Camp Bestival 2016 ~ A jam-packed guide!

The excitement is rising in the house of 76sunflowers as we count down the weeks to our annual trip to the best family festival on earth - Camp Bestival.
My children have grown up with Camp Bestival in their blood, having attended since 2010, and it is their summer highlight every year. I remember that first festival nervously taking a two and four year old not really knowing what to expect but if I had this toddler survival guide I would have been much calmer!

One thing we did get right in 2010 was the fancy dress and I had my little pirate and fairy happily bum shuffling and toddling around that year. Now, fancy dress at Camp Bestival is a huge thing, not essential - my boy has no desire to dress up anymore - but you will see it everywhere. Should you be short of ideas for this year's Space theme then the Fancy Dress Festival Guru herself, aka Tattooed Mummy, has a great post here for inspiration - I'm hoping she goes as one of the Clangers!

Over the years we have perfected our packing and preparation, and tweaked our list to suit our family as they grow older, but this list from Penny would have saved us a lot of time and is a great starting point if going to your first festival.

Once the packing lists are done it is always a good idea to make some plans about what you all want to try and do across the long weekend. The site is packed full of entertainment for all ages and here is a selection of things that Sarah, from the Parenting Trials, is looking forward to this year including the biggest bouncy castle in the world!

Some first time festival goers may worry about the toilet situation but this post, will put you at ease, as well as giving you some other essential things to know or do.

Food is a hugely positive experience at Camp Bestival with an array of culinary delights to suit everybody's tastebuds. Louise and her Gorgeous Boys are licking their lips in anticipation of this delicious line up!

Despite the fantastic array of food on offer it is still useful to bring some food from home for breakfasts in the tent and picnics on site. Polly, from Enchanted Pixie, has some super ideas for feeding a family at a festival to help balance the budget and still enjoy a Mexican Burrito!

For some lovely images and a review of last year's festival take a look here and here.

I hope this has whetted your appetite to join us at Camp Bestival 2016!

x x x

Project 366 2016 #25

Week 25 of Project 366 2016 started with optimism and finished with confusion.

Day 171
Father's Day and daddy had to work so we all went along for the ride! Afterwards we took a bit of a wet walk on top of the Mendips where we found some shelter, and den building fun, under the woodland canopy.
Day 172
A rather muddy run occurred today! I went out for 7 miles with a good mile and a bit of it being off road through thick mud - I have never laughed so much on my own before, or ran quite so slow!
Day 173
I did a spot of gardening today; cutting back swathes of long grass and nettles and failing to avoid the neighbourhood cat litter tray - my Birkenstocks were not impressed. Amidst the chaos the Cosmos were starting to flower.
Day 174
Last night I ditched running club for an extra yoga class - which was lush - so tonight I headed out for a quick 5k to keep my running legs alive.
Day 175
Referendum day and following a mad rush from work to the polling station and home for dinner I headed out to my usual Thursday evening yoga class. Tonight's yoga sky on the walk home was absolutely stunning and I was really hopeful it was a sign of good things to come.
Day 176
I don't want to get too political but today was a strange day with the Referendum vote going in Brexit's favour. On the plus side I had a day off work so took myself out on a 10 mile run with a heavy heart.
Day 177
A lazy Saturday which included a walk to town to go to the library and pick up some nice tea from Waitrose - which had a lovely bug hotel outside.

x x x 

Yoga & Festivals {Slow Motion at Camp Bestival 2016}

Tonight I floated home from my yoga class pausing to stand and watch the beautiful sunset. Every week I have witnessed a lush Yoga Sky and I always take a moment to take it all in.

I recently progressed from front room Yoga to proper classes, having said it would be something I would investigate following a gorgeous yoga session at last year's Camp Bestival, and it has been one of the best things I have done. Every week I have 90 minutes of pure chilled out indulgence for me where I can focus on my yoga practice and channel my thoughts to positivity and some spiritual relaxation. Already I feel more appreciative of the world, particularly apt in this current climate of political upset and human anger, and a bit more connected to it.

