Easter Egg Hunts – Where to Go?

It’s almost that time of the year again, Easter. Every year without fail we find ourselves at a National Trust Easter Egg hunt which are all brilliant, and well organised. This year we fancied a change. But where to go?

Easter Egg hunts are starting around now, the start of April. Most run for a few weeks, but please check the links provided for more information.

National Trust and Cadbury Easter Egg Hunts logo

The National Trust Easter Egg hunt are great. They work with Cadbury’s, and usually have some kind of trail around the place you’re visiting. I’ve spotted easy ones for younger children and slightly more complicated ones for the slightly cockier over 7’s (read : H). They’re suitable for all and perfect for glorious sunny days. The eggs are pretty good too!

You can find more information here. There is usually a cost involved on top of your National Trust membership.

[We pay for National Trust membership every year]

hampton court magic garden h on dragon

Historic Royal Palaces have some trails on as well. We’re probably going to do Hampton Court Palace this year, who are doing their trail in conjunction with Lindt. I’m actually wondering if adults can do it too… It is Hampton Court’s first ever Easter trail. I love Hampton Court, and the Magic Garden has reopened for the season as of yesterday (1st April). I can’t think of a better reason to go! The Easter Egg trail is included in your admission price.

[We get free entry to Hampton Court as it is part of the CSSC scheme]

hever castle

Hever Castle has an easter egg hunt, another Lindt one. I don’t think we’ll have time to do this one this year, but having had a day at Hever recently, it would be a wonderful place to wander around in the sun, especially knowing there is Lindt chocolate involved at the end. The Lindt Gold Bunny hunt is free, and they have additional activities available at a cost. Worth looking into anyway!

[We have Historic Houses Association Membership so can enter Hever Castle for free]

Our Summer - Tintagel

English Heritage also have some Easter Activities on – with all sorts of activities. They look pretty awesome, and don’t mention chocolate… Not all English Heritage places are doing it, so please check this link for more information. They also fall around the Easter weekend, rather than the start of April.

[We are English Heritage members via CSSC and the above link is an affiliate link]

National Trust Easter Egg Hunt

It’s that time of year again – when the shops are overloaded with chocolate and you’re pressured into buying them. Well, okay, I’m not but really the M&S Darth Vader Easter Egg looks damn good. Fortunately the National Trust Easter Egg hunts are back, and once completed you get a Cadbury Egghead at the end. That suits me!

Easter-An-Easter-Egg-Trail-day-at-Charlecote-Park-Warwickshire-©NTPL-John-Millar

 

The National Trust Easter Egg Hunt with the Cadbury’s is back again! We go to our local National Trust places for their Easter Egg hunt every year. Last year it was Morden Hall Park, the previous year I think was Claremont Landscape Gardens, and I know we did Polesden Lacey the year before.

They’re always loads of fun, there are several clues to solve, and at the end you show your completed puzzle and get a Cadbury’s Egghead in return. What’s not to love?

H loves doing it every year, and now she can read we can just follow her as she goes from clue to clue – and help if she ever gets stuck. The trail starts at the Base Camp and if it’s anything like last year you’ll have a hat and a book to log things as you follow the Eggsplorer trail.

National Trust Easter

Depending on the weather we’re thinking we might do Hatchlands Park this Easter (it’s quite out in the open, and worth it for the bluebell woods – though they’re more likely to look amazing by May) – decisions, decisions. (edited to add – Hatchlands have a Robin Hood themed hunt this year – excellent!)

You can search for a National Trust Easter trail near you over here – they run from the 3rd to the 6th April. They usually cost around £1 to do, and it’s a fun way to get outdoors and be rewarded with chocolatey goodness at the end. Of course for us older types, you mustn’t forget the obligatory hot chocolate and slice of cake afterwards in the National Trust cafe in the place of your choice – yum! See you there…

A Waitrose Easter Tea Party

It’s nearly Easter, and where better to stock up on essentials than the Waitrose Easter selection in stores now? We were sent a voucher to try some out, and invite friends over for a tea party, which happened yesterday.

Waitrose Easter

The Waitrose Easter selection is available now and covers many different things. While I do love my chocolate, there are also other things on offer – with not having the time to do craft at the moment, ready-made Happy Easter bunting was one of the first things I spotted. Also, Easter Crackers? Brilliant! That went down well with H and her friends J and M who all had a couple of goes each.

Waitrose Easter Egg Hunt

In addition to this, Waitrose have an Easter Egg hunt kit – different coloured eggs with pop-out signs. Shaun didn’t have enough time through the day to do maps, but had enough time to hide some eggs out in the yard for the kids to find – which kept them occupied for a while, especially as they had to eat them afterwards, and quick before they melted!

Heston ALWAYS has something interesting in the Waitrose Easter range, and this year was no different – Acacia Honey and Ginger Hot Cross buns, a really generous size and delicious toasted or plain – I may have had more than one… yum!

