montmorillon

Known as the ‘City of Writing’, this is a very old and charming town, with a stunning gothic bridge over the river running through the town centre. Each time we’re there it’s beauty takes us aback. Montmorillon has everything you need- convenience shops, cafe’s, bars and restaurants. We love to have tea and scones in ‘Kim’s Cafe’ which is on the bridge and has a terrace on the river bank. Kim is an English lady who has lived there for years, so she has continued to be a great source of information for us. For yummy burgers and frites, there is a lovely small food shack on the other side of the bridge which has a large outside terrace and the food and drinks are so cheap: 1 euro for a glass of wine and 2 euro’s for a pina colada! Just up the hill towards the church is ‘The Cave’, a bar which in the daytime is a great pit stop to have a beer, and in the evening provides live entertainment. Every August Montmorillon has a fantastically large Brocante which is our favourite. It takes up a number of roads in the town centre and offers plenty of stalls selling everything from bric-a-brac, antiques and second hand clothes. My family often laugh at my approach to any Brocante…it’s as though I’m a frantic child in a candy shop! I have all of my small euro’s and notes at the ready with my bartering head on. I LOVE me some second hand junk! Especially French junk!IMG_4708IMG_4707IMG_4597IMG_4582IMG_4589

Chaillac

Chaillac is a small village, based around a central square (as most of them are!), with a couple of great restaurants and perfect for sitting outside late as the sun goes down. Just on the outskirts of the village is a large Lake. There are designated picnic areas, but the best thing of all is the sandy beach and the fact that it is a swimming lake! Not all lakes are, but the ones with the man made beaches obviously are. You’ll always find plenty of locals as well as holiday-makers. We have spent many a sunny day here.IMG_4503IMG_4146

Bellebouche

Base de Loisirs de Bellebouche, near the town of Mezieres-en-Brenne, is one of the largest Lakes in the National Park. We discovered Bellebouche only last summer and what a find it was! With over 900 metres of sandy beach, the beautiful lake offers safe and warm swimming (on hot days it’s like a giant bath!), it’s lined with hundreds of Pine trees providing much needed shade, children’s playground and play areas. There is also a fantastically good restaurant on site which you often need to reserve a table at because many of the French specifically travel here just to dine for lunch or dinner. They do fantastic Moules and frites which the kids also love and large fresh salads. We love spending long days here on the beach and won’t leave to head home until 5/6pm. There is also a large campsite based at Bellebouche, which proves very popular during the summer.IMG_4449 IMG_4451 IMG_4669IMG_4637IMG_4466IMG_4452

Angles-sur-L’Anglin

This medieval village is listed as one of the top 5 most prettiest places to visit in France. We discovered it last year and have since made various trips there. It really is such a special place. At the heart of the village stands the ruins of the medieval Castle which is impressive to say the least. The quaint streets and beautiful houses are full of character and charm. The river Anglin runs through the village and has a small footbridge to cross leading on to a small grassy island which we love to have picnics on while the boys paddle in the shallow waters. There are a handful of restaurants and cafe’s to chose from including a nice tea room. This place really is so picturesque and worth exploring.IMG_4193 IMG_4195 IMG_4198 IMG_4222 IMG_4232 IMG_4236 IMG_4696

Poitiers

Considering the house is between Poitiers and Limoges, I had never visited Poitiers until this summer! It’s a stunning characterful medieval city. The town centre is lined with houses and shops you can’t help but ‘look up’ to admire the attractive shutters and Juliet balconies a plenty. We only spent a matter of hours here but I certainly intend to go again for a mini break and to explore further. IMG_4306 IMG_4309 IMG_4337 IMG_4360 IMG_4361 IMG_4362 IMG_4363

by Laura xx

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Filed Under: Family, Me time Tagged With: Family, Family travel, france, Montmorillon, mummy blogger, Poitiers, summer, tourist, travel, visit France

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