Yoga, and all that it stands for, goes hand in hand with festivals and chilling and tonight I counted the days and realised that Camp Bestival 2016 is now just 5 weeks away. Putting a bigger smile on my face was the announcement today that Bestival's holistic zone, Slow Motion, will be debuting at Camp Bestival and bringing with it The Huffington Post UK Yoga Shala with a range of yoga; Pregnancy Yoga, Yoga for all the family, Hip-Hop Yoga and Yoga for stress. Sessions will run from 8a.m. to 7p.m. each day and I feel it will be an area I will be frequenting a few times across the three festival days!

Yoga is fabulous to participate in at a festival and gives any of you Mamas, or Papas, out there a perfect escape for a little bit of 'me time'. The yoga tent is a great retreat from the noise and crowds and gives you time to reconnect to yourself and, from personal experience, will return you to your family re-energised and calmer!

If this looks like something you would enjoy there is more information on Slow Motion here.

If you haven't purchased your tickets for Camp Bestival yet everything you need is here.

Never been to Camp Bestival before and want to read a little more? Check out my past Camp Bestival posts here.

x x x

Our little festival dream {YardFest ~ Camp Bestival}

Just over a week ago my husband staged his very own little festival in a hidden away yard in deepest darkest Wiltshire; YardFest was a gathering of friends and families to celebrate life and remember a close friend who left us far too early.
Weeks, possibly months, of planning went into our little festival dream with many things having to feature. We thought about the things we have loved at Camp Bestival and planned them in, albeit on a much smaller scale; we wanted a stage and live music, food and a firepit, a place to camp, an activity for the children, toilets! The list went on.
The husband and his friend did an amazing job getting all the necessary elements in place; booking a band, setting up a stage on the back of a trailer, ordering in the portable loos, buying in beer and cider from a local brewery, building the fire and BBQ, making tables and seating, clearing the field for parking and camping - whilst I hit the Scrapstore for a bag of tulle and netting to make pompoms!
All in all it was a great success with everyone smiling, laughing, chatting, eating, drinking, dancing and chilling with like-minded happy people - definitely my kind of a festival.
Here is just a snippet of the memories we created at YardFest...

The word has spread and we have more people interested in coming next year to share in our little festival dream.
Whilst we plan for YardFest 2017 our much loved Camp Bestival team are preparing for this year's Outer Space adventures with Fatboy Slim, Jess Glynne, Dick and Dom and a whole galaxy of astronomical amusements.
And who knows one day we might be running something like this, captured beautifully on film by the Jansch clan...

x x x

Project 366 2016 #24

Week 24 of Project 366 2016 saw the return of a quieter week.

Day 164
Today was recovery day following yesterday's successful festival. It was a quiet one and obviously the sun and blue sky decides to make an appearance - 24 hours late!
Day 165
Husband's birthday and the regular Chocolate Fudge cake was made.
Day 166
I have had a whole week off running as I decided to give my body a rest. This morning I went out for a 10k, as I couldn't get to running club due to work, and managed to get a new PB! I rested on the railway bridge on the way back home.
Day 167
Busy work day mostly sat crunching data and early to bed with the latest Simple Things magazine.
Day 168
I love Thursdays now that I have a yoga class! Tonight's photo is my Yoga Sky above the field down the Lane. I felt a bit emotional tonight due to all the mayhem and upset happening in the world today and the sky reflected this.
Day 169
A perk of the job today with a trip to the Pizza restaurant in town so free pizza for lunch!
Day 170
I took the kiddos to explore somewhere new today and we walked for a few miles around a Nature Reserve and along an old Roman Road - which I think I might return to alone and run along one day.

x x x

Project 366 2016 #23

Week 23 of Project 366 2016 has seen me learning to relax more - and with the close weather it was probably a good week to do so.

