I make no secret of the fact I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to sharks. I love nothing more than a good shark documentary and still have my collection of shark fact books from when I was a kid (don’t judge me). So I jumped at the opportunity to take the rest of the family along for a trip to London Aquarium and see if my toddler shared my interest.

After my two year old got over the HUGE excitement of getting on not one, but three trains, her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she spotted The London Eye next to our destination.

It was a refreshing change to see the sun shining in the sky when we stepped off the train and the excitement of being in the capital was tangible – even in the usually reserved husband.

The London Aquarium is in a lovely location on the South Bank. It’s one of my favourite parts of London, with views of Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and a fun, eclectic atmosphere created by all the art and culture in such a concentrated area.

The aquarium is right next to the London Eye, about two minutes walk from Waterloo Station. I’ve battled the tube lots of times with a buggy and a wilful toddler, but this was the first time we’ve done it all together as a family and the journey to get to Waterlook couldn’t have been easier – just seven stops along the Bakerloo Line from Paddington and we were there.

We timed our arrival for the opening time of 10am and this turned out to be a smart move. Having been told how busy the aquarium gets, we were ready for long queues despite having a priority pass, but we walked straight into the building without waiting at all. If you’re thinking of going, I’d definitely recommend investing in a priority booking pass to cut the queue time and – if you really don’t want to wait at all – get there bang on 10am. By the time we left around two hours later, the queues were 90 minutes long.

Walking into The London Aquarium is like stepping into another world. Soft music plays in dimly lit, winding corridors, with exciting things to look at around each corner. As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted with your first glimpse of the aquarium’s biggest boast: the huge tank full of amazing sharks, stingrays, gazillions of fish and giant turtles. Walking across the top of the tank, you’re literally stepping on the glass above all these incredible creatures. It was lovely see my toddler get down onto her hands and knees and peer down into the depths, coming face to face with an enormous and graceful shark gliding beneath her, about a metre away.

As you follow the route of the aquarium, you’re guided into different worlds, with sea life from all parts of the planet and lots of interactive games and activities. We’ve been to an aquarium as a family before, but this trip proved far more successful, as Frog really spent time looking at all the amazing creatures and asking about them. It’s a very child-friendly place, with wide paths for buggies and lots of little portholes and nooks especially suited to inquisitive small children.

Favourites seemed to be “Jenny” the octopus, the many sharks, a giant turtle and the penguins at the end. We spent two hours with only one hint of a tantrum, when Frog tried to jump into a tank to get to know the stingrays a little better. Her fury was short-lived though, as she was diverted by the promise of another shark just around the corner.

After the visit, we wandered along the South Bank, looking at all the amazing street performers and soaking up the atmosphere.

It’s easy to forget that we’re raising a country bumpkin, despite having two parents who grew up as city dwellers. Frog’s enthusiasm for the crowds was infectious, as she lapped up the excitement of the hustle and bustle.

We had a brilliant lunch at Giraffe, about five minutes along the South Bank from the London Aquarium. We’re big fans of the chain and regularly visit our nearest Giraffe restuarant for a spot of lunch. The child-friendly atmosphere and little touches (a balloon for each child, along with a colouring sheet with crayons) makes it a really easy place to eat with kids – as do the fresh, healthy and incredibly tasty menu options.

I managed to contain my excitement at a celeb spot of Sally from Coronation Street (totally acted cool) and tucked into my Penang Chicken Noodle Salad with gusto.

We ended the day with a walk along to Borough Market, although we didn’t have time to explore my favourite corner of London properly, as we had a train to catch. It was here that we bumped into my aunt and uncle – totally unplanned – and I watched with amusement as my confused toddler thought her grandma had left her grandad and shacked up with a new man (my mum and her sister share the likeness of hair colour and glasses!).

It’s days like these which make memories. We’ll definitely be back.

***

Disclosure: We were given priority passes for The London Aquarium by Superbreak. All opinions remain my own.

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But it was worth it.

This time last year, I was excited – desperately so. I was counting down the days until I could enjoy all sorts of festive treats with my new baby.

