Days Out - Seaforde Butterfly Farm

For the last 2 weeks of the summer holidays, I've not enrolled the kids into any activities. They've been doing bible clubs and sports camps on the few weeks that I needed to work but I've set aside this week and next for just days out and time together....in an effort to bore them with my company so they can't wait to go back to school!

We all love each other really...

So today we went to the Seaforde Butterfly Farm & Gardens which we've driven past hundreds of times and always wondered about visiting. It's a bit expensive for NI - it would have worked out at about £30 for all 5 of us to go and I wasn't sure if my son would really appreciate it or indeed if I would (wrong on both counts)

In the end, it was just myself and the 3 kids who went so it was £24 for access to both the butterfly house and the gardens. I'm not sure if it's worth it to just do one or the other - you would really need both to make a day out of it. We arrived just after it opened at 10am and there were only a couple of cars in the carpark so we had the place to ourselves.
This was what greeted us when we entered the hot and humid butterfly room....stunning!

and really from then on, it was a continuous stream of 'ooh-ing' and 'ahh-ing' and WOW from all 4 of us as the most exotic and colourful butterflies flew around us and landed on our heads and shoulders and even in my son's case, right on his glasses!

After about half an hour, we moved to the second tropical room which contains turtles that live around a lovely indoor pond full of colourful carp and goldfish.

There were also a few parrots and some smaller birds. The kids had so much fun talking to the parrots - they were really sociable.

Then the kids found a smaller room which had a couple of tarantulas, giant snails, a scorpion etc...oh and a big python too! I wasn't so keen to hang around here...

My idea of HELL in a glass case

We spent over an hour moving between the three rooms - the kids kept wanting to go back into the butterfly room and I was happy to oblige. There were benches and places to sit and once you got used to the tropical temperature, it was quite pleasant...

Trousers - Hush (past season)
Sandles - Next (via eBay)
Navy T-Shirt - Gap
Denim Jacket - Vero Moda
Backpack - Mipac ℅ Menarys (has been a GODSEND this summer - thank you Menarys!)
Then it was out to the gardens for a walk around the maze, which kept the kids entertained for ages. We enjoyed our picnic down near the pond in the pheasantry - which sadly had no pheasants that we could see. But it was all in the most gorgeous surroundings with the walled garden reminding me of The Secret Garden - with its big wooden doors and tunnels.

After heading up the spiral staircase to the top of the small tower and getting a 360 degree view of the whole place....

....we went back into the butterfly room for another hour. The kids just never tired of spotting the butterflies and having them land on their heads.

On the way home, I got the kids to rate the trip and the 12 year old said it was one of the best days of his life...now that's something for a 'too cool for school' tween boy to say! Naturally, the girls just adored it and wanted to go back again the next day. All 3 agreed, it was a 'core memory' (that's for those of you who've watched Inside Out)

I have been asked so many times since I posted about this on social media - 'is it worth a visit?' Hence this blog post - I wasn't planning to write about it - it's a bit off-piste for me but it's a good way to answer everyone's questions in one go.

I do think it's worth visiting. It's old fashioned....I would say it's the same as it was 10 years ago and I wasn't wowed by the shop and the ticket desk on arrival. But the playground and picnic area at the front are new and lovely and surrounded by opportunistic peacocks - which were completely unfazed by toddlers chasing them around the place!

The business person in me thinks what potential it has but the reality is that it's a part of an estate where a family lives and it's only open during the summer months. They clearly don't want it to be a major tourist spot as it couldn't cope with huge crowds. There's a quaintness about it that I loved and you could tell that the butterflies and gardens are a passion for everyone involved. It was like a step back in time and as the day went on, I realised I loved how it hasn't been modernised or computerised...it was a proper old school day out and it did my heart good to see how the kids who were there (not just mine) were blown away and properly wowed by nature.

So do visit...it's not somewhere you'll go to regularly - I reckon we'll go again next summer but it's probably a 'once a year' kind of trip. Try to go on a weekday, early on so you get the place to yourself. Bring a picnic and a full battery on your phone. And make sure your storage has plenty of room for the photos. And enjoy!

Ax
Note - there is a coffee shop but we didn't go into it. I'm sorry I didn't as I can't report back on what it's like but perhaps if you're reading this and you've been, you could leave a comment. Thank you! 
Full details on opening hours and prices on this link: www.seafordegardens.com 

Spoilt Belle Sales Haul

This is so late in the writing and features mostly sale stock - huge apologies about that but I know everyone loves a shopping try-on and I really wanted to share Spoilt Belle Boutique with you - it's a great local NI boutique but it sells online and over the phone so distance is no obstacle if you want to shop here....my kinda retail outlet!

My try-on was all done in their new Coleraine store - only opened a couple of months ago:

There has been a Spoit Belle Boutique in Magherafelt for years but I didn't have time to call in the last time I was up there so when we were on the north coast on holidays, I took a morning to go see what the Coleraine store is like....and I wasn't disappointed. There was so much to try on and so many bargains to be had. Starting with this jewelled top which was so Ted Baker-esque...with the most gorgeous print and green jewel embellishment.

I've had a look online at the SBB website and it's still in stock online on this link, though only in a size 8. . I'm wearing the size 10. Wish I bought it but I have been so bad this past month and needed to stick to the budget.

Next up, this cut-away top was right up my street - I love the style and the day to night print but it was a size 12/14 so was too big on top and dangerously revealing side-on...such a shame!

This Darling blouse has the most gorgeous flower appliqué detail - simply stunning and a perfect piece for Autumn/Winter. Again, some regrets about not buying it...

