Hedrin or Lyclear?

Actually, there as so many more options. Most treatments recommended need to be left in for 8-12 hours. I opted for Full Marks for our first treatment as it was one of the quick ones.

The first attempt – Full Marks

Friday evening was spent with a bottle of wine and Full Marks solution as we treated the whole family.

This was a five minute treatment, which said no second one was required.

It took us ages to get it through the girls’ dry hair. We poured on loads and whilst it immediately made the top of their hair hugely greasy, it was really difficult to spread through to the ends. We had to shampoo and rinse multiple times to get rid of the residue and followed up with plenty of combing.

A couple of days later there were more lice.

The second attempt – Boots own brand for nits

Again this appealed as it said it worked in 15 minutes. It also had the advantage of being cheaper than the well-known brands. Boots Pharmaceuticals Head Lice Solution was also very greasy and was tough to get through the whole hair. We had to shampoo and rinse their hair twice as it remained greasy. We then combed through their damp hair thoroughly to remove the lice and nits (eggs). Lots came out.

A few days later they were itching once again.

The third attempt – Hedrin

We used Hedrin Treat & Go. Again, this was greasy. We left it to dry (though it never felt properly dry) and all went to bed with it in. It required a number of shampoo and rinses. We did lots of combing.

We repeated a week later. A day or so after the second treatment, I was horrified to find more nits and then a couple of days after that some lice.

The fourth attempt – Lyclear

Lyclear is a one go treatment. We applied to dry hair and left for 15 minutes. We then combed through the hair with the comb provided before rinsing. Success!!!

Follow up – Vamousse

Since writing this post the girls have got nits several more times. Most recently we’ve been using Vamousse, which has been very effective at clearing them.

Comb for nits (Nitty Gritty)

I had a lot of recommendations for the Nitty Gritty comb from people reading this post. I invested in one and it is really efficient at getting them out. We use it routinely after baths.

Follow up 2 – NitWits All-In-One

After several more effective treatments with Vamousse, it seemed the lice were becoming resistant. We tried out NitWits, which worked very well, quickly and had a very convenient easy spray applicator. Also no laborious combing is required with this treatment. A comb is still provided though so you can ensure dead critters are all removed after if you choose to. Massive thumbs up.

NitNOT

We’re yet to try this, but it has been recommended by a friend who didn’t get on with other treatments due to the length, curliness and thickness of her daughter’s hair. She describes NitNOT as being like runny honey in consistency. It kills the lice and then you comb through for all the dead ones and eggs with the comb provided. It is also eco-friendly and hypoallergenic.

Lice and nits aftercare

After finally getting rid, we now use Vosene Kids 3 in 1 conditioning shampoo. It has tea tree oil and lemon eucalyptus, which are a big lice deterrent. We follow up with the leave in Vosene Kids Conditioning Defence Spray, which as well as being a repellent has the bonus of detangling the hair. We’re also fans of Vosene Kids Apple & Lemon Head Lice Defence Spray.

The post Nits nightmare – which treatments work best for nits and head lice appeared first on The Parent Social.

Winter cooking is my favourite. I find it so much easier to come up with family meal ideas when it’s cold as we’re big fans of stick-to-your-ribs casseroles, stews and one-pots as well as comforting pasta dishes.

Here are six of our favourite winter warmers:

Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya

This Cajun-inspired chicken and chorizo jambalaya has become a firm family favourite. It’s a wonderfully simple one-pot, which is filling and packed with flavour. In short, the perfect winter warmer.