But while it was our first Christmas as a three instead of a two, it turned out to be pretty uneventful. No trips to see Christmas lights being turned on, no carols, no Christmas markets. And certainly no Winter Wonderland. There’s only so much five month old babies are interested in, you see. And anything that doesn’t involve milk and sleep wasn’t met with a huge amount of enthusiasm.

So this year I’m doing it all. I have every festive event marked off on the calender, so determined am I to squeeze every last drop out of Christmas..

And it all started last night, with our trip to Lapland in central London. Or, as others would call it, Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland.

The excitement began on the train, as Frog “ooh’d” and “aaah’d” at every “choo choo” that she set eyes on. It’s amazing how something as simple as a train journey can be the pinnacle of excitement for a 16 month old.

And then, obviously, there was the journey on the Tube…

Frog’s determination to prove the world wrong about Londoners was well earned. Even the most stony-faced commuter melted and gave her a wave and a smile. Who says people aren’t friendly in London?

But the real fun began when we arrived at Hyde Park. It was like stepping out of the UK and landing in the capital of Christmas. Amazing.

There were Christmas stalls, selling everything from beautiful jewellery to funky hats, toys to candy. There were food stalls galore (if you love a good sausage I highly recommend the Hungarian food stall)…

Even the formerly fussy sister of mine enjoyed it, but I’m not sure how much of that was to do with the accompanying Mulled Wine…

There were twinkly lights and Father Christmas lookalikes, not to mention the Christmas tunes and the smell of roasting chestnuts and warm spiced wine. I was in heaven…

And then we rode a reindeer.

Yes I lost my dignity, but it was worth it to hear Frog’s squeals of delight as she struggled to tame this wild prancing animal. (She is on there, honest. Look out for the bobble on her wooly hat.)

And if the reindeer fun wasn’t excitement enough, Frog dragged her aunty into the best car on the “magic” roundabout…

Then we met a talking tree, who scared the living daylights out of my daughter…

So, to bring her out of her mood, we took Frog on the huge observation wheel that towered over the entire park. And she thought the train was exciting…

Unfortunately, Frog’s stubborn refusal to walk meant we could only watch the ice skaters from afar. Maybe next year we’ll be able to join in.

After another tasty nip of Mulled Wine and cheeky white chocolate-covered Belgian Waffle, we decided to head home. But not before we found a replacement for the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine, who was stuck at work for a late meeting…

A brilliant start to our marathon of festive events – even if it has left us knackered beyond belief today.

***

To find out more about The Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, check out the website here.

Entry to the main site is free, although there is a charge for ice skating, to watch the Christmas Circus and to go on the Giant Wheel. You can buy tickets in advance online.

Disclaimer:

This is a review post. Costs for all the rides and attractions were covered.

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I’m hoping it won’t be a packed train, because I will be armed with some hair straighteners, a huge pair of heels and a rather pretty dress from Ellos. Oh and about ten tonnes of make-up, a camera and some very, very big pants.

It’s The MAD Blog Awards, see. The night I get to meet up with other parent bloggers and let my hair down. The night I get to celebrate all that is brilliant about blogging. The night I get to sleep in a room without a snoring man by my side (here’s hoping my roommate Northern Mum doesn’t snore).

Thanks to my brilliant sponsors, Brother Max, the innovative (and award winning) baby brand, I can now afford to stay over and won’t have to attempt running for the last train home in my ridiculously high shoes.

I’m staying, along with plenty of the other finalists, at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel on Bloomsbury Street. It all looks rather fancy and a far cry from what I’m used to on a Friday night. And I can’t bloody wait.

If I had a half decent phone I would tweet from the event. But seeing as I don’t, I think I’ll just drink wine instead.

So raise a glass – to The MADs, Brother Max and a pair of very big pants. London town: I’m coming to get you.

***

If you want to follow the action as events unfold, there’ll be a live blog on The MADs website. It all kicks off at 6.30pm, with the awards starting at 7.15pm.

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