A Look Back At Our Summer Visit to Portstewart Strand & Details of Their Free Half-Term Scavenger Hunt!

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A week into school and summer already feels like months ago, but in July we were jumping down the sand dunes on the North Coast at one of the National Trust’s beach properties, Portstewart Strand. 

 

We stay in Portstewart for a week every summer in a house there, quite close to the beach. The beach is free to walk down on to, so you can park on any of the surrounding streets and carry your beach supplies down with you, or you can pay £6.50 to drive your car down on to the sand and along as far as you want in front of the dunes to find a space to make your own. 

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 The beach is really popular for surfers,  and there’s always lots going on. The sand dunes are another great attraction, especially for kids who love to explore and jump down the slopes.

 

 

Even though the summer has ended, the beach is still great for autumn walks, and during half term there will be a whole week of free scavenger hunts, more details on the National Trust website here. 

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Visit The Fairy Village at the Giant's Lair, Slieve Gullion

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Just outside Newry is Slieve Gullion Forest Park. The carpark is free and they've a giant playpark, also all free. There's a cafe and ice cream vans or you can bring your own picnic.  

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What we had visited for however is the new sculpture walk, complete with magical fairy village. I would have gone wild for this sort of place as a child. The walk is around a mile through the forest, and again it's totally free. It's definitely work the drive down if you're from near Belfast like us. 

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I Found the Kitschest, Most Magical Toy Shop Today.

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Little Citizens in Holywood, Northern Ireland is a treasure trove of European design and classic toys. I could easily spend hundreds of pounds in it. I really badly want the Scandinavian doll house.

Also available on the Little Citizens webstore

Also available on the Little Citizens webstore

Alicia helped Michael pick a little toy from the retro collection

Alicia helped Michael pick a little toy from the retro collection

Don't despair if you don't like in Northern Ireland, everything is online too.

Madame Cocoa's Gingerbread Scale Model of Belfast City Hall

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Madame Cocoa (Alex Begley) undertook the mammoth but delicious task of creating this to scale model of Belfast City Hall. The project is in honour of her small business which is going from strength to strength alongside her fellow, local business buddy's Matthew who started up Campaign Social.

Unreal detail!

Visiting Santa at Castlecourt, Belfast

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Yesterday after school we visited Santa in Castlecourt in Belfast. He and his elves were very jolly. We chose to have the photograph made into a snow globe to bring out year after year. Details of times are available on the Castlecourt website.

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It's Time To Make Your Family's Magical Christmas Mascot at Build-a-Bear Workshop

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The Build-a-Bear Workshop experience is far more than just shopping for a cuddly toy. You bring your new furry friend to life, customise its sounds and even smells, as well as choosing a very special outfit. We visited the Belfast Build-a-Bear Store at Victoria Square to make a Smyth family Christmas friend. The idea is that we bring out our unique plush friend every December to sit under the tree, a new tradition that our son will remember fondly when he's a grown up. 

Yesterday was the first step in starting the tradition, creating the bear, or in this case reindeer, with help from Jonathan from the Build-a-Bear Workshop Store.

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As well as the regular range of bears, pups, kittens and My Little Ponies, there are a selection of holiday themed bears to choose from. Rudolph with his light up nose, his sister with a light up heart, snowmen, snow dogs and even Santa himself.

The light up nose option quickly swung the decision for my son, and I don't blame him, look how cute Rudolph is!

After you've chosen the bear, the next step is deciding which sounds you'd like your friend to make. There's a fun sound board for your child to try all the options. We picked Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for one hoof, and pressing the other hoof makes him say one of five phrases.

 

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Next, Jonathan helped us choose a scent for Rudolph. This is very unique part of the Build-a-Bear Workshop creative process. Little scent pods are stowed safely inside the plush toy, with smells like strawberry, bubblegum and blueberry to choose from. There are two exclusive Christmas scents, Christmas Cake Icing and the one we picked, peppermint.

Then it's time to stuff Rudolph! Your child gets to help by pressing the foot plate to feed the fluff into their bear.

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Now it's heart adding time! There's a special little routine you have to do before putting the heart into the bear, and even though Michael is a 'big, grown up six' now, he still loves acting out this part.

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It's then bath time for Rudolph, blowing off all the loose fluff and brushing up his fur before the gets beautified in front of the dressing room mirror, choosing his clothes.

There is an exclusive Christmas clothing department for all bears. Elf suits, Christmas jammies, Rudolph slippers and Santa suits to fit any existing Build-a-Bear toy.

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The final step is printing a birth certificate for your new pal. Choosing the name and officially adopting your new Build-a-Bear. We now have the perfect Christmas mascot for the whole family, and a little gingerbread house to take him home in. Thank you to Jonathan who helped us bring Rudolph to life. If you would like to create your own friend, but you don't live near a store, the website has the Build-a-Bear  Workshop Christmas range to browse and buy right now.

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The happiest boy in Belfast

The happiest boy in Belfast

Don't forget Build-a-Bear Workshop as a Christmas gift idea. As well as the Christmas outfits you could buy from your child, or grandchild's existing bears, you can also purchase gift vouchers for them to come along in the new year and make a bear in the process like Michael did. I promise it will make you the most popular of all the grannies/uncles/aunties/neighbours/godparents! So says Michael!

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Mini bears available also

Mini bears available also

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Send me a picture of your Build-a-Bear. I love seeing what other people have made. I'm @rudedoodle on Twitter.

Send me a picture of your Build-a-Bear. I love seeing what other people have made. I'm @rudedoodle on Twitter.

A Spin Around Ikea, Belfast. New Quirky & Colourful Homewares for Autumn 2013

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we even got to meet the giant teddy from the ikea advert

we even got to meet the giant teddy from the ikea advert

dragon

dragon

shark attack in the  revamped kids' department of the store

shark attack in the  revamped kids' department of the store

clowning around

clowning around

this is dolls' house furniture

this is dolls' house furniture

seriously. This dolls' furniture is cooler than my real life furniture 

seriously. This dolls' furniture is cooler than my real life furniture 

puppets. Plenty of stocking fillers in stock, with plushes starting from only 40p!

puppets. Plenty of stocking fillers in stock, with plushes starting from only 40p!

it's all gone a bit Game of Thrones

it's all gone a bit Game of Thrones

selection of new tea towel designs

selection of new tea towel designs

son took a fancy to these and instructed me to make sure I took a picture for the blog!

son took a fancy to these and instructed me to make sure I took a picture for the blog!

these new lamps remind me of the walls in a Star Wars ship

these new lamps remind me of the walls in a Star Wars ship

I have one of these tiny greenhouses myself. Great for seedlings in new year

I have one of these tiny greenhouses myself. Great for seedlings in new year

little elf

little elf

Boojum Is Offering £3.50 Burritos To Raise Money For Movember. Here's How to Get One.

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This November 30th, Belfast's first and best burrito palace, Boojum, is offering you the chance to get one of their famous, hand prepared burritos for just £3.50  

By visiting their Facebook page from 31st October onward, you can apply for and print a moustache. Simply turn up with your moustache on 30/11/13 to claim your spicy prize.  All proceeds go towards Movember charities. If you're more of a fan of their sister restaurant, Bubbacue, keep an eye on their page, as they'll be announcing their charity raiser soon.

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