Ingredients (Serves 5)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g of cooking chorizo, sliced
• 1.5 tbsp of Cajun seasoning
• 320g long grain rice
• 400g can plum tomato
• 500 ml chicken stock

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet with a lid and add the chopped chicken breasts. Fry until they’re lightly browned (approximately 5-8 minutes)
2. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add a little more oil if required and gently fry the onion until soft and translucent (approximately 3-4 minutes)
3. Add the red pepper, garlic and chorizo alongside the Cajun seasoning and cook for a further 5 minutes
4. Reintroduce the chicken along with the long grain rice. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock
5. Cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes (stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick) until the rice is tender

Pork, Chorizo and Cannellini Bean Stew

This has been on our meal planner for years and it really lends itself to winter cooking. It’s a hearty dish, extremely cheap and easy to make, and the kids love it. The pork cooks for a long time so becomes very tender. I love it with crusty bread so I can dunk and mop up the lovely sauce. I often make more than necessary so that we can have the leftovers the next day served with rice.

Ingredients (serves 5) 

• 850g pork shoulder steaks/pork shoulder
• 400g tin cannellini beans
• 250g of cooking chorizo (chorizo ring or several packs of the ready chopped)
• 2  x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 large red onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 teaspoons paprika

Method

1. Slice the pork into strips and fry off in a casserole dish (which has a lid) until brown all over. Remove from the pan and drain off the fat
2. Cut the chorizo into small chunks (or use the ready cubed) and add to the pan; brown off for two minutes then add the chopped onions, four teaspoons of paprika and the chopped garlic. Fry for a further two minutes until the onion has softened
3. Add the pork back to the pan along with ½ a pint of water and the tinned tomatoes. Season to taste
4. Simmer for one hour on a low heat with the lid on. Remove the lid, add the cannellini beans and simmer for a further 30 minutes

Winter Vegetable Soup

Winter cooking in a nutshell! This is my George’s Marvellous Medicine concoction, which I created when my go to recipe disappeared. It can be adjusted according to taste so don’t worry about deviating from the below quantities. I’d already adapted the original as it was too parsnipy for us. It’s really quick and easy to make, and surprisingly filling.

Ingredients (serves 5) 

• Salted butter – 75g
• Two small leeks (sliced) approximately 165g
• 1 small onion – 125g (I use frozen chopped onions)
• Carrots – 500g
• Parsnips – 230g
• 1 large potato – approximately 200g (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Melt the butter in a casserole dish, add the leeks and onion and gently heat until softened. This should take approximately five minutes

2. Peel and very roughly chop the carrots, parsnips and potato if using a food processor (recommended) or chop smaller if not. I still use my trusty 15-year-old Babycook for this!

3. Add the carrot, potato and parsnip to the leek and onion and fry until softened

4. Add one litre of hot vegetable stock (as per pack instructions) to cover all the veg, add pepper to taste and bring to the boil

5. Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes with the lid on until all the vegetables are tender

6. Blitz with a hand stick blender or similar to desired consistency (add milk if you like a bit thinner)

7. Check seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add garnish if you fancy and serve with some warm crusty bread.

Meatball, cannellini and cavolo nero casserole

Don’t let the number of ingredients put you off. This winter warmer is easy to make and actually makes use of many items you’ll probably already have in your store cupboard. I don’t know whether this should be categorised as a soup or a casserole, but what I do know is that it’s a hugely satisfying, filling and flavourful dish.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 48 mini beef meatballs (approximately 800g)
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 medium-sized carrots
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 3 large garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes
• 200ml of dry red wine
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 litre of beef stock
• 200g of cavolo nero (remove stalks)
• 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 tsp of white pepper

Method

1. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large pan and fry the meatballs until browned all over (approximately 10 minutes). Remove and drain the fat from the pan
2. Add the remainder of the oil to the pan and gently cook the onion, garlic, carrots and bay leaf until soft (approximately 10 minutes)
3. Pour in the wine and wait for it to start bubbling. Then add the tomato purée, beans, stock, chili flakes and thyme and give a good stir.
4. Add the meatballs back to the pan and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes ensuring the meatballs have no pink bits.
5. Stir in the white pepper and cavolo nero and cook until that latter has wilted (approximately 2 minutes).
6. Season with salt and a little bit of black pepper

