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Mums, Dads, Grandparents….

The school holidays are fast approaching so it’s time to start planning what to do with the kiddiwinkles! Many of the Stockport school primary schools have 2 weeks off so that’s a whole other week of fun filled exhaustion!!

I have tried to list some local activities as well as a few further afield for days when you are feeling brave! The list is obviously not exhaustive, these are just some ideas and finds. Any feedback on other activities that you know about locally then please let me know and I can add to the list!

EVENTS
Circus Funtasia-Victoria Park, Swinton-Wednesday 23rd May-Monday 28th May
Spectacular fire-breathing stunts, thrill-seeking acrobats, death-defying motorbike riders, powerful hand-balancing, and much more awaits you at Circus Funtasia! Back with a brand new show for 2018, be prepared to witness a whip-cracking storm of a show with beautiful aerialists, dynamic juggling, tightrope walking, tumbling tricks, PLUS the return of our famous clown Emilion – THE GEEK IS BACK!
Not to be missed, this family show promises laughter and surprises for all ages. 
Tickets and prices from www.circusfuntasia.co.uk or call 07706168507 or buy on the door… don’t miss out!!!
Family tickets (4 people) start from £25. Special offer opening night, all seats £7!!

Junior and Mini Great Manchester Run-starts at 9.30am on Portland Street in Manchester. This is still open to applicants. With an entry fee of £14/15 for mini/junior participants it is aimed at getting the younger generation excited about running. 

Princess and Super-hero Week at Cockfields Park, Ashton-Under-Lyne May 26th to June 3rd so this event only runs the first week of the half-term.
With meet and greet sessions, picture opportunities, princess lessons and super-hero games there is lots to do for little ones. You can meet the reptiles, hold the animals, feed the goats and watch the goats race even!

Geronimo Festival, Arley Hall Northwich-Saturday 25th-Monday 28th May
Where to start! We went as a family last year with friends and had the best day! There is literally everything you could want all packed in one location. Rides, face painting, great food, drink, shows on stage, bouncy castles, a circus, music and you can buy a ticket to camp over. What’s great about this vent is that there is loads to do for all ages including the older ones and the really little ones. You can get tickets on Groupon for this event too! Well worth a trip out!

Stockley Farm Park’s Half Term Farmathon, 26th May- 3rd June
With a different animal in the spotlight each day, there’s plenty to occupy the kids. You can bathe the pigs and reptiles, cheering on the goats and ducks in extra exciting races.
There is also a Fun Day on Wednesday 30th May, Raring2Go raising money for The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust!
20% discount to families booking online using voucher code FAMMAY18.
The farm is open daily for half term from 10am- 5pm.

BEACHES
Ainsdale– this is my favourite beach. You can drive straight on to the beach and park up so there is no need to find a car parking spot then walk a mile with all your beach gear! There are plenty of sand dunes as well so you can find somewhere secluded if you so wish! (£5 to drive on the beach). 1 hours drive from Stockport.

Formby-for those of you that are National Trust members especially Formby is a great spot! Lovely picturesque beach and a forest area where you spot the red squirrels. Free parking for NT members. 

New Brighton– I haven’t visited myself but it’s an hour drive from Stockport and comes recommended. There is free parking and great ice cream I am told! There is also a big pirate ship for the kids to climb and play on. 

St. Anne’s-always a popular beach. Great beach, arcades to entertain and a mini train as well.

Crosby-this is another great find and home to Antony Gormley’s sculptures ‘Another Place’.  It has been awarded the Quality Coast Award by Keep Britain Tidy. Great for dogs as well and you can have a good walk whilst there. There is also on-site parking.

PARKS
Bramhall Park, Bramhall is a favourite of ours. Great for a walk, a play in the playground and the cafe is great for a spot of lunch! You can also feed the ducks…although be careful of the geese as they often follow you!

Lyme Park, Disley. National Trust location so members can park for free. Always a great place to go for a nice or challenging walk or to play in the Adventure Playground. There are tea rooms as well to grab a bit to eat. This half-term they also have an event on called ‘The 50 things to do before you are 11 3/4 challenge’. 

South Park, Cheadle Hulme is great if you are in walking distance and have an hour or two to kill. There is always the Pointing Dog next door if you need refreshments.

Dunham Massey, Altrincham is another great National Trust venue. Great place for den-making, for a walk or to ride the bikes. Plenty of deer to see as well! There are various things going on at half-term too. For more info click here.

Tatton Park, Knutsford is a lovely location for a picnic with friends. There is a great cafe there too if you don’t want to take a picnic, plus a huge playground and a farm for the kids. Click here for upcoming events at Tatton Park. 

