london

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Regular readers will know that Moozles and I often have mummy-daughter days. She has always needed a little bit of extra time with me. But then, don't all children benefit from one-on-one time with a parent? Moozles has been having some friendship issues at school recently and has been feeling quite down about it. I had planned to have a special day, but then the lovely people from Travelodge invited my family for a #LiteracyLegacy visit to London. So I thought that a mummy-daughter weekend would be just the thing to cheer up Moozles. So off to central London we went for a short break.

First stop was to check-in to the hotel and drop off our bags. Then we went to Leicester Square for our Harry Potter walking tour (one of many free walking tours offered by Strawberry Tours). London has a rich history of authors, as well as being the subject and backdrop of many a book. The Harry Potter tour was an example of the literacy legacy of London. The tour was due to last 2 1/2 hours but my girl got side-tracked by Hardy's Sweet Shop after an hour and a half, and we ran off for some jelly beans. Then we went back to Leicester Square to watch Beauty & The Beast (we both loved it).

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My family and I love a fun day out, and if there are animals - even better. At the beginning of the Easter break, we visited Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire to check out the animals and to see the new penguin exhibit. The biggest kid of our family, Husband, is crazy for penguins, and was especially excited for our visit. We were even blessed with a warm and sunny day.

Our first stop were the big cats. We were impressed that we found white lions, tigers, leopards and cheetahs. And most of them were lazing about, sleeping in the sun. What a tough life. In fact, many of the animals we encountered were napping. I don't blame them. It is tough staying awake when you're sunbathing.

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The children are at their grandparents' house, which means that Husband and I are free to enjoy London as we want to. We have been sleeping in, taking long walks and enjoying meals out without packing colouring books. Yesterday, we had the most delicious lunch, and I had to tell you about it. We went to Chi Kitchen, and I have to share all the delectable dishes we ate.

First of all, Chi Kitchen is a pan-Asian restaurant. This means that it serves a few different cuisines - Japanese, Malaysian, Korean and Chinese. To me, this is Heaven. It means I can eat loads of different things that I love. I started off with the spider soft-shell crab sushi roll. It arrived on a steaming plate, which was very theatrical. Then Husband and I had dim sum. I had prawn and he had the beef Wagyu. These items are perfect for sharing, but sadly my husband does not like fish or seafood (crazy, I know).

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You know how I love a good tree. All sorts, all shapes. But in the spring my heart belongs to blossom trees. They lift my spirits. I stop to take photos of them as I walk around. I coo over them on Instagram. A bright blossom tree fills my heart with joy. We only have another couple of weeks, and then the blossoms will be all over the ground. But for now, rejoice in the blossoms. Spring is here!

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Imagine a husband and wife so vile that they constantly find ways to hurt and humiliate one another. A husband with the world's dirtiest beard, a wife who tricks him into eating worms. And there you have Mr and Mrs Twit. This disgusting couple is the creation of Roald Dahl, and this Easter they have been brought to life at the Rose Theatre Kingston.

The Twits are at their happiest when they are arguing and being horrid to one another. But then one day, Mr Twit realises that they have run out of money. So off to the rainforest he goes and steals a family of monkeys to start a circus. But these are no ordinary monkeys. But these Muggle-Wump monkeys are determined to go home, and to play the biggest trick ever on The Twits.

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Even after living in London for almost 15 years, I still feel awe of this magnificent city. There are so many wonderful buildings and quaint streets. There are many ways to see the city - walking tour, bus tour and even boat tours. Last weekend, my family and I got to experience the tour that combines bus and boat - London Duck Tours.

If you've never heard of a duck tour, The Ducks are amphibious vehicles. They were originally used in WWII, and are driven on land and then enter the water for some serious boating. Duck tours are not that serious. It is a 75-minute ride around some of the most iconic sights in London, including The London Eye, Parliament, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Westminster Abbey. And it isn't just a ride. We had a fabulous tour guide, who was not only full of information, but he was hilarious. We all spent the tour constantly laughing and smiling.

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Hooray for the Easter holidays! We have just over two weeks where we can relax and have some fun. Most importantly, us parents get a break from spending every morning shouting at our children to get ready for school. Here are some fun attractions in London that you won't want to miss.

Sensational Butterflies at the National History Museum - The National History Museum is always a winner with children and adults alike. But now you can see hundreds of butterflies (photo above). Regular readers will know how I adore a butterfly exhibit. And here you will get to see caterpillars and butterflies, and learn more about these amazing insects.

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On Sunday, I got the best gift any mother could wish for on Mother's Day - a day of no tantrums. It was delightful. It was actually more than delightful. It was a miracle. To make the day even better, we went out for a delicious lunch at Bao Bao London. I feel like we're constantly going out for pizza or burgers, so I was excited to be trying out Taiwanese cuisine.

Taiwan is known for their street food, and Bao Bao delivers fresh, tasty food in a cool environment (imagine a gorgeous floral wall made for Instagram). Husband and I were initially excited to try Bubble Tea. We watch My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix and they are always drinking bubble tea. There are loads of flavours - so it was a bit overwhelming. Luckily the waitress was understanding and quite helpful. I was pleased with my choice - the passion fruit tea, with aloe vera bubbles, green tea, some ice and a little sweetness. Husband ordered a green tea as he couldn't handle all the choices. Haha.

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Every year, my family and I visit RHS Wisley to see the butterflies in their glasshouse. There is something so special about seeing more than 6,000 exotic butterflies fluttering around. And while the children enjoy it, I especially love it. It is so calming seeing all their beautiful colours and patterns. And there are such exotic flowers and plants in the glasshouse, coupled with the heat that is needed to keep the butterflies alive, that you feel like you're somewhere tropical.

Children can do more than walk through the glasshouse. Wisley have a spotter's guide (for which they ask for a £1 donation) so the little ones can looks for specific butterflies and find out their names. We have been going since 2014, and I love looking at photos from previous visits to see how much Moozles and Dubz have changed.

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How can a child be so cute, yet so infuriating at the same time? Dubz has had a rough week. He hasn't gotten enough sleep and has thrown tantrums most afternoons. And then today, after brunch, he just went a little crazy and was hitting, and sitting on the floor holding my leg, fighting his sister, and trying to sit in the middle of the road. We were out with friends, and it makes it so much tougher to catch up when you're navigating bad behaviour. And then we got home, feeling frazzled and stressed.

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