Spaghetti Carbonara

The children would have spaghetti carbonara twice a week, every week if they could. It’s ridiculously easy to make and is the ultimate comfort food so perfect for winter cooking. This one is based on the recipe from the bible of Italian cooking: The Silver Spoon cookbook. This means there is no cream in the ingredients list!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 25g butter
• 100g cubed pancetta
• 3 whole peeled garlic cloves (recipe says one clove but even three isn’t very strong)
• One pack of spaghetti
• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 40g Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• 40g Pecorino (freshly grated)
• Salt and pepper

Method 

1. Melt the butter in a pan, add pancetta and garlic cloves and cook until garlic turns brown. Discard the garlic
2. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti for a minute less than packet instructions say in a large pan of salted boiling water
3. Drain the pasta, add to the pancetta and mix to coat
4. Remove pan from heat and pour in the eggs – my children prefer the egg to be better cooked so I usually leave on the heat for a few seconds longer
5. Add half the Parmesan and half the Pecorino and season to taste with pepper. Mix well, add the remaining cheese and mix again.

Winter Cooking Sausage and Bean Casserole

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 12 high quality pork sausages
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 tbsp tomato purèe
• 2 tbsp flour
• 250ml red wine
• 1litre of fresh chicken stock (hot)
• 1 x 400g can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Method

1. Heat oil in a casserole dish (or large frying pan) over a medium heat. Add the sausages and fry until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the onion, celery and thyme sprigs to the pan and cook for 5 minutes; stir to prevent sticking.
3. Add the tomato purèe and flour and cook for one minute.
4. Pour in the red wine, bring to the boil and then simmer until reduced to a third.
5. Add the stock to the pan, and once boiling reduce heat to a fast simmer
6. Diagonally halve each sausage and add back to the pan. Simmer for a further 15 minutes ensuring they are cooked through
7. Stir in the beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste.

What are you favourite recipes for winter cooking? Please share them below.

This article first appeared on VINOCIBO.

The post 6 Family Winter Warmers: Embracing Winter Cooking appeared first on The Parent Social.

Whilst we’ll be raising a glass (or several) this evening and I’ll be enjoying a quiet dinner out with my dad and brother, we won’t be marking that milestone with her. There’ll be no big bash or lavish celebration. Although she would actually have hated that as she didn’t like being centre of attention.

The march of time

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been without her for 24 years. It’s harder still to comprehend that she died suddenly at the age I am now. I knew it was young at the time, but now I’m acutely aware of just how so.

She’s been out of my life longer than she was in it. However, despite the passing of time, she remains my guiding star. When I have decisions to make or am a bit unsure about something I always think what mum might have advised. I do rely more on my own instincts than I think I would if she was still here. However, mum still offers ethereal counsel. To this day she regularly dominates my stories and reminisces. Whilst a lot of the time this brings smiles, often talking about her has the power to bring me to tears still.

Missing out with mum

I was at university when mum died (I’d just turned 21). Whilst we’d always been very close, I’d got to the age where the mother/daughter relationship was melding into a real friendship one too.

We’d always done a lot together as a family. However, we were on the cusp of doing more special mother and daughter things. When I was back from uni, we’d started going out just the two of us for lunches. I took it for granted that there was a lot more of this to come. Now I lament all those lunches we never got to have, all the weekends away or special trips to the theatre that never came to fruition and the fact she wasn’t there on my wedding day. I also miss the mundane; the day-to-day details of life with mum, which I can’t properly recall. When I see photos on socials of friends out with their mums I still get a bit jealous.

Even now I find myself wanting to ask her advice on all sorts of things. Grief never completely ends. It’s waxing and waning, and evolving. So now, probably one of the hardest things to accept is that my children never met her. She’d have been besotted with them. I talk about her a lot and I do feel like my daughters do ‘know her’ as much as they can.

Amazing mum

It’s said a lot, but my mum really was the most amazing mother. She was completely selfless, always putting my brother and I first. She devoted so much time to us. From helping with homework and revision and taking us to interesting places to seemingly solving all our problems and being the ultimate confidant. She knew me better than I knew myself. Mum was our biggest champion and took so much pride in us. I remember an entire wall of our certificates neatly on display. Her love was unconditional.

