Harps is an award winning blogger who shares her remarkable journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Her readers have often coined her words “relatable” and “warming”.
Christmas is one of my favourite times of year but boy oh boy do I feel sluggish after. It’s pretty common for a lot of us to start the new year on some sort of a health kick (let’s see how long mine lasts!). I dislike the idea of purely eating salads and cold foods during the cooler months – I’ve always been someone that needs to have a hearty meal to feel satisfied!
I decided to share one of my healthy(ish) recipes of deep dish vegetarian lasagne in collaboration with Asda. I decided to try and make a healthy meal on a budget (still on mat pay and wiped out after Christmas!) to feed the whole family (plus an extra 3!). I opted for all ASDA own brand products where possible as I wanted to see whether there’d be a difference in taste. I sourced all the ingredients for this recipe listed below, plus the sides from Asda in Hayes. I love Asda for their fresh quality produce as well as their kid’s clothing!
Preetam is a gym fanatic and needs his daily dose of protein – this meal also ticks that box as it’s primary ingredient is veggie mince.
Enjoy!
Ended up being enough for about 6-8 people! Under £30 is an absolute bargain.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients:
Cheese sauce:
700ml milk
50g butter
150g medium cheddar cheese
7 tablespoon plain flour
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
Mince mix:
2 packets Asda veggie mince (1kg in total)
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 x 735g jars Asda garlic and tomato pasta sauce
1 x 500g Asda chilli and garlic pasta bake sauce jar
1 x diced red pepper
1.5 teaspoon red chilli powder (add more if you like spice)
2 teaspoon salt
250g sliced mushrooms
1 large diced onion
1 x 250g tub mixed beans
And:
1 x packet of Asda’s fresh lasagne sheets (you can use any)
2 x sliced tomatoes
30g of cheddar cheese to sprinkle at the end
Method:
1. Dice the onions, mushrooms and pepper
2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large saucepan and shallow fry the onions and crushed garlic till golden brown
3. Add in the peppers and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Don’t over cook as we want the peppers to have a little bit of a bite to them.
4. Stir in the veggie mince, mixing well.
5. Add in the tomato and pasta bake sauce and the salt and red chilli powder and mix well for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the beans mixing well.
7. In a separate pan, heat the milk on medium heat and add in the flour and butter and whisk fast. As the butter melts and the flour begins to disappear as the mixture comes to the boil, it will begin to thicken.
8. Once the sauce bubbles, add in the cheese, mustard powder and oregano and mix until the cheese melts.
9. Next spoon in a layer of the veggie mince mixture in to a large rectangle Pyrex dish, cover with a layer of lasagne sheets and cover with a layer of the cheese sauce.
10. Repeat step 9 again, once done, place a layer of tomatoes and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.
11. Place in the oven at 140c for 30-40 minutes. We use a low heat so the lasagne sheets cook through.
12. Voila!
Serve with a creamy coleslaw salad (Asda’s ready chopped lettuce and mixed leaves, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, red onion, sweet corn, coleslaw and croutons) and garlic baguette and potato wedges for a hearty meal!
Using Asda’s own branded products, I was able to produce this meal to feed 6-8 people for just under £30! An absolute bargain for a wholesome and hearty healthy meal! And it tasted just as good as branded products.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in the form of remuneration or in exchange for a product or service. However all views expressed above are my own.
We used the Hauck Sit and Relax high chair with Arjun purely because it was one of the few that enabled a slightly reclined option for younger babies – we started weaning Arjun at 4.5 months.
We decided to use the same seat for Saajan. Although we started weaning him at 6 months, as he has low muscle tone (part of his extra chromosome!), it took him a little longer to sit up unsupported so this seat worked well.
When we were contacted by the lovely folk at Safety 1st to review their Timba Wooden High Chair we decided it was a good opportunity for a switch. Firstly, he seemed to be getting upset at nursery during meal times and we weren’t sure if it was because the wooden chair they use was quite different to what he was used to at home. Secondly, I like that this high chair resembles a chair more than the one we were using and thirdly, I love the minimalist design which seemed like it’d be a lot easier to clean encouraging me to try our baby led weaning more often!
The chair was simple to assemble – it took Preetam about 15 minutes to do. It features a detachable tray – perfect for washing up, a three point safety harness – something we definitely need with Saajan to stop him from sliding out and an adjustable footstool – Saajan’s is currently set to the first step but it means the seat can grow with him! It helps him to keep his legs grounded rather than swinging them about enabling him to focus on eating.
The chair is suitable from 6 months to 9/10 years as it transforms from a high chair to a junior seat by removing the tray and harness.
Though the seat build means that Saajan has to sit up right and support himself, it means he doesn’t slouch and his posture is a lot better than when in a seat where he can lie back. This has helped him focus more on the food on his tray and also encourages a better swallow. Saajan has really taken to his new high chair and seems to feel more comfortable being in it for meal times though the amount of time he can spend in it is less than a seat with padding that he can lay back in. We are happy with this though as it means he’ll have more structured (and hopefully productive!) meal times.
Another feature we love is that it’s not too bulky which means it slides under the dining table as a regular chair and the tray is the correct height to slide over the dining table meaning he’s able to sit at the table properly with us.
I really love the minimalist design – it blends in so well with our kitchen and I love that it’s made out of wood! It’s very easy to clean.
