A Day At Ragdale Hall Spa

or The day Mummy got some seriously high quality Me-time. Oh yes.

Candle Pool, Ragdale Hall

A whole day. in a Spa, with 3 friends? Oh okay then.

Yesterday we went to Ragdale Hall in Melton Mowbray, the home of pork pies, but being a spa, there wasn't a pork pie in sight. It appears you can't have everything. Despite this early setback I was ready to take full advantage of everything that Ragdale had to offer.


Fortunately, this spa was not caffeine adverse which was just as well because I hadn't had my essential coffee pre-departure. One latte later and a 'gown' under my arm and I was heading for the pool and recognising the ubiquitous poolside problem of finding a lounger that hadn't already been bagged by a casual draping of a towel over the cushions. Help me. Why would you feel the need to hog a lounger when there is the thermal spa, the conservatory, the veranda lounge or the retreat to relax in? The pool was great, room to swim lengths just in case you felt the need to exert yourself, a hot tub and jets pummelling those shoulders. I really liked the foot jets, more than a tickle but less than a power hose, enough to release a little tension in the arches.

Finding no room in the hot tub, I wandered off to the Thermal Spa where, I could have happily spent the rest of the day had there been coffee and cakes within arms reach. Now this was the place to hog a lounger. Clearly all those abandoned towels by the pool would remain abandoned for the rest of the day because their owners had found the Spa.

At this point I started to get a little stressed because there were no less than 12 heat and water experiences to explore. Where do I start? Which is the best? How many days have I got?

Having tossed a coin, recited "eeny meeny minny mo" and closed my eyes and pointed, I decided to start in the Colourflow cave which promised a "humid and heady mix of jasmine and camomile, a river of colour flows to a central crystal mountain to provide a hedonistic detox." It was certainly nice, colourful and smelt pretty darn good but there were so many more to explore. Next stop was the indoor/outdoor waterfall pool: like stepping into a bath while your cheeks are frozen by a chilly breeze. Needing to thaw out my cheeks I tried out the Cave Shower which was amusing. Imagine being caught in a warm thunderstorm, complete with thunder and lightening. Yes really. Apparently not feasible for your average family bathroom though. I have checked.

I tried out the the Candle Pool next which was a silent zone so guaranteed to make me giggle. You walk into a pool with little cave like booths where you lie back, rest your head on a cushion, watch the lights change and listen to soft gentle music. Or not. Problem 1: I didn't realise that where you sat was shaped for your bottom so I slid down into the seat rather inelegantly. Problem 2: I was about 3 inches too short for both my bum to be on the seat and my head to be on the cushion. So the cushion floated away while I tried to keep my head above water and not slide further off the seat. Problem 3: The drain was making some interesting gurgling sounds. Result: retreat in muffled hysterics.

Last stop was the Volcanic Salt Bath offering "an intense and 100% humid experience within a velvet darkness of hewn basalt and slate." whilst giggling at the fart like sounds my sweaty thighs made on the wet benches. Hint: don't shuffle if you don't want to die of embarrassment.

I had pre-booked a Moisture Melt treatment which involved a massage and facial combo. To say that my back and shoulders needed a massage was just a bit of an understatement born out by the crunching noises echoing through my neck to my ears. I was about 10 seconds away from asking her to stop for fear of vomiting at the distressing noises. It felt like she was trying to push her thumbs through concrete and the concrete was winning. Fortunately the pummelling stopped just in time and I was flipped for the facial. Who knew that having your eyebrows massaged would be so pleasurable?

Lunch. I love a good buffet where you can go back and forth and top up your plate. So I did. A bit.


The Retreat is another silent zone in the Spa where cosy soft cushions, bean bags and sofas abound. Sadly this was the Retreat rush hour and it was gridlock. Short of sleeping nose to toes a big squishy sofa in the lounge had to do. Served it's purpose. Zzzz.

I could have joined in with a Pilate's class or tripped off back to the Thermal Spa, popped into the mind gym or had a bracing walk around the grounds of course, but it would have been a shame to waste good lounging time.