Another lovely top here in a chambray/light denim fabric with gorgeous on-trend frill detail. Can you see how I struggled to pick between it all...when I look at this top now, I'm wishing I bought it too!!!! From memory, it was down to about £27.

These next two tops were so simple and great wardrobe staples. Sadly both size L and too gapey under my arms...just as well really.

While I was trying on all this, my daughter was upstairs in the shoe room, completely mesmerised by the footwear. She didn't lick that off the ground...

Practical as ever, I went straight for the sparkly ones....

But then copped myself on....even I have to admit I'm well covered when it comes to sparkly going-outs shoes and so we reluctantly left the sale footwear behind but I did lust over these Guess shoes that had just arrived as part of the AW stock. I keep seeing SBB styling them with outfits on Instagram...my resistance is crumbling!

I also loved these layered tops - according to a recent snapchat, the green one is almost totally sold out already!

Incidentally, the Coleraine store has had a bit of an update since I was in with some new fittings and and both stores are now full of AW16 stock. I know all this as I'm avidly following them on snapchat and loving the look behind the scenes as well as the snaps of new stock being modelled by the team in both shops.

So what did my meagre budget extend to? I managed to get two really practical AW items in the sale - this camel coat/gilet....is there such thing as a cilet? Other than that cleaning stuff?! Anyway, you get the gist...it's something between a coat and a sleeveless gilet and I just adore the colour. I think it's going to look great over long sleeved knits/polo necks. Can't wait to wear it!

I also bought the jeans I am wearing in all the photos - you've probably seen them lots already. I do like good denim and always try to pick up a pair in the sales. These are by Guess and are called Jeggings but they actually are more like jeans. Both items came to a total of about £65...I didn't look as I keyed the PIN number in....ignorance is bliss.

Everything else was left behind....with much regret! But I'm already making a must-have list of the new stock coming in so perhaps it was all for the best.

If you're in either town, do pop in for a look...and even if you're not, you can check out their social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat and buy anything you like over the phone and the girls will post it out to you. Good old local customer service - you can't beat it.

Ax

Disclaimer - this is not a sponsored post and I bought the items myself! 

Penney's/Primark Must Haves...

I mentioned on my last post how I'd been in Penney's in Limerick last week and was well impressed. My sister said on the drive in that it isn't the best store really...but it was way better than any I've been in up north. Having said that, the time of the day may have had a part to play - it was about 7pm on a Friday evening in the centre of Limerick so the store was very quiet and being tidied for Saturday by a large team of staff. So it was easy to see everything and there was room to try on.

I'll start with some pictures I took going around the store and then show you what I bought. First up, these embellished clutches were stunning for only 12 euro.

Penney's have been killing it with their shoes lately - so many bloggers have been sharing amazing finds, including these beauties - just 28 euro:

I also thought these were lovely - there were only a couple of pairs left and both were marked so I didn't try them on.

Next up, some patent brogues .... every wardrobe should have a pair:

And these are a great dupe of the Ash and Isabel Marant boots. Not leather sadly but perfect if you just want to try out the trend and don't want to buy expensive ones up front:

These sandals are on sale and caught my eye as I've seen Sinead from Sinead's Curvy Style wearing them on Snapchat (in the green colour):

Next up and workwear was on my mind so these were a possibility - thought they would work well with a white shirt and a camel knit...though I didn't get them in the end as I hadn't the energy to try them on #shoppingfail 

These pleated metallic skirts and wide trousers are almost identical to the Topshop ones!

But it was the interiors stuff that was most impressive...check out these cushions:

Loved the whole colour scheme in this rage - I'm a sucker for a bit of geo:

This next range was more ethnic - fab colours and the quality was amazing, especially the cushion on the bottom shelf:

Lovely little jewellery box - the girls were begging for me to buy them one:

But I was on a strict budget so in the end, apart from the Cocoa Brown stuff I shared on my last post (and a ton of underwear & socks for the kids), I just bought a couple of white vests (standard Primark purchase) and two jackets:

The first jacket is a blush colour and is a more casual oversized shape. I've a few scarves in this colour and a pair of loafers too so I'm thinking it will work well with them. This is a size 10 and it comes in navy also. I'm wearing it this morning to the launch of the NI Hospice's Big Coffee Break on the 22nd September. It was held in the Baillies Coffee Roasthouse...absolute cracker of an event. I've got some video on Snapchat and Instagram!

Jacket - Primark

Jeans - Gap (outlet purchase)

Top and Shoes - Topshop (past season)

Handbag - Yoshi

And I've mentioned before that I've been looking for a collarless navy jacket. This is probably a bit dressier than I had been looking for but I can dress it up or down and I love the sleeves - perfect for my short arms. This is the size 12. Not as nice a pic but you get the gist hopefully-I've not worn this one out & about yet.

Finishing with yesterday's outfit which was a bit thrown together but seemed to work. It features the sarong that I featured on my Hush sale post the other week, which I ordered and which is even better than I was expecting.

It's so beautifully made and the colours and weight make it perfect for autumn. It's unfortunately sold out but it might be worth checking out for returns? Plus there's an additional 10% off sale stock in Hush until the sale ends at the weekend - use SUMMER10 at checkout!
I'm also wearing a cream casual top I got in the Gap outlet at the weekend, which was 40% off - it's so lovely and soft though does need a vest underneath. Jeans are Guess from Spoilt Belle Boutique in Coleraine and my sandals are my trusty H&M ones which are also sold out now.

Hope you're having a good week,

Ax

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