The only downside is that there is no storage space on the high chair for bibs and wipes. Also there is no rim around the tray next to the baby so Saajan sometimes slides his food off the chair while trying to grasp it.
All in all we are very happy with our new Hugh hair. It’s brilliant value for money – there are similar high chairs available on the market for triple the price of the Safety 1st one, however this one does the job just right! We’d definitely recommend it and we are so pleased it’s helped us introduce baby led weaning more successfully.
Disclosure: this post is sponsored in the form of remuneration or in exchange for a product or service. However all views stated above are my own.
As you’ve probably gathered, it’s really important to me that my children are well cultured and also learn to read, write and speak Punjabi so that one day they can pass it on to their children. It also means that if they ever wanted to recite Paat (prayers) they can – I remember being taken to Punjabi school by my dad when younger and begrudgingly going. He promised me one day I’d appreciate it. He was right – I do. Through some of my trials and tribulations, the only thing that has gotten me through is prayer. I’m grateful I was taught to read and write Punjabi as I’m able to now recite my paat.
When Kiran contacted me to ask if we’d be happy to receive copies of her new books, obviously I was excited! – We’ve reviewed books written by Kiran in the past and we loved them! She had a special request this time though – for my dad (his first blogging gig!) to be a part of the review. All opinions below are that of both my dad and I.
The books we were sent; The Pullpots Rasoi and The Pullpots Road Trip are the next level to the foundation level books we were previously sent and are based on the Vidya reading scheme.
The Pullpots Rasoi book is a level 1 punjabi reading book with simple illustrations and simple sentences relating to the kitchen. Rather than a story book, the book has short punchy unrelated sentences. Each sentence serves a dual purpose – eg “Paani da jug” means “a jug full of water” – describing the word water and jug in one sentence. The simplicity of this book makes it impactful. Though we still need to get a move on with teaching Arjun the punjabi alphabet (still working on phonics with English!), I’m really excited to have a simple book which teaches every day words making it very relatable. Kiran chose not to include English phonetic translation in the books to avoid children focusing on what they’re comfortable with rather than pouring their efforts in to reading Gurmukhi.
The Pullpots Road Trip is a level 2 book. Arjun is miles off being able to read it but he loved being read it. I absolutely adore this book in particular as the book is a simple story about going on a road trip admiring the scenery and eating a picnic lunch with your grandparents. This book resonates so much with us as Arjun and Saajan spend a lot of time with their grandparents. The illustrations are again simple but vibrant and the sentences are short and punchy but the book flows as a story.
Both my dad and I would highly recommend both books. They introduce children to a range of every day words and sentences in Punjabi and make learning fun! You can purchase yours here.
It was definitely a trip we’d longed for! If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you’ll know that due to the surprise that was Saajan’s heart condition, we had to cancel our first holiday to Punta Cana – that holiday symbolised a lot for us as a family. It signified the “proper” start of our family, new beginnings and a fresh start. It also meant family time together to absorb all that we’d been through over the last few months. Little did we know that that chance at that time would be robbed from us as we’d have to embark on a journey that is every parent’s nightmare – that of open heart surgery!
With that behind us now, and with Saajan recovering so well, we decided it was time to get away! Our last trip as a family was to Santorini almost a year and a half ago while Saajan was still in my tummy!
My sister, Goov, recently got married and we decided it would be a nice time to go away with my parents and my sister, Harv, to give them a break after the wedding and it also would be great for us to have 3 extra pairs of hands with us!
With his surgery only 3 months behind us, we decided it would be sensible for our first trip to be somewhere close to home just incase. We decided Gran Canaria would be perfect as the weather is great, it’s a short flight (3.5 hours) and also there is no time difference minimising any disruption to our routine! It just seemed like an “easy” option compared to the others. Other than Santorini, we’d not done any European destinations with Arjun before – he’s such a jet setter, we’ve travelled to Dubai a few times, Abu Dhabi, the Maldives, Singapore and Bali!
We booked our trip with British Airways and the carrier was Iberia Express. Thankfully it was a short flight as the plane was definitely the smallest aircraft we’ve ever travelled in! It was a really tight squeeze for me let alone Preetam at 6’3!! The aircraft was super hot and most parents had stripped their restless babies down to their vest including us! The staff were really friendly and hospitable. No meals are provided on the flight but you’re able to purchase food and drink.
Thankfully we had my family with us – Harv was an absolute God send with the children as always!
I used my own in flight tips for both legs. On the way out, Arjun was a dream and Saajan wasn’t too bad. They shared the iPad and Arjun was entertained by a magazine we picked up on the way at the airport as his surprise toy.
Our hotel had kindly pointed us in the right direction for a transfer company who had kindly also arranged car seats to be included in the vehicle.
We arrived in Gran Canaria at about 9.30pm and by the time we got to the hotel it was about 10.30pm. Despite it being a short flight, we were all quite tired.
Upon pulling up at the hotel, we were instantly wowed. We were recommended the hotel by our good friends and we definitely weren’t disappointed on first impressions.
The hotel boasts a beautiful African theme – the attention to detail is second to none. My parents, who are from Africa, said it made them feel right at home! The impressive architecture is absolutely breathtaking! As we entered, it felt magical walking across the wooden bridge over a water landscape and subtropical gardens. The reception area was just as beautiful – the wooden posts, tree stump tables, and animal print upholstery.