The final part of the day was a manicure. Fortunately I had the foresight to get changed back into real clothes before I tried to remove a fluffy robe with wet nail polish on. I did have to ask someone to rummage in my pockets for my locker key though, not without a small degree of blushing. The manicure was excellent and as at the end of day 2 is remarkably unchipped despite washing up, wrestling the toddler into his pram and ferocious blogging.

I am now having to go back to my earlier post, Dear Santa, and add on Spa vouchers in preparation for my next visit.

I have not been asked to review Ragdale Hall, I paid for my visit and I am writing this just to make you jealous. Bwhahahaha!

My Interrupted Life

photo credit: mycatisgay.tumblr.com

My Interrupted Life

I wish I could be solitary

just for a minute or three

to privately

go wee.

I wish I could drink my coffee

before its cold completely.

Hot and frothy,

milky.

I wish I could watch daytime news.

But I don't want to lose

the innocent view

you're due.

I wish I could read a story.

No children on my knee

demandingly

happy.

I wish I could sleep a whole night.

No first annoying sight.

No chink of light,

or fright

I wish I could chat on the phone

without the nagging drone

of a child prone

alone.

I wish I could complete something,

finish without juggling

and dropping

a thing.

When you're grown I'll get my wish.

Home alone and you I'll miss.

No goodbye kiss.

No bliss.

This is my contribution to The Writing Workshop and the prompt "I wish" from Sleep is for the Weak

The Great School Holiday Challenge - Week 6

I can't quite believe it but, yes, *checks calendar* I think we may have survived the school holidays.

And, *double checks calendar* it seems to have gone bloomin' fast.

Okay there was a week in the middle there, when we had cabin fever and there was a potentially large risk of developing a wee drinking problem (Me that is. Not the kids), but all in all it wasn't that bad. Even my Mummy Mojo made a brief appearance, sufficient to get through dull, wet, long, boring days, of which there were a few. But the fact that the last 2 weeks of the holiday were packed with visitors and Daddy was home so we could get away, was a fantastic finish to the summer, running on beaches, drinking with friends and eating lovely grub.

So here it is, the last week on the holidays and the point at which I have to find something else to write about!

Day 36: Lunch with Grandma at Strada was a bit of a wrestling match with the Wee One. Little houdini managed to climb out of the highchair despite a harness and had me eating my scallop risotto one handed through much of it. Only ice cream captured his attention sufficiently to sit still for more than 30 seconds. One bowl of ice cream later and normal houdini-ness was back in force. I think the waitress found it the most irritating. Tripping over a toddler with a tray of drinks was probably not the highlight of her day.

Day 37: A low flying Lancaster bomber passed over our garden. Not an everyday accurance so it got me wondering what it was doing there, and then I remembered that there was the annual Stamford Car Fair in town. So we toddled off to have a gander at some rather gorgeous cars. The Big One was rather taken with the long line of Ferraris whereas I prefered the 50's 60's and 70's classics like Cadillac, Camper Vans and a particularly lovely E-type. Ill-prepared as I was, I forgot my camera and my phone battery died half way round so next year I'll be getting there a bit earlier with a full compliment of photography equipment and batteries.

Day 38: Well we couldn't have a week go by and not go to Burghley now could we? I really ought to read the local paper because if I had, I would have known about the Car Fair and I would have also known about the Fine Foods Fair at Burghley and not bothered making dull tuna sandwiches when we could have enjoyed some lovely sausages and burgers from some of our local farms. The aromas drifting from their stalls was pretty darn good but instead we went for a couple of icecream cupcakes from the Stamford Cupcake Company. A quick jaunt around the Sculpture gardens and a dipping of the toes into the water gardens and a lovely day was had by all.

Day 39: Now the Big One is a bit of a Cars fan so when we heard that Cars 2 was coming out this summer he was rather excited. Today was the big day and Daddy took him to see it at the Stamford Arts Centre. Two hours later and Daddy passed it off with a noncommital shrug whereas the Big One thought it rocked. The highlight apparently was when Mater blew raspberry's at the baddies.

Day 40: Whoo Hoo. Norfolk here we come. My parents live in Hunstanton so we took them up on their offer of staying for a couple of days and using their house as a base for day trips further along the North Norfolk coast, a particular family favourite. To be honest we would have prefered to have stayed somewhere on our own but beggars and all that so Hunstanton it was. We got there in time to have lunch at the Jolly Sailors in Brancastor which is just lovely. They have a garden with a large climbing frame and slide for the kids, a pizza oven and a generally nice menu.