Waitrose Easter
We also bought a selection of regular Waitrose Hot Cross Buns which we’re saving for the weekend for when my sister comes to stay.

There was a good cupcake choice too, so we chose a selection, as well as a variety of Cadbury’s ones – all beautifully arranged on our cupcake stand for the kids to get their hands on!

Waitrose Easter Cakes

The most delicious one for me was the Simnel Cake – we chose a small one from the deli counter which tasted mighty fine, not too heavy or sugary, with the marzipan just right. I had no idea the eleven balls on top are meant to represent the twelve apostles minus Judas, and if you didn’t either you do now! It made a nice centre of the table.

I would have loved to have baked some of these, but time wasn’t on our side. With so little holiday this year and working through the Easter holidays we had to rely on shop-bought options, but with ones as delicious as these and with the options on offer I think we’ve done well!

Waitrose Easter

To keep the kids occupied I bought an Easter mask making kit – had I realised three of the masks are quite girly I might have held back, but us mums had fun putting them together!

Finally, as a going-home treat H and her friends were all given a Waitrose Easter lolly, and a Lindt Chocolate Carrot – which were devoured before they left the house!

Still to eat we have a fabulous Easter Egg from Waitrose, a chocolate and lemon variety which looks fabulous and is £7.00. We skipped on the Heston one (though were tempted, there’s still time) and tried to be sensible (currently reduced to £15!). The words Waitrose Easter and Sensible are difficult though!

If you have time there are some great Easter recipes over here and if you’re looking for activities to do with kids (including some recipes), then try heading over here!

We were sent a voucher to buy the Waitrose food, and loved every minute! Everything is available in-store, prices are current ones and can be subject to change.

Quick Update

Welcome to the sickly household. Shaun had it first and it slowed everything down, and now I’ve got it so have had most of this weekend in bed.

I have a gazillion things to write about, and so many things coming up. Oh, and two giveaways with some fabulous prizes which are massively delayed thanks to the illness.

H hasn’t had it yet, so who can say what will happen next?

I might even have time to have a rant about shinpads in there too… Easter is coming next weekend too, so don’t forget about the always-excellent National Trust ones in conjunction with Cadburys – we’ve been to the ones at Claremont Landscape Gardens and Polesden Lacey and both have been brilliant. We might keep it local this year and head to Morden Hall Park – head over to here for more information and to find your nearest one.

This week we’re going to have an Easter tea party with some friends popping over to try the latest Easter range from Waitrose – can’t wait for that one! We’re doing the shopping tomorrow night.

Our stereo has been filling the room with the sounds of the Magic Belles this last week too – yep, there’s an album on the way! We’ll tell you more about it really soon – and also I’ve been tricking H with some Tiny Me wall stickers I got in a Facebook deal. I’ve been putting random stars on her bedroom wall and convincing her that Star Belle from the Magic Belles had paid her a visit. Of course, I forgot for a few nights, and H now informs me she’d told Star Belle to go away as she wanted some of the others to come and visit… that’ll teach me!!

So yes, a few things planned, plus a big trip to somewhere we’ve always fancied this Friday – lots more to follow once we’re all feeling normal again!

Thanks for reading, and back soon!

Blinc – ing Nora.

Today a good friend of mine shared the latest email from Blinc. Now, Blinc look pretty fab – makeup you can wash off that stays on and is waterproof. I’d quite fancy trying it as it sounds like my kind of thing. However, this email has really put me off. I’ll leave it up to you to make your own minds up, but really, seriously. Read on…

blinc logo

If you’ve hatched any of your own little chicks in the past few years
you’ll know just how hard it is to keep up appearances, never mind maintain
them.  If you’re just starting out on that road, read and learn.

The total life change Mums go through leaves little in the way of me time.
In fact ‘me’ seems to be something that barely gets a look in for Mums,
putting all their energy once spent on carefully executed beauty regimens
into wiping, feeding, entertaining and generally seeing to every demand
placed on you by your very important little person.  Parental duties done
for the day, you can be forgiven for collapsing in front of the TV in a
comfy dressing gown and slippers and hugging a cuppa before dragging
yourself off to bed.

It’s all too easy to slip into a dowdy matronly state and before you know
it everything is too much effort and your confidence is knocked for six.
For your own long term wellbeing don’t make motherhood the ‘be all and end
all’ of you.  Keep something back for you, because believe it or not you
will at some point in the future eventually get back to the ‘me’ thing you
left behind.

If you have a considerate partner who really appreciates the commitment of
parenting they’ll treat you to an Easter gift, a Faberge Egg maybe, it is
Mother’s day coming up after all.  Perhaps treating yourself to some blinc
cosmetics is more likely to get you what you want and clearly taking care
of your looks is the ideal gift in return.  What better than cosmetics that
won’t smudge or smear regardless of how frazzled you get.

(information here about a discount code)

Have a wonderful Easter and Mother’s day, thanks for loving blinc.

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Speechless.

What do you reckon then?