The wider premises boast huge tropical gardens with 9 swimming pools, ponds, waterfalls and sand beaches with African huts with animal statues dotted around – always great for a photo opp!
In the centre, there is an absolutely stunning African lodge. The interior design is phenomenal with large straw (what look like) jelly fish hanging from the ceilings, unique seating areas captivating the African culture and high ceilings. The lodge was by far my favourite part of the whole hotel. It reminded me a little of the Maldives for some reason!
The resort is by far one of the most beautiful properties we’ve stayed at.
The reception staff were really helpful and friendly especially towards the children.
Image credit: Lopesan Baobab Website
We’d selected a senior suite as we figured we’d need the extra space with two kids in tow and we are so glad we did! It was just beautiful and at approximately 68m², so so spacious.
The room had ample storage space for our entire luggage – we were all able to hang most of our clothes up and store our suitcases in the cupboards. The suite itself had so much space so I was able to set up mini stations such as nappy changing items, poolside bits, feeding items and sterilising bits. The space really helped with being organised.
The bedroom was huge even with a cot in it! It also comes with a small sofa and desk and a TV with a sliding wooden cover. There’s a frosted picture panel between the bedroom and the bathroom which is a nice feature. The main bed had a beautiful snakeskin headboard and was huge and super comfy and there were lots of extra pillows and duvets if we needed them. There was also a sofa bed in the lounge. There was a sofa in our room with a small coffee table and a desk. Arjun often used both to do colouring and play with his toys. There was direct access to the balcony from the bedroom as well as the lounge area.
Our room overlooked the pool and to the right of the balcony we had a view of the sea. The balcony area had two beautiful sun loungers which I often used to take beautiful shots of our littles! It was a nice place to relax when the kids were napping.
The bathroom was wow! The toilet was a large room. There were his and her sinks with a huge mirror (I love mirrors!). The sinks were large enough to bathe Saajan in. The wooden tree detail is gorgeous and the little soap dish was my favourite thing! The shower was a really large room which was handy as it meant we could fit in when giving Arjun a shower over a bath. The only down side was the lighting was quite dim making it difficult to do my make up!
The bath tub was really big and Arjun loved having a bath (once we’d convinced him to get in!). He had hours of fun splish splashing about.
The lounge was really spacious with a sofa, a TV and a dining table and chairs. We found the extra space so handy.
Just a pre warning, there is a charge for things like using the safe, for wifi and for an ironing board.
We arrived at the hotel quite late, about 10.30pm really hungry and were quite disappointed with the lack of a hot food room service menu at that time. There were only cold foods available and barely anything for vegetarians. Just a heads up if you have a flight that lands in fairly late!
The breakfast at the hotel was exquisite – the best by miles that I’ve seen in Europe. They had fresh egg stands for omelettes and fried eggs, fresh fruit, a huge selection of cheese and breads, cereals, pastries. I could go on and on! It was really good for vegetarians – I particularly enjoyed their roasted vegetables, sautéed potatoes and grilled tomatoes with basil. I obviously had my daily crepe with Nutella for breakfast dessert too! It was a great opportunity for us to kick start Saajan’s weaning too.
Unfortunately for us, the lunch time and dinner time buffet options didn’t quite live up to our expectations based on breakfast. The selection looked amazing for non vegetarians however for us it was extremely limited. Surprising considering the huge shift in vegan and vegetarianism! We basically lived of pasta, pizza, salad and chips daily for the first three nights as we were half board.
By the fourth night we were quite bored of the food and decided to venture out to some of the local restaurants which are located by the sea just a short walk away. It was a shame as our half board dinner went to waste for four nights but half the fun of a holiday is the food!
We found the restaurant staff really pleasant and smiley however their English was quite limited. One evening I asked what a particular ingredient was (I wasn’t sure if it was meat) and the gentleman wasn’t able to tell me it was mushrooms.
There was also no real desire to accommodate us – for example, one evening there were roast potatoes with bacon, we requested some plain potatoes without the meat if possible when the next batch was cooked and were declined. The same happened the next evening with peas that included ham. Our stay was quite a let down in that sense – it’s definitely the most unaccommodating hotel we’ve stayed at food wise. I met with the hotel catering manager and all she was able to offer us was a gluten free menu which just included gluten free pastas and pizza and so wasn’t very helpful sadly!
This was the only real let down during our stay but thankfully the fabulous location of the hotel meant that we were able to get pretty much whatever we fancied outside. The added bonus of having dinner outside was the beautiful view of the sunset by the sea!
I’d highly recommend Misbah for Indian food – the food was delicious and the restaurant overlooks the sea. We also really enjoyed Sushi Mex which was a Japanese/Mexican restaurant again with a view of the sea and a gorgeous sunset. There are several restaurants located in close proximity to these restaurants. There is also a small shopping centre and a few supermarkets right outside the hotel to grab snacks and other essentials which we visited almost daily!
Our favourite dessert place was Mar Cafe which was located a few minutes from the hotel. They did the best Nutella crepes I’ve ever tasted and we visited for dessert way more times than we should have! The staff were really friendly and it’s a nice little casual place to catch a coffee and dessert after dinner.
Just outside the hotel, there is also an arcade place which Arjun visited daily with his daddy. I loved the location of the hotel because of how close everything was!
