Going to Centerparcs Winter Wonderland in 12 days. Stupidly excited!

[PavlovtheCat]

Honestly I am! I have heard such mixed reports about it and honestly I am not worried but very happy to be going away with my family for 5 days.

There are going to be sparkly twinkly christmas lights and reindeers. We are going to hire bikes and cycle through the woods, go swimming every day, sleep in and not get dressed until late morning, see father christmas, go on a christmas treasure hunt, play board games, eat lots of chocolate, sit in front of an open fire and toast marshmallows. Not have to do any housework other than a bit of cleaning after eating (we have a 'maid' although pointed out to DH it is unlikely to be a long legged, long blonde haired swedish beauty). We might do some arts and crafts, we might not which means we won't

There will be no bumsex as we are not there on a friday.

It is the start of our christmas preparations and after such a difficult year filled with health problems, lack of sleep and lack of a real holiday away as a family (last trip away was marred somewhat by DS getting chicken pox half way through the long weekend).

Come and tell me all your happy stories to make me feel more excited! And give me any tips to make our trip extra special and stress free (like, we are going to take some frozen meals in tupperware to reduce the need to take every single item of condiment and food from home or buy stuff there that we just have to take back with us)

[PavlovtheCat]

10 days! not even 12!!! we are going in 10 days!!!

[givemeaclue]

Book into the spa for some treatments

[juneybean]

Oh I'm jealous! We were meant to go in 2010 but the snow was really bad and we missed out.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

I haven't beven to see the Christmas stuff but went over new year once and it was lovely. The woods were lit up, there were bagpipers lining the path to the party and fireworks over the lake at midnight. Df went in for the day last week and said it was great, watched fireworks from the beach then went for a brandy spiked hot chocolate.

I love centre parcs in winter, more so than summer. You can swim outside in the pool or spa, we did that in through snow once. I'm very . Ds is only 8mo but we'll take him in a couple of years when he can appreciate it. Have fun!

[PavlovtheCat]

I am even more excited now, as only 4 days to go! I have just registered online and booked our bikes and the christmas carvery, going to book a treatment of some kind too.

DD is very very excited!

I am more excited than if this was a trip abroad.

And I love the sound of the brandy spiked hot chocolate!

[TurkeyDino]

We went a few weeks ago. With 3yo and 3 month old so didn't do loads. It was lovely though, plenty of swimming, walks and playgrounds. Ds1 went to see Santa and had a pony ride after which he loved.

We took loads of food, had full English breakfast every day and just chilled out.

We didn't have an open fire though maid service was great!

Have a fantastic time

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

You have to go to the pancake house for a brandy hot chocolate and massive pancake then complain that you feel sick. I do this every time Which one are you going to?

If you get a chance go into the Aqua Sana and have a treatment. We don't generally do many activities just lots of walking and eating! We did archery once which everyone enjoyed and we had from age 8 to 70 in the group.

[PavlovtheCat]

We are going to Longleat. I have been assured we have an open fire in the cabin we booked (I called in a panic!) but still worrying we won't have one.

We are not planning on doing much either. We want to relax and get away from it all, so seeing santa, doing a christmas trail and eating carvery, that is all we have booked. Anything else will be a case of seeing what we fancy at the time.

Oh it would be terrible to have to eat an enormous pancake and an alcoholic hot chocolate...

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

Longleats nice. I've only been once but Kiev it's not as flat as the others so nice for walking and cycling. Have a pancake for me :)

[PavlovtheCat]

One more sleep to go

Wood for fire in car, pretty much everything is packed, just tidying do its nice to come home to.

[tiredemma]

We love it. Used to go every year just before Christmas ( until in laws purchased house in France where we now go skiing). Cp is just great before Christmas. Perfect.

[Amblin]

god really dont be.
its a few animatronic polar bears

[juneybean]

Enjoy Pavlov! You'll have a brilliant time!

[memphis83]

We are also going tomorrow! So excited...we are going to Elveden though. You will be there on Friday morning so bumsex in the morning is possible, I won't be bothering though we are more into stuffing our faces all week!
My friend is there now she has had an amazing time and just text to say don't miss the fireworks as they are amazing!

[PavlovtheCat]

amblin oh how lovely. Make a habit of crushing someone's excitement do you? Well, even if it is animatronic polar bears my dc will be in awe. And you can't beat me down that easily. I am STILL excited.

[Amblin]

adn twenty million pounds for a poxy pancake.

we went - it was ok. but full of folk in leisure wear thinking they are in Colorado.
And they are south of swindon

[PavlovtheCat]

memphis oh fireworks? I kissed that shame, we could have had a MN code to recognise each other!

[PavlovtheCat]

amblin Dh is a chef, he will make our pancakes! I am However paying seventy million pounds for a christmad carvery. And have mortgaged the house for bicycle hire.

[Amblin]

LOL

[MorrisZapp]

In the novel Deaf Sentence by David Lodge, the guy and his wife and two friends go for a new years break at CP.

It sounded pretty good in that, although ruined for our hero slightly by the other couple shagging loudly all night as he tries to sleep off his impotent depression.

[PavlovtheCat]

morris

[MyLifeIsStillChaotic]

I knew I'd find you on a Centre Parcs thread Memph

I love, love, love winter wonderland, we've been a few times (only to Whinfell though) and loved it every time. The first time was in the snowy winter of 2010 and it was amazing. Have fun!

[PavlovtheCat]

Oh to have some snow, that would be awesome. I suspect we won't but that won't matter. We are all packed, kids are asleep. Amazingly, I didn't think DD (6.5) would sleep at all tonight! She was up packing at 6am this morning (did a good job too)!

We are leaving at 9am. 3 hours drive we think, plus hour to stop off and get supplies in supermarket, kids to stretch legs. Plus an hour of us getting lost, generally faffing as we do so will get there for 1-2pm. Already checked in, so just got to park up, take a little walk around, then go for a swim while the crowd ram each other out of the way to their cabins! It all sounds so smooth and simple that we will probably end up getting there at 5pm

[PavlovtheCat]

memph have a great time yourself!

[duende]

Pavlov, we went last weekend, to Elveden Forrest. It was our first time at CP and we really enjoyed it. It was cold :D we went swimming every day, rode bikes through the woods, had massive pancakes the complained we felt sick ;) the open fire in the lodge was lovely. We had ducks, squirrels, birds and little deer come for breakfast :)
DS saw Santa and then we went to see a nice, xmassy fireworks display over the lake.
Enjoy it!