With full tummies we hit the beach there and had acres of space to run around in. It was low tide and the sea was about a mile out but there are enough creeks to paddle in to feel like you are dipping a toe in the sea. Sand dunes behind you and a vast beach in front of you make for happy children. There is a ship wreck on the beach which I thought I would wander out to see. the Mr said that it would take 30 minutes to get there and I would have to cross a creek, but undetered I headed off. The *ahem* creek was more like a river and not having brought a dingy I got no further than this:

which did actually take about 30 minutes. But with the fresh sea air and the sun on my face it was pretty darn nice.

Day 41: A stroll with the dog in the morning landed us at Boston Square Sensory Garden. A little hidden gem that in the height of summer would have looked stunning. As it was, it was still very pretty.

We packed a picnic and headed for Well-Next-The-Sea which, from previous visits I remembered as being another lovely beach. Disappointingly (it was now September after all) the wind was a tad brisk. Sheltered behind a groyne, we huddled up and watch braver souls having a paddle. The Wee One, oblivious to the wind, just wanted to get wet so we let him run around until his teeth chattered and then went home for fish and chips.

Day 42: After a round of crazy golf and icecream in Sunny Hunny, we decided to go back to Brancaster. I suppose, given it was a sunny day and the wind had died down and it was a Friday and the last weekend of the Summer Holidays, we should have expected more people. Surprise! More people. But Brancaster beach at low tide is big enough to accomodate huge crowds so we still managed to find a spot to claim as our own. It may have been tiredness, it may have been because we had to trek further to get a spot, it may have been because we knew we were going home that evening, but it was not quite the joyful, carefree afternoon I had envisaged. Instead we were the family from hell and I'm sure I heard applause when we left.

Day 43: This weekend we were house guests of friends in Hitchin. Having just written a post about house guests I was determined that we should be helpful, good company and not in the least bit demanding. Our hostess is a testimony in how to relax when you have guests, effortlessly accommodating young children, and whipping up nibbles with not even a hint of a sigh. We relaxed and had a lovely afternoon and evening, drinking too much and having a splendid time. We have missed our friends.

I *cough* may have been a little tipsy when I took this photo

Day 44: The remaining dribble of vodka in the bottle was a sorrowful reminder of why we felt so crap. I had to return to bed after my 'breakfast' of flat coke and the Mr had 3 (count them) attempts at staying vertical. Not even a gorgeous Sunday roast was enough to rouse him. Oh well, the price you pay.

And that, dear readers is the last installment of our Great Summer Holiday Challenge.

We thank you x

The Great School Holiday Challenge Week 3

The Great School Holiday Challenge whizzes into its third week (well not quite whizzes, more like drifts).

Day 15: I have learned that Misty Moo is not entirely appreciative of being tied up outside the library for 30 minutes while the Big One and Princess 'debate' which film they are going to borrow. Neither does she like Waitrose car park while the same two children decide which comics they are going to buy. Having said that, the Big One chose a great "Make and do" comic and made a shark.

Day 16: My brother and his family popped over for the day on the way to their caravan. When I say popped, they actually drove about 2 hours out of their way so bless them. It was a joy to see the children playing with their big cousins and brought a lovely big grin to my face!

Day 17: Sent the Big One off to a friends for the morning where a snow storm was artificially created in their living room. Lesson: do not allow boys and polystyrene packaging to mix! One part of me wishes I had been there to capture the scene for posterity. The other part of me is soooo glad I wasn't. Hoovering hell! They were suitably admonished, given a carrier bag each and sent to clear it up.

Day 18: A Pizza Express voucher magically appeared in my hot little hand inbox so we HAD to go! A family favourite. They have had a makeover and have some lovely art on the walls. One of which is this bull. Along side it a plaque describes the traditional bull-running that took place in my own town, albeit up until 674 years ago. See, Pizza Express is educational.

In other news, the Big One gained a new bike and lost a tooth.