The hotel boasts 9 swimming pools, 2 of which are children’s pools. We managed to see 6 pools in total. Our favourite was the lazy river one! It’s a shame there were no water slides at any of the pools bar the children’s ones. However there is a beautiful waterfall by the bar at the main pool. Most of our days were spent by the swimming pool relaxing! There were activities throughout the day such as Zumba and water aerobics which you could dip in and out of – Arjun, Harv and I had fun! Most of the sun beds are located in gravel like sand which wasn’t great – it was a little painful to walk on to be honest!
Again, the food was limited by the pool – the only thing they had for vegetarians was a salad or a cheese and tomato with apricot chutney sandwich. When we requested no chutney for Arjun, they said they’re unable to. My favourite thing to have by the pool was definitely the iced chocolate drink!
We did eat lunch at the Pili Pili restaurant once – the vegetarian lasagne was delicious! This restaurant isn’t included in the half board option.
Despite the hotel being advertised as a beach resort, this is a little misleading. The beach is about a 10 minute walk but it is so worth it! I’d recommend taking towels with you if you don’t wish to rent sun beds. We purchased an umbrella and sat on the floor on towels as we wanted to be close to the sea front. The beach was beautiful – the sand felt like a mattress and we really enjoyed watching the sunset!
The kid’s facilities at this hotel are by far the best I’ve seen – perhaps I’m more aware of it now as i have a toddler that needs a little bit of entertainment! The hotel’s mascot, Panchi, visits the children at breakfast every morning – the first day Arjun was sceptical but by the last he was running up to Panchi and giving him a great big bear hug! Panchi greets the children at their seat so not to distract them from their breakfast.
After that, Panchi and his team head off to the stage by the main pool and perform a little dance where the children can join in if they wish to do so. It’s usually a Daler Mendhi tune so very close to home for us! Haha!
Panchi then comes out again at night for the Mini Disco.
There is a dedicated kid’s club where children older than 4 can go, under 4s require parental supervision. The girls that work at the kid’s club were always so bubbly and friendly – i have no idea whwre they get their energy from! They work from morning to night.
There are two swimming pools at the kid’s club – one for little babies and one for toddlers. Arjun went to the kid’s pools twice during our stay but was happy paddling about in the bigger pools with us.
He loved getting his face painted and also colouring in. There is also a kids indoor area with soft play bits in.
There were various children’s activities that also take place throughout the day.
While Arjun had his fun, Preetam and I made the most of having babysitters to hand and so went for a Spa Experience at the Wellness Spa Corallium which is located at the sister property, Lopesan Costa Meloneras, across the road. Preetam’s not a spa kinda guy but we both really enjoyed the experience which usually lasts about four hours. We enjoyed it so much so that both of us fell asleep at some point during it! The experience consists of a unique circuit style spa experience using treatments that use water at different temperatures to improve the functioning of the muscles. Preetam’s favourite room was definitely the womb room and mine was the lava relaxation dome!
The hotel has it’s own gym which is adequate. However just by the exit, there is also a gym called Titan – definitely the best gym we’ve ever seen! It was beautiful! The gym offers a concession to guests at the hotel. Preetam joined for the week and really enjoyed his workouts.
All in all we had such a beautiful first family holiday full of such happy memories and I was so grateful to be able to share those with my parents and sister too! The beautiful premises and location of the hotel made it really hard to believe we were in Europe!
The lack of flexibility and desire to accommodate food wise was a little frustrating at times however the facilities for children, the staff friendliness and the premises were absolutely wonderful. The location of the hotel is also perfect. We’d definitely return but would go back on a bed and breakfast option next time and venture out for lunch and dinner!
Disclosure: this is a sponsored post however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
This post is ridiculously late (a year and a half!)– this always happens with holiday posts as I have a gazillion pictures and always struggle to short list them! Still no excuse!
We travelled to Santorini in July last year before Saajan was born. It’s not the first place that springs to most peoples minds when it comes to travelling with a toddler, but given it was only for a few days we thought “why not”!
We normally plan our holidays a few months in advance at the very least as I’m one of “those” people. However, this was a last minute trip (we booked it a week or two in advance) and it was all a little bit crazy!! It meant I had no time to absorb that we were going and couldn’t quite get myself in to the “mode”. I guess booking last minute doesn’t allow you to build up such high expectations though we did pay an arm and a leg for this trip as Preetam was set on visiting Santorini. I’ve never left packing till the day before. Talk about living life on the edge!
A word of advice (which I really should’ve taken) when booking a holiday – look at the sale page on airline websites, not just the homepage search engine or don’t be extra silly like I was and turn straight to middlemen travel booking sites such as Expedia!! Though sometimes you may find great deals on travel supermarket sites, often you’ll pick up great deals on airline sale pages too. We ended up paying almost double – my mistake!
THE FLIGHT
Pre warning – I didn’t even think to check the small print as having to pay for check in luggage is something I associate with budget no frill airlines not airlines that charge approx £6/700 for an economy class ticket to Santorini. We flew with British Airways and upon online check in, we realised our flights didn’t include checked in luggage so we had to pay an extra £40 PER suitcase PER flight. Day light robbery! I was not pleased at all!
