It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the Beau household! I’ve not posted all month so I thought I’d try something different today and share some of the exciting adventures we’ve been on recently.

As we come to a close for 2025, I have plenty still to write about this year and some days out still planned for the rest of the year. But, time is not of the essence in my house! We are so busy out and about that I don’t always get chance to write about the big (or even little) adventures. So here is just a glimpse of some of the awesome things we’ve done over the last couple of months..

I’ve had a break from blogging throughout November but it has always been in the back of my mind. There is definitely loads I’d love to find the time to write about. So let’s work backwards from today.

Sundown Adventureland

Last weekend we headed back to Sundown Adventureland for the first time since our daughters 1st birthday trip last summer. It was so lovely being back but a real eye opener as to how quickly our little Hilda is growing up. Last time we were pushing her around in a pram and now she is running around jumping on all the rides!

For the first time we tried the Christmas experience. A ride that is only open for Christmas takes you along to Santa’s home at the North Pole where you get lots of time with elfs, Mrs Clause and Mr Clause himself before he sends you on your way with a gift. It was a really great experience and our daughters first big Santa meet. It didn’t go down too well as she was scared but she loved the gift she received and I’m sure she will be talking about Santa for months to come!

Tropical World

Last week I headed back to Tropical World for the day. I was surprised at how quickly we got round the place. It has certainly dwindled over the years – We didn’t even see any butterflies! Hilda enjoyed saying hello to the birds, meerkats, tamarins, fish and the crocodile.

Tropical World is a great day trip, especially for those who haven’t been before. The entry fee is small and worthwhile. Again, we’ve not visited here since our daughter was a baby but I won’t be rushing back to visit anytime soon as it seems a lot of the animals have done a disappearing act. I especially miss the bats!

This time we managed to make it all the way around without falling asleep!

Wales

Earlier this month we headed to Wales for a big family trip. It was a reunion with my in-laws and a celebration of many big birthdays. This definitely deserves it’s own post (or few) and I hope to write about this amazing trip soon. We did so many brilliant things including our own early Christmas, visit to Shropshire Sculpture Park and even a hike up a waterfall. Not to mention staying in the gorgeous Castell Courtyard which was epic!

So much to write about from our trip to Wales, I look forward to sharing it all.

Manchester Trafford Centre

On our way home from Wales we decided to stop off at Manchester Trafford Centre to grab some lunch and give our daughter a break from the car seat. It’s safe to say that even in early November the place was fully kitted out for Christmas!

We popped in to Selfridges for a browse since it is still quite the novelty in our household. With no Selfridges in Leeds, it’s not a store we’ve frequented and rightly so since the prices are high enough to have us remortgage our house if we wanted to buy anything! That being said, I think it’s a fun place to have a walk around and our daughter loved to spy all the Disney decor.

Cheshire Oaks

On our way to Wales we needed somewhere to stop to break up the journey. We looked for somewhere that would keep us busy and we could spend the day. A quick search found us Cheshire Oaks designer outlet complete with little German Market. We wandered around the shops for a bit and treated our little munchkin to some new shoes – There was no way she was taking them off!

I love to visit premium outlets as they always remind me of my time living in America. I never really buy much as I’m not a material girl but I do love to look around. The atmosphere in these places is always thriving with eager shoppers and excitement for Christmas.

Lightwater Valley

For Halloween we ventured over to Lightwater Valley to attend their Frightwater Valley event.

It is the first time I’ve been to this theme park since I was on a school trip over 20 years ago! It’s safe to say it has changed a lot. Not only has Europe’s longest rollercoaster been removed from the park but it’s also been rebranded for families. With no large rides it’s definitely aimed at the little ones now.

The event was a lot of fun. We headed for the maze full of clowns where I was definitely more scared than our 2 year old. Clowns jumping out at me then chasing me around is definitely not for me!

We loved this event but truth be told, without all the fun that was on for Halloween, i’m not sure there was really enough here to keep me coming back. We paid the bargain price of only £15 for entry and i’m not surprised that Lightwater Valley is now on the market for sale. I’d hate to see this place get closed down but with the competition of all the thriving theme parks these days, they have a long way to go to up their game.

Perhaps we will revisit one day? This place could be really great and definitely has been in the past. I hope someone can bring it back to life and get it to bring in the crowds just like it used to in its hay day.

Tong & Tingley Garden Centres

No Christmas is complete without a trip to your local garden centre – Especially if they have a Lemax village! Yes, we’ve developed an obsession with the place. I love to look at the little model village.

We’ve even started collecting our own but limiting ourselves to buying only one addition each year! Otherwise things could get rather costly and frankly there just isn’t enough space in our house either!

I love visiting Tong and Tingley. Tingley Garden Centre has the largest Lemax village in the UK. It’s a great day trip for kids wanting to experience some magic that is free and a little different to the usual Santa experiences. We’ve definitely turned this in to a Christmas tradition for our family.

I’ve still not found the time to write about our break at Parkdean Skipsea Sands in October. I can’t believe how much has occurred since this trip and time seems to be running away with me! We had a brilliant time exploring the local area and pumpkin picking at the local farm. We even visited Hornsea which was a lovely coastal town that is worthy of it’s own post in itself.

So that’s what I’ve been up to this month. It’s safe to say Christmas is in full swing and as always we have plenty more planned for December too. I hope you all have an eventful Christmas full of adventure!