Mum never treated herself but lavished a lot on us kids. We were probably a bit spoilt if I’m honest. She was a fantastic role model and was always firm but fair. Mum was a lot of fun, but we never got away with misbehaving (although she was instrumental in making me a fake ID when I was 16 or 17)! She taught me to stand up for myself and not suffer fools gladly but equally to treat everyone with respect and kindness. Mum often said I was all things to all people, but that was down to her and what she’d instilled.

Mostly like mother like daughter

I have inherited a lot of mum’s personality traits (and mannerisms) and we looked very similar in our younger years. She also loved a drink and never got hangovers. Sounds familiar! We used to finish off each other’s sentences and were completely on the same wavelength.

I feel, as they’re getting older, my relationship with my daughters is becoming similar to the one she had with me. I open my mouth and sometimes my mum jumps out! Our parenting styles, I think, are pretty alike, and family time is sacred. Probably the biggest difference though is my mum would never go out without my brother and I. I on the other hand have no such qualms.

Dad’s promise

My mum always made my dad promise that if anything ever happened to her he’d do everything possible for my brother and I. Well mum, you’d be pleased to know that he’s stayed true to his word and some. From babysitting, cleaning and hedge trimming to chauffeuring and being our Italian food and wine provider, we couldn’t be without him.

Cheers to you mum and to everything you did for us. You live on through your children and grandchildren. As my very young cousin remarked after she died: “She really charged their [my brother’s and my]batteries.” She did indeed!

The post Forever 45 – A Tribute to Mum appeared first on The Parent Social.

It can be hard not to feel guilt as a mum, but I’m learning that it is ok to do something for myself once in a while. I’m going with the mantra that a happy parent is a better parent!

Pursuing an interest

In my recent post 2023: Direction, hobbies and fun, I mentioned my passion for wine. I love drinking it but I also have an interest in its production and want to increase my knowledge. After much deliberating, I did a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) course last year. It was a complete beginner’s course and only took seven hours. However, as someone who works from home, it was great to get out, meet new people and do an activity unrelated to family and work. I have massive imposter syndrome in my day job so this was a great chance to have a clean slate and chat with people that also enjoyed and had an appreciation for wine.

Having passed the first level, I had toyed with doing the second but time and cost constraints pushed it to the back of my mind. Then I was very generously gifted WSET vouchers for my birthday. This meant there were no excuses!

I’m really nervous about doing it as I know it’ll require more work and time. I’m also a little worried about my ability to retain information (I swear my memory hasn’t been the same since COVID), but I need to get over all of that and just enjoy!

Going forward

I would love to turn my interest into something more. For now, I have an Instagram account dedicated to the food and drink I try and enjoy. At 435 Followers I’m no influencer, but I enjoy posting and learning from and engaging with other enthusiasts.

Update 2024

Check out my new website Vino Cibo. Don’t forget to hit me up for any of your food and drink PR needs!

The post Personal growth and pursuing an interest appeared first on The Parent Social.

Here’s what I’m thinking about for 2023…

1. Make sure we’ve fun things planned throughout the year. I always feel a bit flat after Christmas and New Year so it helps to have things to look forward to. More meet ups with local friends we haven’t seen in a while and visits to those who live further afield; more weekend day trips, family meet-ups and BBQs are all on the list. Planning a family holiday would also be great!
   
   
2. Stop sweating the small stuff. I may have said this before, but will keep trying

3. Figure out what direction I want to move in career-wise. I made a few changes last year and want to build on this in 2023.

4. Stop being distracted by social media and not be afraid to mute WhatsApp chats from time-to-time! I want to cut screen time. This is especially pertinent in 2023 as my youngest two had mobile phones for Christmas – lead by example!

5. Look for more money-saving and making ideas and shop even smarter to save. My daughters have got more into the saving habit and and are rather excited by the 3.5% interest they’re getting. I’ll be encouraging this further in 2023.