If I thought that was as bad as our holiday plans were going to get … I was wrong! We arrived at the airport and got there 40 minutes before baggage drop off opened, we decided to have breakfast. After filling our hungry bellies, Preetam queued up to drop our luggage – the queues were crazy and definitely not something we are used to! Arjun was patient for the most part but he did get antsy after half an hour or so, so I took him to WH Smiths to pick a magazine or two. Good timing as Preetam was done just as we left the shop. As we approached security I realised that our hand luggage trolley containing Arjun’s (milk, snacks, toys, comfort blanket, change of clothes, hoody, medicine, my medicine) was missing! I assumed Preetam may have accidentally checked it in but we quickly realised we’d left it at home! We had an hour till our flight boarded and there was no way he’d make it home and back in time. The only thing that was in there that I really needed was my blood pressure medicine especially given I was at the early stages of my pregnancy then.
The staff at the airport were absolutely amazing in helping us come up with a plan. FYI if you do forget your medication, Boots pharmacy are very helpful in trying to source it, my issue was I’d had my medicine changed a few days before and I didn’t know the dose. In the end Preetam’s dad and brother kindly rushed to our house, got the medicine and bought it to the airport check in desk. The staff quickly got it through security and to us 15 minutes before boarding! Phew! During that time, I frantically rushed to get the remaining bits that were in the suitcase as unfortunately it wouldn’t have been possible to get a whole suitcase through. In the end we ended up with Arjun’s change bag, my handbag, Preetams rucksack and a whole bunch of carrier bags! What a disaster! To say Preetam and I wanted to kill each other was an understatement but we luckily has a swift moment where we just looked at each other and cracked up – this isn’t the first time we’ve left that damn trolley at home! Last time we realised just as we got to the airport and had enough time to go back. What a start to our trip!
Luckily as soon as we got to the gate, we were kindly escorted to the front as we had Arjun. We were the only ones travelling with a child. It made me feel a tad uneasy. This was the first time he was going to have his own seat and I had no idea how he was going to react. Here were all these couples looking for a romantic getaway and here we were the annoying inconsiderate family onboard!
We’ve not travelled short haul with Arjun before so I was pretty excited for the 3hr 20m flight. I’m not a great flyer and to be honest, I’m pretty useless with Arjun – Preetam generally manages him when we fly as I struggle to stay awake on an airplane.
Arjun was an absolute gem for the most part. I was SO proud of him on take off – this is the first time he was fully awake and didn’t have Preetam’s Bose sound reducing headphones (we forgot those at home too!), or milk and he enjoyed it so much! We looked outside the window and watched the planes on the runway and he excitedly squealed “wee” as the plane took off. He was so excited to be in the sky and giggled as the plane steadied itself giving us little butterflies in out tummy. I was dreading the tears and had braced myself for the mean glares but he did me so proud.
During the flight, obviously we were without the toys I’d packed but the magazines Arjun had selected at the airport included little toys and we only had to open the Thomas the Tank Engine one to keep him entertained for ages. He also enjoyed watching Paw Patrol on the iPad (something we didn’t forget! Yippee!) and playing a colouring game on the iPad. I’d highly recommend taking an iPad on a short haul flight as you don’t get individual TV screens.
I was impressed by the standard of lunch on the plane – it was provided by Urban Eat.
Although it was a short flight, it did feel pretty long!
HIRE CAR
We decided to hire a car in Santorini as we only had a few days and wanted to make the most of them. We hired a Fiat 500 and picked it up from the airport. The hotel had helped us to arrange this. We’d requested a car seat and we had no issues with obtaining one once there.
HOTEL
We decided to stay at a non cliff located hotel just because of safety with a little gizmo toddler. We found Astro Palace Suites and it seemed to fit the bill – it looked luxurious, had beautiful views from the pool but had the safety of being slightly more inland.
The hotel staff were so friendly and helpful even before we got there.
The rooms themselves are very clean, spacious and the décor is shades of whites and greys and have an airy and tranquil feel. The bathrooms aren’t huge but they were sufficient.
Though we didn’t request one, the hotel had kindly provided a travel cot knowing we were travelling with a toddler. He didn’t end up sleeping in it at night but did use it to play in during the day.
The beds were really comfortable but unfortunately I struggled to sleep – it may have been pregnancy insomnia or because I’m used to sleeping with a pregnancy pillow even when I’m not pregnant so I think it was just me!
We stayed in a room which came with a private pool as the hotel kindly upgraded us. The private pool was spectacular – so clean and well kept. Each pool has it’s own sun loungers and sofa sets. Don’t be mistaken though, the pools aren’t private in the literal sense. They’re private in the sense that it’s your own but your neighbours can see you. Arjun unfortunately didn’t quite get the concept and often ran towards neighbouring pools. Luckily it wasn’t very busy at the time we went. The pools aren’t heated so Preetam and I struggled to stay in too long as the breeze from the hilly make up of Santorini contributed to us feeling cold – it didn’t stop Arjun though!
The main pool has lots of sun loungers, seats and canopies and boasts a beautiful sea view although it can get really windy here. Our towel flew off the sun lounger while we were in the pool!
The spa is a quiet space – I was the only person there at the time which made sense as the beauty therapist informed me that she was the only one that worked there. She was a really friendly girl and although it wasn’t the best massage I’ve ever had, it was a pleasant experience! I didn’t use any of the other spa facilities.
We had dinner at the pool side bar on our first night and they were really accommodating. It was good to see Arjun finally eat something after days of a hunger strike – he enjoyed their cheese and tomato spaghetti and even ordered it himself. He also enjoyed the olives – we couldn’t come to Greece and not have olives! Their warm bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil was divine. I loved the Greek salad too – everything tasted so fresh. There are quite a few vegetarian options on the menu which was good to see.