Day 157
It was a hot and muggy day and following some interval running this morning I thought tackling the garden would be a good idea. We have a bit of a meadow effect going on and I made a small dent on the overgrown grass.
Day 158
A gorgeous sunny day today and I forced myself out on a 10 mile run. Yesterday evening we had decided to switch the dinner table back into the dining room which meant there was a lovely space left in the conservatory - so I rolled out the yoga mat for some Sun Salutations.
Day 159
A rather productive day today; a quick grocery shop, some meal prep for the week ahead, a bit of school work, birthday and Father's Day sorted and a visit to the Scrapstore where I took this photo of the lovely view.
Day 160
Following a long day at work some chilled out time in the conservatory was on the cards again. The heat meant the patio doors were wide open again with a gentle breeze to blow the incense.
Day 161
The heat was closer today and yoga tonight was hot and sweaty, but still amazing and calm. On the way home I sat in the local field among the beautiful big daisies - I'm unsure of their proper name.
Day 162
My whole body was tired today so following a chat with a friend I followed her advice and ditched my plan to run and rested. I say rested, I sorted out a bag of tulle and netting and made a couple of test pom-poms to do some crafting with the kiddos at our mini festival tomorrow.
Day 163
Today was festival day! In true British summer festival style it was a bit wet, warm and muddy but the bands, pizza oven, BBQ and cider saw us through!

x x x

Running Diary {Summer Running}

Today the weather realised that it is in fact June, and that means Summer, which means sunshine and heat. 

I had planned a run today but as I awoke I thought to myself, 'I don't want to go running. It's too hot. I don't like Summer running.' I checked the forecast thinking I would postpone to the evening but an even hotter, cloudier, muggier outlook was predicted so I bit the bullet and went for it.

I say went for it; I was giving my new Nathan Firecatcher running vest its maiden voyage and it took me a while to get it to fit correctly but once my frozen water bottle, jelly beans and phone were safely on-board I was good to go.

Now, as already mentioned, it was hot and sunny and this meant I was also wearing my new running shorts for the first time - my new proper 'Ronhill loose and floaty legs out on show' running shorts. Setting off down my Lane they felt lovely blowing in the breeze with fresh air wafting against my pale thighs. The usual 'getting into the correct breathing and feeling like I'm going to collapse before I even reach half a mile' routine kicked in quickly followed by a HONK HONK and neanderthal man in his white van* with his buddy leering out meant I was pissed off already and it was only 5 minutes in. Again I muttered to myself, 'I hate Summer running.' But not before a louder expletive had left my lips.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, and I was soon off road on the trails where I was happier to come across more civilised members of society walking their dogs and riding their horses. Ah, the horses. The horses that deposit their manure on the trails. The manure that attracts the flies. The flies, in what seems like their thousands, that zoom up en masse towards you covered in horse shit and buzzing into your face. Then there are those little black flies; so small they are barely noticeable until they stick to your sun creamed skin in their hundreds, and fly into your eyes and mouth and up your nose. But at least there were no white van drivers.

I continued along my usual route that took me along some village roads passing happy walkers and cyclists; I do love a pleasant 'Good Morning!' from folk as I run. Heading into the next village I said hello to a farmer who clearly thought I was crackers running in the heat - his cow had the right idea.

A new off road track was discovered and stiles were clambered over and as I ran I mentally planned out a new longer route for another day that would take me down new roads and trails - I definitely want to find more trails. I took it easy in the heat and stopped to drink and refuel and the miles were soon being clocked. 

Heading home I decided to push it to 10 miles as I hadn't ran double figures since the Hackney Half last month. I was on a real high now feeling good with my new vest, new shorts, sensible refuelling and hydration - I have learnt a lot - and was floating along the home straight. Then, passing a building site, another HONK and bizarre noises from builder man* and his chums. Seriously?! My runner's high had kicked in now so they were easily ignored but now it has bothered me. A few years ago I ran mostly at night so minimal people saw me out and about but over time my confidence grew and now I run whatever time of day. I wear what is comfortable and in the heat of Summer running that means shorts. Now, in this day and age a female should be able to wear shorts and not get honked at, leered at, jeered at or worse.

To close, I have worked my arse off with my running and now have a pair of strong legs that can carry me for miles at a time and those legs will wear what the heck they want.

x x x

*This is not a generalisation of all white van drivers or builders it just so happens that today the stereotype was evident.