This review of Bluestone has been written by Tanya Leary who writes an excellent blog which you can find here.
Mumma Leary also tweets @mumaleary and can be followed on facebook here.
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We have two more reviews of Bluestone on the Site click here and here. It is definitely our most popular location so far.
Anyway, last weekend the babies and I took off with my sister down to Bluestone in Wales. Our friends Michelle and Vicky met us there. Michelle gets very tetchy about me referring to them as our oldest friends. I think it’s because she’s approaching the big 4 0…don’t say I said though. Anyway, they are our oldest and longest standing friends. Facts are facts ladies, sorry!
As ever it was a bit of a nightmare to get everything ready and, what with John Lewis delivering brand new car seats only a couple of hours before we set off I was trying to read the instructions, entertain two children, fit the seats and pack the car all at the same time.
In short, this led to someone pooing on the drivers seat. Girls- it is up to you to guess who this was- fun hey!! I’ll be sure to raise this at big birthdays and remind your dad for wedding speeches.
Anywho, we picked up Auntie Raya and headed on down to Pembrokeshire.
I thought I was so clever setting off at your bedtime but, as it turns out you weren’t impressed with my improvised towel blackouts, didn’t go to sleep until around 9 and then both woke up when we arrived at midnight. You, little little, didn’t go back to sleep until 2am and even then it was in my bed!! Although this sounds annoying I actually really like these snatches of time just you and me together. You are so cheeky and I know you know you should be fast asleep but, with a grin like yours, I just want to gobble you all up. It was so lovely to cuddle you all to myself.
Friday started at 6am and I got the distinct feeling that the weekend was going to be one long, knackering chore of trying to keep children in check whilst coming across as fun and carefree, lest my friends and sister opted to be sterilised rather than cope with the unending drudgery of children. Oh, lighten up, I’m kidding…
Despite my impressive psychedelic jeans, I was not feeling the holiday vibe- until we hit Narbeth.
Woo hoo! The last time I was in Narberth it was for a funeral and wake on a very grey and rainy Thursday, there was no ambling around the gorgeous shops and absolutely no ham egg and chips and soft play. This time was far, far better.
Girls, you were nothing short of wonderful as we pottered around and, being able to actually have proper conversations with you about the things that you saw in the shops fills my heart with joy. I fully expect there is a shelf life to this but for now hearing the ‘look at this’, ‘smell this’, ‘get this’* is glorious. I especially love it when I see randoms in the street looking at you and smiling. They can only be possibly thinking two things:
1) aren’t they gorgeous
2) isn’t she a sublime and chilled out earth mother.
So, because we were in holiday mode we bought a couple of utterly  unnecessary knickknacks from Jelly Egg and a brilliant Coldplay for children CD from Six the high street– their tag line is ‘Purveyors of all things lovely’, how great is that?! It really was full of lusciousness and, because I was on holiday I basically had no filter on my desire to buy everything, I was lucky to leave with just the CD. It’s amazing. Like the Pavlov’s dogs of getting children to sleep! Risky to listen in the car though incase you start to nod off too.
By 3pm we had exhausted ourselves and so headed on to Bluestone which I suppose you might describe as a sort of small Welsh Centreparcs with stunning scenery.
Like CP it is a no car zone so, once you’ve unpacked your car it is back to the long stay car park and after that it is all about the golf buggy or, in our case, the actual buggy. Be warned people, some of the paths are steep! My calves had a serious workout over the weekend.
I loved the accommodation and, though we were missing an extra cot and high chair, the sleeping and eating all worked out fine (and we are now considering, again, whether it is time to change the big littles cot into a bed…)
The living accommodation in our chalet was on the top floor which was fab as it allows you to take advantage of the beautiful views. It’s more exposed than Centreparcs, you can clearly see your neighbours lodges but, I think that will change as the saplings dividing up the plots become less established. Unlike Centreparcs, the location is a big part of the attraction- you can see where you are and drink in the views.
We spent most of our time at the Blue Lagoon which I thought was brilliant, apart from the fact that you need a ticket to get in and out. Every. Time. For Everyone. Annoying.
Once in there though it is big and light and bright with a lovely baby pool, another separate are with fountains and showers and buckets that fill and empty.
There is a lovely lazy river plus flumes for aunties that don’t know their age!!
It is such a shame that you can’t take pictures in here (obv!) because, once you got over the total assault on the senses you absolutely loved it and I would love to have some pics of you splashing about in the waves and careering down the slide. Once you’d found your feet there was no stopping you.
I wasn’t in charge of booking the weekend and, thanks to a combination of work and  life I hadn’t had chance to check out the website, book activities and so on and, I am pleased we didn’t. We fed the ducks, played some golf, hung out in the chalet and had a really good relax.
It would have been far, far more relaxing if I had not expected any wifi connection for the weekend because, it was so hit and miss it was impossible for me to do anything work wise in the evening BUT- what the hell is a holiday for if it isn’t to switch off? Just wish I’d known in advance as I took a whole heap of ‘never get time to do this’ stuff to ponder over during the BGT final.
On Sunday we headed to Tenby, a fantastic seaside town which we used to visit when we were small- once the very busy lambing and hay making periods had passed.
It was a beautiful day and one I will remember as long as I live. I hope that splashing in the sea with your Muma and your Aunty, eating ice creams with your Mumas oldest friends and sinking your feet into the warm sand will be one of your earliest memories. They don’t get much better than that.
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.
We are going next summer and every time I read a review I get more and more excited!!! Less than 12 months to go though now…
Very jealous we really want to go. Might be an April trip next year.