Breakfast quality was average but lots of choice especially for vegetarians. I’m comparing it to our recent holidays which is probably quite unfair! Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bali and the Maldives are likely to be quite different!
PLACES TO EAT
For vegetarians, we found the selection a little narrow especially as I’m quite fussy which doesn’t help! Most places weren’t very adaptable. Here were some of our favourite places to eat while in Santorini (though they’re not Greek restaurants!):
Santo Wine Winery: This is a must to visit for the views alone. It was absolutely breath taking and I was in awe of natures beauty. It’s so peaceful and tranquil! They did the most amazing fresh virgin pina colada – something I’d been craving before arriving in Santorini! The picture I used for my pregnancy announcement was taken here.
Tabasco: This was an Italian restaurant located close to our hotel. The hospitality was great – Arjun’s cuteness even managed him a free dessert! Preetam managed to get a wide selection of sautéed vegetables and egg and I thoroughly enjoyed my pizza!
Senor Zobras: This Mexican restaurant was undoubtedly our favourite. Not only was the food amazing, but it had the best uninterrupted views. The atmosphere was really chilled out. We enjoyed the nachos and quesadilla and the wedges were delicious too. We’d highly recommend this.
PLACES TO SEE
To be honest, we didn’t have any grand plans when we set off to Santorini. We literally hired the car and drove around with our music blasting, windows down and absorbing the beautiful scenic views around us. Santorini is quite a small place meaning every direction you turn, the view is wow. I don’t think we would have enjoyed our trip as much as we did had we not hired a car – walking around with a toddler would have proved difficult and I probably would have struggled being pregnant too. Also from a safety perspective, there are lots of open cliffy areas, I wouldn’t want to risk Arjun running off. Where we came to such spots, we’d park up and pop out individually as opposed to taking Arjun out of his car seat as we weren’t prepared to risk it. Many young, child free couples hire quad bikes in Santorini – something Preetam and I do wish we’d done before we had kids!
Perissa: Perissa is a beautiful black sand beach. Be careful to not burn your feet as its very hot! We really enjoyed our time here – I loved watching Arjun and Preetam in the sea – Arjun’s naivety at how dangerous something so beautiful can be but watching how safe he felt with his daddy. It was definitely a moment of reflection for me.
Oia: Oia is a cute little town with lots of culture – the famous pictures of Santorini with the white buildings is taken here. It boasts really scenic views and is the best place to watch the sunset … if you manage to get a comfortable spot. It’s extremely busy as a popular tourist spot. There are lots of steps and narrow pathways – something to be mindful of if you are taking a buggy.
Ancient Thira: This was located at the very top of a mountain which many people were walking to. The roads are super narrow and it was super scary driving up! The views were absolutely breath taking – it looked like a post card. It was extremely windy at the top – I didn’t get out of the car and would definitely not recommend taking a baby out.
Kamari: This was another beach area which had lots of restaurants located on the beach. We stopped off at Vassilikos for a spot of lunch – they were really accommodating with our dietary requirements. The view was beautiful with the sea crashing against the shore just a few meters away from where we were sat. Arjun was more interested in stripping off and getting in the sea than his lunch! If you have lunch at the restaurants, you’re entitled to free sun loungers directly in front of the restaurant, however we found the sea quite deep and the beach itself very busy so didn’t stay long.
All in all we had a lovely short break. Greek hospitality was fabulous – everyone was so friendly especially towards Arjun! Many fell in love with his quirky personality and he even got free ice cream sent to our table over lunch by a couple who said he reminded them of their grandson! The friendliness and warmth of the Greek really made our trip so much more enjoyable.
Disclosure: this is a sponsored post either in the form of remuneration or a free product being sent to us for review however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
If you follow me on social media, you’ll know October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. To celebrate our beautiful boys, Sarah and I are teaming up to host a fabulous giveaway!
A little background …
As you may or may not know, I originally started my blog back in 2014 as an outlet for my journey riding through post natal depression and the highs and lows of motherhood with my first son, Arjun. Since then, I recently gave birth to my second baby boy, Saajan, who happens to be rocking an extra chromosome! Since my husbands moving post on sharing the news about our precious little boy, I’ve not blogged much as I still don’t feel ready but I’m sharing our journey through social media and have received an outpour of love for Saajy from our blog followers! Aside from his extra chromosome and a few extra physio appointments (which I see as brilliant family time now!), we are living a pretty regular life. Arjun and Saajan have the most beautiful brotherly relationship but I’m sure soon enough there’ll be plenty of squabbling!
I started my spin off business, Baby Brain Apparel, in 2015. I make handmade baby and toddler leggings and do a matching adult range too which includes leggings and lounge pants! I hand designed character tees which were inspired by the quirky antics of my toddler Arjun. Since having Saajan, Baby Brain Apparel has an even greater meaning for my family and I with it being uncertain when I will return to work. Although I’m still riding through the journey of having two tiny humans to keep alive alongside a Down Syndrome diagnosis(!), I have began to focus my energy on raising awareness in hope for a brighter future for children like Saajan and Oscar. Part proceeds of all navy and yellow clouds sold at Baby Brain Apparel will be donated to The Down Syndrome Association.
