Reasons to be Cheerful: Break Away #R2BC

 
Welcome to reasons to be cheerful this week! Lovely to read everyone's posts and look forward to more happy posts this week. Last weekend was spent at Rydal Hall with other single mums on a Single with Kids break. We had 3 fun days together which make up the majority of my reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) A trail run
Some of the other mums also run so we went out at 8 on Saturday morning for a run along the coffin trail and back around Rydal Water. It was such a beautiful morning to take in the scenery in good company:

2) Beautiful location

Our accommodation was the bunkhouse at Rydal Hall which is in the grounds of the main house. In this photo it is the white building top right:

The children (and adults) were free to roam in both the formal and informal grounds which was perfect for a child friendly break.

3) Woodland surprises

My friend and I had fun on the sculpture trail looking for all the different sculptures and discovering all the hidden animals:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Merry Month of May #R2BC

 
I actually quite can't believe its May already, what on earth happened to April? Any how it's time for Michelle to have a break and my turn to be the host. In case you hadn't realised we have changed the day of the linkup to Saturday as with all our busy schedules our regular linkers voted for a change from Thursday. This may take some getting used to! 
Happy Star Wars Day and here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) Phone
Last week I had a disaster and knocked my phone down the loo... Unfortunately it didn't survive the experience. I have now got a new to me replacement which is in much better nick than my old one so I am so happy! Let's just hope I have no more tech disasters...
2) Bathroom
When we moved in the budget for decorating ran out and the bathroom had to be done in the left overs from my bedroom. The off white paint which looks nice in my room made the bathroom look drab and dirty. So I decided that after 4 years it was time to finally give it a mini makeover. The new teal is so bright, cheerful and fresh:

2) Running

For one reason or another I just hadn't been out running. So whilst my first coat of paint was drying I headed out along the old canal for 5km in glorious weather:

I really need to make sure I get out more regularly as my mood is so much better when I've running!

3) Home and Away

Halloween at Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre

We went to Brockhole today for a family lunch and enjoyed a taste of their Halloween experience. Its the first year they have gone to town like this and it was pretty amazing. We didn't buy tickets as we had a 3 year old with us but got a chance to see what we were missing out on:

Even if you didn't buy a ticket you could see the effort that had gone into the event from sculpture:

#CountryKids Swim Safe at Brockhole

Today we headed to Brockhole for my children's Swim Safe session. These sessions are run jointly with the RNLI and the Amateur Swimming Association About Swim Safe. Living in a county with lots of open water I was very keen on helping my children learn how to stay safe - my daughter has twice got too cold in the water and needed rescuing so it was time to teach them to be safer.

On arrival they were kitted out in full wet suits, bright tops and swimming caps to keep them visible in the water:

An RNLI lifeguard ran them through the 5 main safety rules:

Then some ASA instructors ran through the things that the children would be doing in the water before leading them down to the lake:

#CountryKids Tree Top Nets at Brockhole

For my children's birthdays they decided to take a couple of friends each to Tree Top Nets at Brockhole. These are a new idea for children (and adults) aged 3 and over to enjoy fun up to 9 m off the ground without the need for helmets and safety lines! You ascend up a netting tunnel to reach the main area:

The height is more obvious from below:

The children went flying up to the top, I was a lot more cautious as it sways more with an adult weight! Once you get to the top then there is a large complex of nets with plenty of room for children to run around:

#CountryKids at Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre

The last big activity we did with my family whilst they were up here was to go to Brockhole as it combines fun for children and interesting things for grown ups. With there being a surfeit of adults I even managed to get a run to the site and around it a few times:

And no I wasn't running on the water I ran down the jetty:

Meanwhile the children had been showing everyone around the park and walking the dog. I had spotted that there was a free cycle training event but could only persuade my daughter to give it a go:

#CountryKids at Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre

After being fabulous for Sports Relief my son deserved a treat so as the sun was shining we headed up to Brockhole. It was just after lunch at it was fairly quiet in the car park. The gardens were looking very spring like:

Daffodils at Brockhole

First stop was the adventure playground as my son still had tonnes of energy to expend:

cargo net at Brockhole

#CountryKids Fun on a drizzly Cumbrian day

Today was a grey and wet one and I had 2 boys to entertain for 6 hours. Luckily we live in an fantastic area for family fun whatever the weather! So I packed a picnic and drove the boys up to Wray Castle round the top of Windermere:

This as my second proper visit here having been in May so we knew where our favourite bits. My son took his friend straight to the room where they could fight with swords: 

As they were happy in there I took a chance to have a quick tour. I learnt more about things like the expensive tile floor in the hall:

And the fact that this tiling isn't original:

And that the tiles had been whitewashed at some point!

Then I made the boys explore the castle with me including the new Beatrix Potter room:

There is also a room dedicated to Allan Bank which is another property needing major renovations. We went there the week it reopened last year. The wall decoration made you really feel like you where there:

I found bits we hadn't seen before such as this stained glass in the female servants quarters:

There were also changes in the library where the books have now been painted and you can write titles on them in wash off chalk:

By now the rain had gone so we headed outside so the boys could let off more steam:

They had both bought swords and went off into this lake shore wood to re-enact Narnia:

I got to sit near the beach and relax:

With our day nearly done we headed down to Brockhole to finish the afternoon. The boys enjoyed the adventure playground and flying a kite on the grass:

All in all a fabulous day out as a family.

#CountryKids at Brockhole

It was possibly the hottest day of the year so far today so after tennis club and a few chores we headed off to Brockhole. Luckily by time we got there some folks had left so there was space in the car park.

We had taken swimming gear so the first stop was the lake. Even though the water was very cold there were plenty of kids in the water. Most grown ups sensibly just put their feet in:

Didn't seem to deter my children though especially my daughter:

There were plenty of children jumping in off the jetty and swimming in the water! My daughter did manage to pluck up courage to jump but her brother was more sensible.

It gave me plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the views:

And we all enjoyed seeing the baby waterfowl:

After a couple of hours of splashing around the children were hungry so we nipped up to the cafe:

Amazingly the children still had energy left for the mini climbing wall and then the adventure playground. I was content to sit in the meadow reading a book whilst they had fun:

Eventually we all had enough of fun in the sun and headed home. No doubt we will be back very soon.

Reasons to be Cheerful Week 22 - Half term fun #R2BC

Whilst Michelle has been enjoying Butlins (not jealous much!) we have been having a really fun time staying at home! So many reasons to smile:
1) A taste of summer
It seems to have gone again but Saturday and Sunday were hot and sunny and we made the most of it. I've already written about what we got up to earlier on the blog but this photo sums it up:

  2) Fun with friends
Family friends that are more like family than friends have been staying up here this week. The children are similar ages to mine so we have been out and about showing them so of the places we love. I have already blogged about Keswick which was fun despite the drizzle! Yesterday we went to Brockhole:

  We had fun in the adventure playground, playing crazy golf and enjoying the indoor soft play. 
Today we went to Wray Castle which is being renovated by the National Trust after decades of use by government and commercial organisations. This was my first proper visit so I will have to dedicate a whole post to it! Just as a taster:

Victorian Mock Gothic

Indoor fun

Outdoor Fun

3) Winners!
My mum entered a competition in the local paper and won herself 2 free goes on the brand new 10 m high climbing wall at Tree Top Trek at Brockhole. It officially opens on June 2nd and the climbs will be on that day. She has kindly decided that it would be better for my daughter and I to partake *gulp* so I will have to over come my fear of heights and inability to scale a climbing wall! Watch this space as my mum will be recording the event on camera. I am looking forward to whizzing down the giant zip wire at the end!