The amazing adventures of me

Lavania carrying Arlo on her back in the midst of a wildflower field on a sunny day.

Welcome to Our Family Adventure Journal!

Hello there! I’m Lavania, a single mom and teacher, navigating the delightful chaos of life with my whirlwind six-year-old, Arlo. Our home base is in vibrant Birmingham (UK), where our adventures unfold.

What You’ll Find Here:

Our blog is a blend of everything that fills our days – from exploring the gems of Birmingham to unleashing our creativity in arts and crafts projects at home. Join us for play ideas, candid toy reviews, glimpses into our family-friendly recipes, updates on home renovation projects, holiday diaries, and the occasional reflective post.

Why We Do It:

This blog is more than a documentation of our adventures; it’s an invitation for you to share in our joys and maybe find inspiration for your own family escapades. We believe in the magic of ordinary moments and hope our stories resonate with you.

Join Our Adventure:

Feel free to share your thoughts or your own family adventure stories in the comments below. If you enjoy what you read, consider subscribing to stay updated on our latest escapades. Let’s embark on this journey together!

Recent posts

A girl in a santa hat eating a cup of coffee.

A Dazzling Journey Through Neverland: Exploring the Enchanted Garden at Webbs of Wychbold

To kick off the 2023 festive season, we embarked on a mesmerising journey through the Enchanted Gard…

Family days out for a tenner in Birmingham

Family days out for a tenner in Birmingham

We are deep in to the summer holidays and I’m already on the hunt for days out which don&#8217…

Give the gift of Adventure this Christmas - Moms in the West Midlands recommend!

Memberships and Annual passes in Birmingham

Give The Gift Of Adventure – Moms In The West Midlands Recommend – a collated list of me…

A young boy standing in a field of flowers.

Flower fields in the Midlands

Step outside, summertime’s in bloom! Well we have had one day of a heatwave and it’s got me all exci…

A child is standing next to a christmas tree in a building.

Unwrapping the Magic: A Box of Delights at the RSC

The enchanting allure of “The Box of Delights” came to life at the Royal Shakespeare Com…

A person writing the word be creative on a piece of paper.

Exploring creative writing with your child

In a world dominated by screens and fast-paced activities, fostering creativity in children has beco…

A set of metal balls hanging from strings on a gray background.

Exploring STEM subjects with your child at home

In a world driven by technological advancements, fostering a love for STEM (Science, Technology, Eng…

the_amazing_adventures_of_me

Creatively Parenting a little whirlwind
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🎲 #toyreviews
🚗 #daysoutwithkids
🪲 #cricut ambassador

Parents we have made it to ten nights! It gets h

Parents we have made it to ten nights!

It gets harder from here on in because you’ve got to keep it going now you’ve committed and with Xmas jumper day, raffle donations, school discos, nativity costumes, Xmas cards and teacher gifts plus trying to find hidden corners in the house to stash things until the big day I have been falling in to bed cold and exhausted and then waking up in a panic around 2am remembering that I’ve got to move those @*#%$!$ elves!!!

So parents I’ve got your back…… stage an advent calendar break in and then enjoy a little chocolatey treat for yourself this evening because you deserve it! Just remember to replace it all tomorrow with something a bit extra otherwise the kids will be traumatised 🤦🏻‍♀️

#elfontheshelf #elfontheshelfideas

The box of delights 🎁 A beautiful performance

The box of delights 🎁

A beautiful performance at @thersc based on the much loved children’s book. With the story focusing on the triumph of good over evil and the power of imagination - set during the Christmas period it has all the elements needed for the perfect festive production.

At first as a main character stepped on to stage in a tracksuit I thought we would be in for a modern retelling of the story but I was pleasantly surprised to see many little snippets from the story appear throughout the performance, including the language and lemon posset.

Most of the audience were “grown ups” I think looking for a little bit of escapism and a trip down memory lane. A lady sat next to my mom was in tears at one point, overcome with emotion - for Arlo I think much of the plot went over his head but the staging, dramatic effects and music kept him engaged throughout. He was on the edge of his seat in parts with a glisten in his eye, especially with the water scene and puppetry.