Sarah writes the blog “Don’t Be Sorry” primarily all about her son Oscar, 5, who happens to have Down Syndrome. Sarah literally held my hand during a very dark time when Saajan was first diagnosed with Down Syndrome at a few hours old and continues to do so! Sarah’s support has been invaluable and I often turn to her blog when looking in to the future. She originally started writing, as she found it cathartic to document her thoughts and feelings following his postnatal diagnosis. And then one day, having decided to publish her words on her own private Facebook page, she received such an overwhelming response, she very quickly launched a website and public Facebook page.
What started as just a handful of people following her journey with Oscar, has grown into a following of close to 30,000 people. Sarah regularly talks to “new” Mums and Dads online following the news that their babies have received the same diagnosis as Oscar which she hopes helps them when they may be feeling like the future’s looking bleak.
She also gives talks to medical professionals regarding the importance of language and terminology when delivering news to expectant or new parents, as well as professionals in education, regarding integration and inclusion of children with Down Syndrome. Sarah recently featured on BBC News when a Facebook post about using appropriate terminology when delivering the news to new parents about a Down Syndrome diagnosis went viral. Sarah’s latest venture is that she’s busy writing a book too!
The blog though is as much about her other two children, Alfie,3 and Flo,2. She hopes that people see them as just your average family, leading a pretty full and fabulous life, despite it not panning out the way they thought it would. Oscar brings both Sarah and her husband Chris immeasurable amounts of joy and she hopes that that comes across, (with the warts and all approach) on her page. I’ve taken much comfort in Sarah and Chris’ journey with Oscar and their family.
To celebrate our beautiful children, Sarah and I are giving one of our readers the chance to win a matching pair of adult and baby leggings in a choice of navy or yellow clouds!! They’re tried and tested and have definitely passed the comfort test!
The competition is open worldwide however postage is covered for the UK only.
Competition closes at midnight on 17th October!
It’s super quick and easy, click on the link (“Enter the Giveaway”) below to enter!
One of my absolute favourite things about blogging is the opportunities it opens up for Arjun and Saajan! As you all know, Arjun is the biggest Paw Patrol fan! He is often caught enthusiastically role playing with his army of Paw Patrol toys! So you can imagine his delight when we were invited to the Paw Patrol VIP reception followed by the show at Wembley Arena which was like being in heaven for any Paw Patrol fanatic! We were kindly offered to bring a friend and we decided to take Arjun’s best bud Jovan and his mummy. The boys had a blast and Arjun cried at the end of the show as he didn’t want to leave!
Prior to the show, Arjun was sent a Rubble teddy and Paw Patrol blanket – he really believed that it had been sent by Ryder!
The VIP reception included lots of fun for the boys including a balloon modeler (who was requested to make a dinosaur and kindly obliged though he’s not done one before!), face painting – both boys decided they wanted to be Spiderman (!). The food spread was lovely and they catered for vegetarians really well! I enjoyed a halloumi and roast vegetable burger and chips and Arjun enjoyed a cheese and onion sandwich with chips. The dessert of bone shaped cookies and ice cream was also yum! The boys both received a goody bag which included lots of fun bits!
After the reception, we watched the show and the boys were both star struck! The storyline is about an adventure for the pups to find Mayor Goodway and Chickaletta. Once they are rescued, they then help her to find clues needed to reach the finish line in her race against the naughty Mayor Humdinger. Just like the show, the pups get the opportunity to show off their skills during the production and work together to find clues and help Mayor Goodway. Everest makes an appearance during the show too which was a nice surprise!
The show was full of bright colours, lots of singing (including my favourite – “pup pup boogie!”) and vibrant set designs. The actors were great at engaging the audience. Although it was obvious that someone was inside each character costume, the boys seemed unphased and seemed to genuinely believe that the pups were infront of them! The show was full of high energy and at an hour long, it was just the right amount of time to keep a 3 year old entertained!
After the show, the boys got to meet Chase – they were so excited! Arjun was literally gob smacked..!
The boys went home very happy and excited! I’d highly recommend the show to anyone with a Paw Patrol fan! Tickets can be purchased here.
Disclosure: we were invited to the show however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Most children like bright and textured toys, however with Saajan, due to his developmental delays, I’ve had to seek toys that he finds extra exciting to motivate him to do things such as reach out, grasp or roll over. Textures have been important in encouraging the use of his hands – we almost have to remind him of his arms and hands for him to use them! The use of stimulating toys in achieving milestones has been imperative in our journey. Sian, Saajan’s key worker has helped us along the way with different suggestions and we’ve stumbled upon some ourselves.
Here are our favourite toys!
Flashing finger gloves: these are both great for varying texture and the flashing lights always engage Saajan.
Flashing spike balls: these are both great for varying texture and the flashing lights always engage Saajan. The size of these balls and the spikes makes it easier for Saajan to flick the ball.
Light up pillow: This pillow comes with a remote whereby the colour can be changed – it’s a great distraction for tummy time which Saajan really dislikes! The furry texture is also soft on the hands.
Spikey light up batons: these are similar to the flashing spike balls in terms of texture, but the baton part lights up with this toy. Saajan found it easier to grasp the baton part.