6. Doing something for me. I’m interested in wine so last year embarked on a WSET course to learn more on the subject. It was refreshing to do an activity unrelated to family and work. I’ve now been gifted vouchers to do the second level. I’m really nervous about doing it as I know it’ll require more work and time, but I need to get it booked and enjoy!

7. Try to do something with the children individually. It’s difficult to find the time, but on the occasions I have managed, I’ve seen how much they enjoy the one-on-one time.

8. Couple time. Similarly, it would be nice to have some regular evenings out just with my husband.

9. Stop being afraid to say no if I’ve got too much on and on the flip side says yes to things like playdates more often.

10. Improving my fitness. I’m not very fitness-focussed, though I do like to walk. However, I’d like to set aside an hour a week for a specific training session.

The post 2023: Direction, hobbies and fun appeared first on The Parent Social.

A board game cafe for children and adults

The Ludoquist, in Croydon, South London, has over 1400 board games available to play. These range from ‘very first games’ – which are suitable for ages 2 years up – and family games to solo games and the most strategical of board games.

For £5 per person (£2.50 for children up to 14) you can play as many games as you like for three hours or up to six hours if they have space. Whilst playing, you can enjoy great food and a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Our experiences at Ludoquist game cafe

The Ludoquist is a great venue. It’s packed to the rafters with games yet retains a wonderful sense of brightness and spaciousness. The games are all really well arranged into categories and themes so it’s easy to both explore, and to hone in on exactly the type of games you want.

For our first visit we didn’t want to be too ambitious (and have to learn lots of new rules) so selected a different edition of Ticket to Ride, which is one of our favourite family board games. Their ‘Games Gurus’ are on hand to make suggestions if you do need them.

The game cafe menu

Before settling down to the game, we ordered our food and drinks. They have an impressive drinks menu, which includes the hip Dead Skull coffee brand and equally trendy hoogly tea. These sit alongside a wide variety of the usual soft drinks and more exotic smoothies and shakes. On the alcohol front, they have a range of beers, lager and cider on draft and in bottles/cans (including low alcohol and a specialised craft beer selection), a variety of wines and, the pièce de résistance, cocktails and the ‘Gin Palace.’ I couldn’t help myself and ordered an Espresso Martini, which was fabulous. The girls opted for an Oreo shake and Berry Go Round smoothies, which went down equally well. It’s table service but you can also go up to the bar.

On the food front, we had paninis, pizza and homemade sweet potato curry, all of which were great and reasonably priced. We also ordered bowls of Haribo and chocolate eggs to keep energy levels up during gameplay!

Let the games begin!

We set up the game whilst waiting for our food (which arrived promptly). Our table was spacious so we could play and eat at the same time. I found myself really immersed in the game as there were none of the usual distractions I get at home and the kids definitely loved playing in a different and funky environment. The staff were attentive and friendly and we had several more rounds of drinks while we played.

In an increasingly screen-orientated world, it was great to look round and see so many people enjoying the simple pleasure of board games.

It had been our intention to play more games, but our Ticket to Ride game was epic; so much so we came to the end of our time slot. Luckily, they were able to extend it for us. We can’t wait to come again and try out some more games. We would all thoroughly recommend.

What else you need to know

They have a special deal Monday-Friday until 5pm where you can play for £3 (£1.50 for children) each for up to 3 hours.

For evenings and weekends they highly recommend you book, which you can do here. For groups of over six you need to email: info@theludoquist.com .

You can also buy games in the cafe or from their online shop – https://www.theludoquist.com/collections/kids-games

Visit The Ludoquist website for more details.

And finally…

As a Wordle addict, I was seriously impressed that ‘Chaser’ and quizzer Paul Sinha was talking to ITN about the word game from The Ludoquist

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Covid Christmas

In 2020 we had a far more quiet Christmas than usual due to restrictions. It was just my dad, who was in our bubble, that came over. My gregarious dad is like having three people all at once so it still felt quite lively, but even he couldn’t come over this time.