It really was a delight for all senses - and we love that the entire theatre has embraced the story and has taken details such as the paper chains on the tree and made the theatre look stunning for December with a shadow box in a wardrobe, another with a costume try on and a secret witches apothecary and all sorts of other books and crannies filled with magic to find.

If you love the story then you will love stepping in to the RSC and if you’ve never heard of it, then it’s a great place to find some of that sparkle that is only around at this time of year.

All under one roof! /ad @winter_funland has smas

All under one roof! /ad

@winter_funland has smashed it again - This evening we popped along to @necbirmingham where there has been a festive takeover of one of the biggest halls. With fair ground rides including a full size ferris wheel, the worlds biggest bouncy castle, stunt bikers, circus acts, an ice rink, a Santas grotto and more this place is jam packed fun for all the family - there are rides for the little ones to enjoy and rides which made me feel queasy just looking at them so if you’ve got a family struggling to decide on a day out to suit all the kids then this one might be it…. And of course being under one roof means that whatever the weather you are safely under cover.

It might seem like a hefty price tag at first but when I add up Arlo’s rides and bounce time today - plus how much it would cost to book a circus and skate session separately then it does represent good value.

Save Now Live Wow /ad I’m a wowcher fan, and a

Sausage surprise When you fancy a roast, it’s

Sausage surprise

When you fancy a roast, it’s freezing cold but you can’t be bothered with doing any prep….. sausages, new potatoes and chantennay carrots are the one. Simply put them all in a pan with a little oil, I seasoned and added garlic and fresh thyme.
Five minutes before the end of roasting I boiled some beans, glazed with honey and mustard and then popped everything back in the oven with some of aunt Bessie best yorkshires.

Giving that hearty Sunday meal feeling with minimal effort 🍴

We had about half an inch of snow this morning and

We had about half an inch of snow this morning and so we did what any self respecting Brummie should do and took ourselves up to the Lickeys for a little walk.

We made friends with a little Robin and some dog walkers who helped push our car off the icy car park - at one point I did think we were going to be stuck there a while though 🤦🏻‍♀️

Elf mix! Now that it’s December it’s perfect

Elf mix!

Now that it’s December it’s perfectly acceptable to have treats available at all times. I have this large mason jar filled with a mix of pretzels, marshmallows, buttons and similar. It’s great for movie nights as you can dip in and get a handful of sweet and savoury deliciousness. Adding a red ribbon makes it fit in with all the decor.

I’m going to keep topping this one up through the month and I might make another healthier version with nuts and dried fruits as you can never have too many snacks.

1st December …. AKA – s**t where did I stash t

1st December ….

AKA - s**t where did I stash the elf last year day?!

In honour of the official start to the festive season here’s one of my favourite pictures of Arlo from way back when ♥️

The man of the hour! Nico has arrived….. @sixb

The man of the hour!

Nico has arrived….. @sixbynico_birmingham is the long awaited hottest new establishment on the Birmingham food scene. Bringing affordable and innovative cuisine to the city and wow!

This evenings six course tasting menu was based on the concept of the “chippie” - bringing cheesy chips and deep fried mars bars flavours to the discerning foodies of Brum this evening at a special preview event.

We had a fabulous evening - The entire team know they’re on to something special here and you can’t help but find their joy infectious. It makes the whole experience feel enjoyable with such a postive buzz about the place.

Of course the menu doesn’t stick around for long, evolving every six weeks so we will most certainly be back!

I’ll share a review of the menu on the blog this week but in the meantime swipe for a sneak peek of the food

PR event

North Pole Adventure I’ve never seen Arlo so e

North Pole Adventure

I’ve never seen Arlo so engaged as he was on Saturday @national_forest_adventure_farm

They’re hosting a grotto with a difference this year, it’s a 90 minute (at least) immersive experience called the North Pole Adventure which is like a series of escape rooms with challenges and tasks to complete in order to finally get to meet the big guy in red.

Arlo was totally sold by the whole thing, and worked really hard to impress the elves at every opportunity.

The staging and atmosphere created was really magical, the old fashioned street complete with pub and sweet shop was wonderful and the team were great - they all seemed to be really enjoying themselves and making sure they interacted with everyone which added to the experience.

This farm is perhaps the most magical experience around for little believers ✨

PR trip

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