The amazing adventures of me

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

This is our family adventure blog – the journal of our life – which is a bit of everything really.

We’re a fun loving pair. I’m Lavania, a single mum and teacher. I have a whole host of hobbies and interests – right now it’s all about balancing the craziness of life with Arlo, who is a five year old little whirlwind. We are based in Birmingham (UK) .

We share guides to our adventures in Birmingham as well as arts and crafts projects which keep us busy at home.

You can also find lots of play ideas and toy reviews, family friendly recipes, our home renovation projects, holiday journals, and the occasional journal and opinion based post within our family blog .

We hope you enjoy reading all about our days out and find inspiraton to have a family adventure today.

Recent posts

a set of kitchen utensils in a bag.

Fathers Day gift guide 2023

Father’s Day is coming up and it’s often quite tricky trying to find the perfect idea so here’s a li…

a woman in a polka dot dress pushing a shopping cart.

Why Go Outdoors Loughborough is Your One-Stop Shop for Outdoor Gear

Go Outdoors Loughborough re opened its doors this month with a celebration and a sale to end all sal…

a woman standing in front of a blue tent.

The Ultimate Packing List for First-Time Family Festival Camping

Are you planning your first family festival camping trip? If so, you’re probably feeling a bit overw…

the_amazing_adventures_of_me

🎨 Creatively Parenting a little whirlwind
📍 #Birmingham Based #familyblog
🍴 we cook #food
🎲 We Play #toyreviews
🚗 We go places #daysoutwithkids

Saturday vibes Out and about all day, from tree

Saturday vibes

Out and about all day, from tree climbing to dance class, parties and brunch dates - with some Pokémon catching in between. This kid said he had the best day ever and half term is only warming up. Car is fixed and ready for a road trip - let’s go get em kid!

“Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, A

“Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date”
- Shakespeare

Was there ever a more perfect piece of writing than sonnet 18? Ever single time the clouds of May blossom start to float down on to the floor and spring makes way for summer I find myself reciting these words and every year I find new meaning.

Summer fizz The sky has been blue all day so thi

Summer fizz

The sky has been blue all day so this calls for bubbles. I’ve added elderflower cordial and my floral ice cubes to my beverage this evening and I’m making the most of the last rays of sunshine because who knows how long it will stay like this 🌸

Hello Loughborough I got lost today in the aisle

Hello Loughborough

I got lost today in the aisles at the newly reopened @gooutdoors branch in Loughborough. It’s a huge warehouse space and as an avid festival camper and outdoors adventurer this is the perfect place to visit for essentials great and small.

My favourite thing is being able to see a huge variety of tents set up which is great for newbies and those more experienced looking to add to their collection. I have my sights firmly set on an air tent now! There’s some great offers and discounts available including pre loved tents at amazing prices.

On top of this you can pick up everything you could possibly need from spare pegs to stoves and then on to and all manner of equipment outdoor sports and activities.

I love the huge @fishingrepublicuk department and the @naylorsonline equestrian shelves to browse. There’s kayaks and climbing gear, bikes and a servicing and repair department too. All manner of reputable brands feature in the clothing department which is extensive for men, women and children no matter the adventure you’re planning.

Membership is £5 per year and opens up a whole host of offers and discounts on products across the store as well as a price match plus guarantee.

Plus there’s an Incredible 15% off across the whole store until Sunday - so if you’re planning your summer 2023 festival season then this weekend is the time to go shopping.

Plus a huge shout out to Emily and the team at Loughborough who were incredible - everyone is super helpful and knowledgable so wether you’re trying on boots, figuring out what you can fit in your vehicle or wanting to get a new rucksack fitted, you’ll be able to get all the help and advice you need to get outdoors.

Dream of a story /ad This weekend we had the oppo

Dream of a story /ad

This weekend we had the opportunity to visit @bewilderwood_norfolk which is the most beautiful immersive fairytale experience. Based on the books by Tom Blofield the team at Bewilderood have transformed the woodland area in to the playground of dreams. There’s some of the biggest play structures I have ever seen, and the place is full of features which bring the characters from the books to life. We spent an entire day here with story telling, crafts, face painting, den building and more keeping us busy. Our favourite moment was the boat ride which took us past the ‘crocklebog’ and the witches house.

We are in love with BeWilderwood Norfolk and we are going to make the effort now to travel across the country and visit @bewilderwood_cheshire on another adventure

What a great weekend We have been in Great Yarmo

What a great weekend

We have been in Great Yarmouth this weekend, enjoying all of the traditional British Seaside things including the weather!

It was quite strange to see a once thriving sea side down appear so quiet when we first arrived, however the place seemed to burst in to life with the arrival of holiday makers creating a bustling atmosphere.

Mom and I really enjoyed looking beyond the flashing lights of the seafront and exploring some of the architecture. We packed quite a lot in to one weekend and it’s made us want to go and explore some more seaside resorts…. Skegness and Blackpool next I think!

1. Gorleston On Sea Beach - with vegan ice cream in hand

2. Sweet shop on Britannia Pier

3. Arlo skipping along the pier with excitement.

4. The Empire - originally a cinema and now a street food and music venue.

5. The Pavilion Theatre roof top

6. The brightest arcade lights of the Flamingo along the sea front

7. The Yarmouth Hippodrome

8. Donkeys under the pier

9. The merry go round horses

10. The Arabian Derby - my favourite holiday highlight.

Mr Frosty /ad Coming back today with another cla

Mr Frosty /ad

Coming back today with another classic from my childhood. Mr Frosty was top of my Xmas wish list for years and I couldn’t wait to share this toy with Arlo. I’ve popped a full review up on the blog - safe to say he had lots of fun with a chance to get really creative with flavours and do some role play as well as ask some intriguing questions about machine engineering too.

Available now in @entertainer_toys from @flair_gp

Vicky sandwich A proper classic right here – the

Vicky sandwich

A proper classic right here - the truck for me in getting a nice light sponge is weighing the three eggs and then making sure my flour butter and sugar weight the same. I don’t skip any of the steps either. Creaming the butter and sugar together to trap air first of all. Then whisking up the eggs and sieving the flour in to separate bowls - eggs go in first making the mixture look like a bit of a sludge and then I add flour a spoonful at a time folding in gently with a spatula taking care to make sure we don’t lose any of the air incorporated in to the mixture.

For me there’s no other option than strawberry jam and freshly whipped cream for finishing touches 👌🏼

Childhood memories Fun fact for you…. When I w

Childhood memories

Fun fact for you…. When I was little I appeared in an episode of the iconic Rosie and Jim. I only need to hear the first note of the theme song and I’m instantly transported to my childhood and can’t help but smile.

Image my delight when we spotted these two rag dolls for sale - of all places on a narrow boat in gas street basin. We just couldn’t leave them behind.

I show Arlo clips of these two, The why Bird from play days, Ed the duck, Wizadora and funnybones to name but a few - and he loves them all - they just don’t make tv like they used to.

Another amazing adventure /ad This month the adv

Another amazing adventure /ad

This month the adventure challenge are celebrating moms and so what better way than to whip up a treat in the kitchen? We scratched off an activity which suggested a rainbow treat but Arlo knows I love pink and so he made these delicious truffles with a little help from nanny. The Adventure Challenge is a unique book with 50 mystery scratch off challenges and it comes with a camera so that you can document and capture the adventures you go on - jam packed full of ideas for families to do and the best bit is you can record all of the fun with space for sticking in your pictures to make a beautiful keepsake to treasure the memories forever.

Use code MOMDAY for 25% off all this month!!!

Load More Follow on Instagram