It would be the first time we’d have Christmas just us five. The Boxing Day plans, which should have seen my brother and his girlfriend, my mother-in-law and brother-in-laws all coming over had to be cancelled. I won’t lie, it was hugely disappointing.

The kids took the news better than us. They were buoyed, no doubt, by the prospect of presents. They were also happy that I’d taken off the days running up to Christmas Day. Proof yet again of their resilience and positivity.

Thankfully neither had symptoms beyond a mild cough/cold; and that’s the main thing I had to bear in mind to help quell my disappointment. My husband and I felt rather deflated, especially Matt who loves cooking for people. We had all manner of culinary treats stacked up in the fridge, freezer and cupboards ready to feed a lot more than five people over the two days.

Getting busy in the kitchen (just for us)

In the run up to Christmas Day, we made some of the kids’ favourite nibbles of Pizzette and created our first ever gingerbread house (thanks Lidl). We even attempted our first ever ‘Cheat’s’ churros Nutella Christmas tree, which was fun, pretty simple to make and very, very tasty.

Games and puzzle

Isolation meant that the annual Christmas puzzle challenge was completed far quicker than usual. We played even more games than normal. The kids have stayed up really late pretty much every day of the holidays, which has meant we’ve watched loads of films.

Me time

What was meant to be a family pre-Christmas day out, which included the annual tradition of getting our Christmas cheese from La Fromagerie, meeting my uncle, and having a general mooch about London was cancelled. I ended up going to get the cheese on my own. After being in isolation for 10 days I decided to make the most of it and took myself out for lunch. It was surprisingly nice and I enjoyed it.

I was able to get some last minute stocking fillers and do other Christmas bits and bobs super efficiently. However, I felt huge remorse whenever I saw something Christmassy that I wanted the kids to see too. This dissipated when I was greeted with the below scene on my return. They’d spent several happy hours on the Nintendo Switch with dad!

Christmas Eve

Cleaning the house (for Santa?) was followed by more games and a fire outside in the evening where we had some nibbles by candlelight. Then it was linguine alle vongole (linguine pasta with clams) as part of my nod to the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Later the girls opened their Christmas Eve box, which included treats we could tuck into whilst we watched more films and Christmas TV! It also included a few little pampering items, cosy socks, BrainBox game and ‘Christmas dresses’ for them all to wear the next day. In the evening Matt and I treated ourselves.

Meals on wheels

My dad gets our annual Italian Christmas cake. He brought it over and we cut it in half as he was now going to spend Christmas Day with my brother.

In return, Matt provided pre-prepped beef Wellington, dauphinoise potatoes, and lobsters that he’d cooked that day. Alongside this he also provided some very good wine! It was nice to know that we’d still be a part of their day even though we weren’t going to be together. Matt was happy that he had cooked for people in addition to us five.

Christmas Day

The morning started off as usual with stockings opened in our room. We had a lovely breakfast and then began opening the main presents.

Lunch was fabulous as always. We took time to savour it and the girls remained sat down for over two hours. We interspersed with crackers with their silly jokes and games.

After lunch we took proper time out to play with presents and play more games and watch more films! We extended this into Boxing Day. Though we missed having guests, we filled the day with lots of fun and laughter. We also FaceTimed relatives Christmas was saved!

The post Covid Christmas – Festivities in Isolation appeared first on The Parent Social.

Why a package holiday this time?

The original plan was to go and visit my family in Italy, but we had three flights cancelled within a few weeks. It showed how changeable the travel situation is with Covid. We didn’t want to rebook flights and spend lots of time searching for a villa when there was a very high chance flights would be cancelled again and we’d lose our money on accommodation. We still had aspirations of going abroad but didn’t want the stress. A fully ATOL protected, package holiday seemed the way to go.

Cyprus as a destination

We took Italy off the table as even double vaccinated people are required to quarantine on arrival for five days. A quick look at the EasyJet Holidays website revealed the European countries we could go to quarantine-free. Cyprus was one destination that came up. It ticked the boxes on travel time, sunshine, warm sea and cuisine.  

