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What's in your boot? Are you ready for action?

ARE you one of those families who are forever prepared with wellies and rain jackets or do you reach your destination to realise that you've forgotten something crucial for your trip? Camilla Chafer tells us what she has stashed in the boot. 

Having been caught out in rain in sandals, had my boyfriend suggest a traipse through the rugged Lake District countryside while wearing, you guessed it, sandals, and forgetting a picnic blanket on more occasions that I care to count, I think I've finally sorted out my car boot essentials. Let's take a look...

How to pick a holiday cottage

Photo by Peter J Dean on Flickr

HOLIDAY cottages make a great choice for families, writes Camilla Chafer, who shares her top tips for picking a holiday cottage.

Decide what you want

There are lots of different types of cottages? Do you want to try out a cottage on a farm or national park, a traditional Lakeland cottage or a picturesque beach cottage? Perhaps a listed building, thatch cottage or a new build?
 

Holiday gadgets - what's in your bag?

TEMPTED to overpack your bag with gadgets you don't really need? I've finally honed down my list, writes tech journalist Camilla Chafer, who reveals what's in her holiday bag.

An iPod and transmitter- My car is blessed with one of those things called a tape cassette player and radio. Instead of replacing it with a new CD player, I forked out around £18 for for a Griffin RoadTrip FM transmitter that enables my iPod to stream through the radio. It's easy to operate - just plug it into the ciggie lighter socket for power and it comes with adapters to fit all iPods. And my iPod? Just a 4GB Nano.

Why I love it: I can carry hundreds of songs on one tiny device and create my own driving playlists.

Holiday cottage review: Cornerstones, The Lake District

THIS year was the second we visited The Lake District and we opted for a cottage in the heart of Ambleside, writes Camilla Chafer.

Having previously stayed at a cottage in the hamlet of Troutbeck Bridge, this time we decided we'd much rather be in the thick of things.

We whittled down our choice to Cornerstones, a charming cottage built in traditional lakeland stone. Crucially for Ambleside, our town of choice, it came with private parking. If you've tried to park here during peak season, you'll understand why parking came high up in our criteria!

You go into the end of terrace cottage through a tiny enclosed porch and sitting room. This had  which had two sofas, TV, DVD and a small music player along with a collection of books and DVDs and a wood-burning stove which looked very cosy for winter stays.

From burgers and fries to escargot - how theme park food is changing

 

No burgers on the menu at Epcot's Teppan Edo. 

By Camilla Chafer

CHICKEN nuggets or burgers and fries - they're all on the menu at theme parks.

In America, your eyes may also have boggled at the turkey legs families plump for.

Who could blame you for turning your nose up at such an artery clogging, lack lustre menu? 

Meet the bloggers: Camilla Chafer

Enjoying meeting the bloggers behind this site? It's Camilla's turn...

Hi-ya! That's the sound of an enthusiastic hello or me gleefully karate chopping my way through what ever daft thing the children have encouraged me to do this time. Like my enormously talented co-writers, I'm also a journalist, work I combine with having three children of 11, five and two.

But I suppose you'd like to know about my holiday habits? As a child, occasional summer holidays were spent in a static caravan on the shores of Windermere in the Lake District or riding our bikes up and down the hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds. A foreign exhange trip to Germany in 1994 was my first taste of going abroad but I didn't get to depart these shores again until 2003 when I planned a big trip to the USA taking in LA, Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida with my boyfriend and oldest son.

Day trip: Willows Farm, St Albans

WILLOWS Farm is a big outdoors farm and playground that is one of those places that has something for a whole variety of ages, writes Camilla Chafer.

If it's animals you've come to see, you'll find a guinea pig village near the entrance plus a small animal indoors enclosure with pigs, a pony, ducks, an egg hatchery and other small critters. The farm is very keen on hygiene so you'll find lots of hand washing facilities if you've been touching the animals. Outdoors there's sheep, cows, another pony, donkeys, goats and farm animals native to England although there wasn't really enough variety to keep our children enormously interested.

Day trip: Windermere and the Lakeside Aquarium

A RATHER wet week in Ambleside was saved by a fab visit by boat to the Lakeside Aquarium, writes Camilla Chafer.

THIS is the second year running we've been to the Lake District but unfortunately we were caught out by some rather bad weather. However, we managed to squeeze in one great day out on Windermere which we combined with a visit to the Lakeside Aquarium.

Family friendly beaches: Cleethorpes

BEACHES come in all shapes and sizes and there's nowhere more fun for a traditional day out, writes Camilla Chafer, as she finds out if Cleethorpes can provide enough entertainment to keep her children happy all day.

I grew up near Cleethorpes, which you'll find mid way along the east coast of England, and it's always been a popular hang out for locals and those travelling from further afield. Over the past few years the area has really gone to town on cleaning up its image to provide plenty of good, clean sand, lots of children's facilities and more ice cream, fresh sugary doughnuts and hot chips than you can shake a stick of rock at.

Five things to do in... Grimsby

In a new series, we're taking a look at five things to do in... your town. Kicking off with no doubt for some, the unlikely contender Grimsby, Camilla Chafer heads out with the kids to find out what there is to do.

Grimsby has had a really bad press largely down to its name (which is derived from the Danish Grim in case you wondered) but with more than 90,000 inhabitants, you'll find a lively, bustling town. I grew up in the village of Scartho, on the outskirts, and I'm back for a visit. The town, contrary to reports in the media, is actually really pretty as a lot of thought has been paid to the vibrant planting and nearby village Waltham was winner of the 2007 Prettiest Village award. Here's what I've found to do and I'd love it if you chipped in with any other ideas.

1. Fuzzy Ed, Littlefield Lane: Attached to the Cricketers pub on Littlefield Lane, a ten minute walk from the centre, is this indoor soft play area. Entrance is around £2.50 per child and for this you'll get an hour's play on the two storey adventure playground with zip wire balls, ball pools, slides, tunnels and plenty of climbing equipment. There's regular toddler time (not sure if this runs during school holidays) for the little ones too. There's a decent number of chairs and tables for adults to sit, read a magazine and have a cup of tea too. We often nip next door to the pub for lunch afterwards where there is a reasonable mix'n'match children's menu and yummy pub grub. Opens around 11am.