Lamaze toys: I’m a great fan of Lamaze toys – they’re bright, make different manual sounds and have varied textures. Saajan’s favourites are the Tug & Play Knot which he found easy to grip due to the weight distribution and design of the toy, the Flip Flap Dragon as he loves watching the wings flap and also loves chewing on the tail! Saajan also loves all things crunchy – his favourite crunchy noise making book is the Lamaze Classic Discovery Book more for the sound than anything else!
Rainmaker: although Saajan is unable to grip the rainmaker himself, the sound it makes is a great way to get his attention – it helped us master rolling!
Bright Starts press & glow spinner: This toy spins around, plays music and has flashing lights. It’s been really useful in encouraging Saajan to roll and stay on his tummy and recently to help him sit.
Soft mirrors: Saaj absolutely loves looking at himself in the mirror! He often grasps the mirror and lifts it to look at himself. It also helps hold his attention for long enough during tummy time.
For those of you that have been following us for a while, you’ll know Arjun is the biggest Paw Patrol fan! Arjun was super lucky to receive his favourite birthday gift … from Ryder himself! We were very grateful when Spinmaster, the producers of Paw Patrol, kindly contacted us to send Arjun a birthday gift – a life sized lookout and a personal note from Ryder and his pups recruiting him – isn’t that every Paw Patrol fanatic’s dream?!
Arjun absolutely loves the lookout and plays with it on a daily basis! It’s a little shorter than Arjun but he can play with the telescope comfortably while standing up. The lookout control room has a little screen and control centre just like on TV! As you move the telescope, there is a manual screen with different images which resolves.
The tower is easy to assemble and comes with two vehicles. Arjun already had the other vehicles from other sets.
Where this life size tower differs from the smaller versions is its features. It doesn’t just look like the tower, it actually does what the tower in the show does. It’s brilliant! All mechanisms are manual however you do require batteries for the sound to play – it features some of Ryder and his pups famous sayings!
There is a little storage unit where the pups extra add ones can hook on – such as Marshall’s water cannon.
It comes with an actual lift that works and a slide which has a button to flip the pups in to their vehicles on the revolving base. I love that the parking spaces are colour coordinated to match the pups vehicles. There is also a pup launch pad in their parking spaces.
Arjun has hours of fun playing with the lookout and it’s only encouraged his imagination even more! He uses it in collaboration with some of his other Paw Patrol toys such as his Paw Patroller.
You can purchase the life size look out from Argos and other leading toy stores for £99.99.
Thank you Spinmaster!
Disclosure: this product was sent to us as a birthday gift however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I was super excited to receive the Skip Hop Suite olive backpack for review. Now that I have two little ones in tow, lugging around two bags was proving a bit of a nuisance! Before I even received the bag, I was lusting over how beautiful it was. Truth be told, I’d probably have ended up getting it even without children! Haha!
I was instantly wowed on the quality of the bag upon receiving it – the quality of the stitch work is absolutely brilliant, the zip’s are sturdy which is a big thing for me – it’s a pet peeve of mine when zips become fussy after a few uses! I LOVE the colour of this bag and the tan leather detailing. The bag is of such a high quality finish with no attention to detail spared. The gold studs at the base of the bag give it a very high end feel.
I was also really impressed with the size of the bag. It’s definitely larger than the last change bag we had (which I liked when I only had Arjun!). There are also several compartments and sections making it easier to separate and organise items. The change bag comes with a bottle warmer, a coin purse, a changing mat, another small case to store the mat and stroller straps. I didn’t end up using the coin purse of the bottle warmer. I also ended up using the change mat and case from my old bag because it’s a little larger than the one that comes with this bag making it easier to store a couple of nappies, the change mat and nappy sacks.
I love that the bag comes with stroller straps – sometimes I don’t want to wear the backpack when out and about, and it makes life a lot easier being able to place it on the buggy handle.
The bag is 100% polyester and wipe clean making it easy to maintain.
I’ve used images to display what we use our bag for – I manage to store all of Saajan’s items, Arjun’s items and my make up, small purse and keys!
At £95, I would definitely recommend the bag. It’s stylish, durable, practical and spacious! It literally ticks every single box. The bag is a Mothercare online exclusive and can be purchased here.
Disclosure: this is a sponsored post either in the form of remuneration or a free product being sent to us for review however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Hi, I’m Harps, an award winning blogger who shares my journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Readers have often coined my musings “relatable” and “warming”. I have gone on to turn my passion of connecting people into working with brands ranging from household names through to small businesses and sharing with my engaged audience.
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: these are both great for varying texture and the flashing lights always engage Saajan.
: these are both great for varying texture and the flashing lights always engage Saajan. The size of these balls and the spikes makes it easier for Saajan to flick the ball.
: This pillow comes with a remote whereby the colour can be changed – it’s a great distraction for tummy time which Saajan really dislikes! The furry texture is also soft on the hands.
: these are similar to the flashing spike balls in terms of texture, but the baton part lights up with this toy. Saajan found it easier to grasp the baton part.
which he found easy to grip due to the weight distribution and design of the toy, the 
as he loves watching the wings flap and also loves chewing on the tail! Saajan also loves all things crunchy – his favourite crunchy noise making book is the Lamaze 
more for the sound than anything else!
: although Saajan is unable to grip the rainmaker himself, the sound it makes is a great way to get his attention – it helped us master rolling!
: This toy spins around, plays music and has flashing lights. It’s been really useful in encouraging Saajan to roll and stay on his tummy and recently to help him sit.