A friend mentioned The Elysium in Cyprus, saying it was one of her favourite hotels in the World. We looked it up and could see why. We went back to EasyJet and were delighted to see that the very hotel was included in their package holiday to Paphos.

What the package holiday included

The package was much cheaper than booking the separate elements so it was a no-brainer. We pushed the button. It removed all the stress as we knew it was all covered and didn’t have the fear of a last minute flight cancellation. We also didn’t spend hours trawling the web for accommodation to match our flight dates.

The package included:

• Return flights to Paphos
• 23kg of luggage each (including the kids)
• One item of hand baggage each (including the kids)
• Hotel accommodation
• Private transfer from the airport to the hotel

The Elysium hotel

The Elysium is a very elegant, five star luxury resort with a lovely vibe. It boasts some outstanding staff (special shoutouts to Yannis, Luigi and Kiki), fantastic restaurants and a wonderful spa. It also ticked the other box for the kids: having a pool (well not just one but multiple). I loved the private beach, facilities, good restaurants, amazing air con and having staff on hand to offer advice and make bookings. We phoned the hotel ahead of booking to ask about interconnecting rooms and as soon as we’d pushed the button they confirmed them. The rooms are well appointed and serviced very well. We went for bed and breakfast as we wanted to have the flexibility to eat in and outside of the hotel for lunch and dinner.

We didn’t use the kids club, but plenty of people did. I sneaked a peak and the facilities looked great. I also had a blissful few hours at the spa and was treated to massages, facials, scrubs and all sorts of other indulgences.

The Elysium is well situated for exploring Paphos city (Ktima: old town and Kato, the harbour area/new town) itself as well as the expansive Paphos district. It is also right next to the Tombs of the Kings – a Unesco World Heritage Site.

What were the best bits of a package holiday?

Ultimately, in the current climate, the peace of mind is invaluable.

The generous baggage allowance is brilliant. There was no faffing about adding on extra things and incurring more charges once the flights were booked.

On arrival, it was fantastic having someone waiting for us to take us straight to the hotel.

We enjoyed having the great service and everything taken care of. I loved having breakfast sorted every day and the vast and quality selection available. I may have had Champagne before 10am on a number of occasions! It was a bonus not having to clean up the kitchen every day.

The kids particularly loved chilling by the pool and the younger two liked being able to socialise and make new friends. I love how easily kids do this! I’m more of a sea lover than a pool lounger so for me the private beach – and proximity to other blue flag beaches – was wonderful.

The restaurants were top notch. It was great mixing up a more leisurely lunch or evening meal at the hotel with dining out in Paphos.

We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I was extremely surprised that such a high calibre hotel would be included in a package. We loved the country, food and people.

Hiring a car

A family holiday should have something for everyone. My husband and particularly me wouldn’t enjoy spending all day, every day at a resort. We hired a car via the hotel – at a very competitive price – so that we could do more exploring.

We were able to head over to lovely Latsi/Latchi on the north side of the island, the Troodos mountains and waterfalls, Polis (and Aphrodite’s baths), wineries, countless beaches and villages and even Aphrodite Water Park.

The Covid requirements for travelling

The UK is on Cyprus’ red list so whilst there was no quarantining, my eldest had to have a PCR test within 72 hours of our departure. She also had to have another PCR test as soon as we arrived at Paphos airport. Interestingly (as of August 7th), the test in the UK cost £150 and €19 in Cyprus. Quite a difference!

My husband and I didn’t need to take a PCR test before travel to Cyprus as we are double vaccinated. Our twins are under 12 so they didn’t have to either. With those criteria in place we then had to fill out a Cyprus flight pass.

Cyprus is on the UK’s Amber list. For our return, we all had to have a PCR test within 48 hours of our flight (the hotel organised this and we had it on site), proof of pre-arranged ‘Day 2’ PCR tests in the UK and a completed Passenger Locator form. A word of warning… many of the Day 2 ‘approved’ test providers on the government website are rather suspect. We never found one that actually cost the displayed price.