Day 19: Cycling practice with gears for the first time had the Big One flummoxed for a bit until I explained that it wasn't obligatory to only use gears 1 and 6. You hear that clunking whirring grinding noise every time you go between gear 1 and 6? That's the other 4 gears you could be using. To unwind we baked these fab cookies from Sticky Fingers blog.

Day 20: Today was a bit of a non-day :-( You know, when you don't achieve anything. When nothing really gets done and the kids watch a wee bit too much telly. I have admonished myself sufficiently to ensure that this will not happen again. The "I'm Bored" box was used and bubbles were blown (thereby ticking off #42 on the Challenge list - yay).

Day 21: Secret Seven lives again (apparently). I was a HUGE Secret Seven fan in my youth and the love of mysteries has stayed with me. A friend of the Big One has just discovered the series with the help of his Mum (another big fan) and has instigated a Secret Seven Club all of his own. The Big one is a member and a meeting was called today. I would love to tell you what they did, what plans were concocted, what mysteries were solved but I can't. They're secret. And hence, no photo.

Three down and three to go. School holiday fatigue is starting to kick in so the bottoms of barrels may be scraped shortly. Stay tuned to see what new depths we can reach!

Mummy Mojo and the Great Summer Holiday Challenge

School holidays are imminent *pauses to breathe deeply* and I am getting more and more anxious as each day passes and the time comes when "I'm bored" and "I'm hungry" get stuck on repeat. I know I have been guilty recently of being a bit of a lazy parent, lacking in the 'entertaining the kids' department and probably relying on their self motivation and the digital babysitter a bit too much.

Through self counselling (read: giving myself a good talking to) I have recognised that I am a bored Mother. There. I've said it. I've lost my mummy mojo. Not quite sure where I left it but have so far searched the immediate area of the under stairs cupboard where most lost things turn up and the kitchen messy drawer without even a sniff. I thought I would look online and found some great retail therapy sites that all had a little something to offer in way of entertaining the kids which I have shamelessly borrowed but, regrettably, nothing on finding my Mummy Mojo.

I have decided on a two pronged attack. The first is to have a list of things to do with the kids (who are 6, 3 and 18 months) and then (assuming that they are suitably entertained and not screaming at each other or at me) find a bit of quality time for myself to work out why I am bored and what I can do about it.

So, stage 1: The list (because I do like a good list) of 'things to do' that can be called upon to fill the looming days ahead (all 42 of them *gulp*).

1. Make an "I'm Bored" jar
2. Paint paperweight stones
3. Declutter toys
4. Do a car boot sale selling of the decluttered toys
5. Visit Burghley Water Gardens and Sculpture Park
6. Visit Belton House Gardens
7. Learn to ride scooters and balance bikes
8. Go cycling at Rutland Water
9. Refashion a T-shirt
10. Read The Twits
11. Go to see Cars 2
12. Make a playlist for rainy afternoon ipod discos
13. Camp in the garden
14. Go to the outside pool at Tallington
15. Go sledging at Tallington
16. Go rock climbing at Tallington
17. Make a scrapbook of the holidays
18. Make a shell-stone-seaweed picture on the beach
19. Play crazy golf
20. Catch crabs
21. Make a puppet
22. Bake cakes
23. Visit the Lincolnshire Home and Antiques Fair
24. Make a junk robot
25. Make multi-coloured popcorn
26. Foot & hand painting
27. Collect flowers to press and make bookmarks for Grandparents
28. Go bug spotting
29. Go fishing
30. Make glitter jelly
31. Make a theatre
32. Put on a show
33. Refurbish a bookcase for the boys
34. Refurbish a wardrobe for the Princess
35. Make a shoe tidy for the hall
36. Sort old photographs into albums
37. Watch the Railway Children
38. Go to a museum
39. Make a cut out comic book
40. Go boating on Rutland Water
41. Make garden decorations & wind chimes
42. Blow the biggest bubble ever

I intend to do a little photo log of the school holidays by taking a picture a day of what we have done to amuse ourselves (family friendly of course for anyone sniggering at the back) and posting these once a week.

As for the second part of my two-pronged attack, well, I hope part one will force me into a bit of action and fend off some of the boredom but I will absolutely try to get some time off to work it all out.

Come back for regular progress reports.