…..

Would I do a package holiday again? Yes. Would I do a DIY holiday again? Also yes. However, until travel returns to normal I’d definitely stick with the former. I might have a beady eye on what’s available for October half term…

The post Our first package holiday and I enjoyed it appeared first on The Parent Social.

All three absolutely loved the randomness of sitting outside on a cold Monday night in February eating sweet treats they’d toasted themselves. They thanked us so many times, which was particularly gratifying seeing as it was such little effort and cost practically nothing. My eldest even read a bedtime story by firelight 🙂

Right now, I’m on the lookout for anything that deviates from the current lockdown tedium and mundanity. We managed to do a lot in the first lockdown, but during that period we were blessed with fab weather, which made everything a lot easier.

Next up is National Pizza Day on February 9th! We’ll be making our own. There’s a great recipe for dough and several different varieties in the girls’ Silver Spoon for Children cookbook.

Celebrate over Half-term

There is plenty to celebrate over half-term, least not a one week break from homeschooling (never before have I looked forward so much to an uninterrupted week of work).

Chinese New Year – Friday, 12 February

We’ll be getting the local takeaway on speed dial and making sure we include the girls’ favourites of crispy shredded duck and seaweed in the order. We might even have a go at making our own Fortune Cookies. There are also lots of Chinese New Year craft activities available to keep younger ones busy. Marks & Spencer has some great Chinese food inspiration.

Valentine’s Day – Sunday, 14 February

I’m not usually a big fan of Valentine’s Day as it’s rather too commercial, but this year we’ll make an effort as I know my three will really enjoy it. I’m thinking a candlelit dinner for five (which we can dress up for), plenty of chocolate and some nice flowers to cheer the house up (it doesn’t have to be roses).

Pancake Day – Tuesday, 16 February

Kids pancake day! Nutella is a massive favourite, but they also love the classic sugar and lemon. I must remember to get the Grand Marnier in this time. We didn’t have any last year (it’s my fave topping for pancakes), but due to the power of social media two friends and neighbours came to the rescue. Here’s the failsafe pancake recipe we use.

…And let’s not forget National Drink Wine Day for the adults. Cheers!

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I’ll have a think about what we can celebrate in March. Hopefully it’ll be the return to some sort of normality!

The post Finding Little Things to Celebrate appeared first on The Parent Social.

They hail from Puglia in southern Italy and make a great after school snack, are brilliant with cheese and charcuterie and are also perfect to accompany your aperitivo! Taralli are very versatile.

Cooking taralli with children

There are lots of variants and – like with most Italian cooking – many, many different recipes and ways of making them. The following savoury one is very easy and uses just four ingredients. The kids can really get involved in making these.

Ingredients for taralli

• 225g of plain flour
• 100ml of dry white wine
• 60ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 5g of sea salt

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 190c (fan-assisted)
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil

• Mix the flour and the salt together in a bowl and then slowly add the oil whilst continuously stirring

• Slowly drizzle in the wine and stir until absorbed and it makes a nice dough

• Knead the dough (no flour required) for about 10 minutes. It should be smooth and springy

• Take a piece the size of a large grape and roll it into a sausage

• Make into a rough circle snd squeeze the ends together. Place onto a baking sheet and work your way through the rest of the dough

• Drop in your pinched circles in batches making sure they have enough room to move around

• Once they rise up to the top remove them (preferably with a slotted spoon)

• Place on kitchen roll and let dry for a couple of minutes. They’ll look a little unappetising at this point, but don’t worry!

• Lightly oil some baking parchment and put onto a baking tray and place the boiled taralli on top. Make sure they’re nicely spaced

• Bake for around 25 minutes (until lightly golden)

• Leave to cool thoroughly and then serve

Here’s a recipe from Memorie di Angelina for their sweet cousin – taralli dolce/weet taralli cookies.

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Bake alongs with friends on Zoom

Family Meal Inspiration

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