The Carrs, Wilmslow-another great park with a playground, river and great walk. Good place to take the bikes. 

FARMS
As well as Stockley Farm and Cockfields other farms that come highly recommended include:
Smithhills Farm, Bolton and Reddish Vale Farm, Stockport.

ZOOS
Blackpool Zoo-I have been wanting to try Blackpool Zoo for ages. It comes so highly recommended and apparently there is a much better chance of seeing the big animals compared to Chester Zoo. There is also a farm section too which is great for the smaller ones, shows are on during the day and there is a dinosaur area for any Paleontologists amongst you! You can buy tickets here.
Chester Zoo-great day out for all! Lots of big enclosures for the animals and will take a full day to cover everywhere. Chester Zoo is better for the older kids as there is a lot more walking involved than Blackpool Zoo.
Knowsley Safari Park-contrary to popular belief a trip to Knowsley Safari Park doesn’t mean you will end up with a destroyed car! You can drive around the monkey enclosure. There is also a sea lion and bird of prey show. Normally they do a deal during school holidays but I haven’t found anything online yet to suggest they will be doing so keep a look out.

RANDOM
Trafford Golf Centre-near the Trafford Centre. We went here last holidays and spent a couple of hours smashing a few balls! I was actually not too bad if I do say so myself! Great for age 7ish plus! There is also an onsite Starbucks and if you get the right seat you can watch from the window. For more info the website is linked here. 
Airport Pub-this is better than going to the Aviation Viewing Park as you can park up and don’t have to keep clock watching. Great place to grab a drink and something to eat and watch the planes coming in.
Crocky Trail, Cheshire Ice Cream Farm and Applejacks
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Beaumaris-great for crabbing and having a mooch around. Plenty of ice cream parlours too!

A great facebook group for ideas on days out is Happy Days Out. I always check this page when I am looking for inspiration and it is full of people’s experiences and advice.

 

This week is Maternal Mental Health Matters Week 2018. With more than 1 in 10 mums developing a mental illness during pregnancy or in the year that follows it is becoming increasingly important that we raise awareness of maternal mental health and encourage those who are struggling with their emotions to speak out and get the support they need.
 
Pregnancy is rife with emotional and hormonal changes and these can really affect the way you feel on a daily basis. This can mean one day you are really excited, but the next you are left anxious and worried. Although this is completely normal, particularly in the first trimester as pregnancy hormones are changing and increasing it can be really difficult to deal with. These changes can be more challenging for first time mums who have never experienced pregnancy before and aren’t aware of what to expect. The extreme mood swings that couple these changes can also be damaging to your relationships with those closest to you and this in turn can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
 
I suffered with depression after my first child was born. He was a December baby and I don’t think the winter months helped the situation, but I do think the signs were there early on now looking back. However, I hadn’t identified the signs and didn’t talk to anyone about how I was feeling. Out of my group of friends I was the first to have a child, I didn’t have a mum around for support and although my friends were there for me and would always have listened to me if I had needed their love and support, they didn’t really know what it was like. After all I was supposed to be the happiest I had ever been, welcoming a child in to the world.
 
I ignored the signs initially, especially after the birth. I had heard about the ‘baby blues’ but I knew when the feelings persisted that it was more than that and soon enough others could see too, I couldn’t keep up the pretence.  It wasn’t just the birth of my son that led to all this, there were many other things going on at the time but postnatal depression can creep up on anyone at any time for many reasons. One thing many new mums experience is loneliness. According to a report by the British Red Cross, young motherhood can be just as lonely as divorce or bereavement.  The difficulty is that not enough mums are honest about their feelings or their daily struggles. Although, for some of us, our entry in to motherhood is unequivocally the loneliest, most difficult experience of our lives. The experience of the expectation versus the reality is a shock in itself. Perfect filtered snaps all over Facebook and Instagram versus the reality of exploding nappies and overly greasy hair and a wobbly tum! I felt like I hadgone from doing well in the workplace to suddenly floundering in the foreign world of motherhood, lost in a mist of sleep deprivation and wondering what on earth had just happened. Something I expected to have come so naturally to me, but was actually so difficult and physically and mentally exhausting. These feelings alone were isolating.  Although I loved my new baby, some days I felt I was failing in my new role and this fuelled the isolation as if I believed that opening up about how I was feeling would make me a bad mother and change others perception of me.
 
So what sort of things can help….or what helped me?
 
Making new mummy friends!
At this stage in your life you need other like-minded people who are also going through the same thing at the same time. This was a godsend to me and after my first the group of ladies I became friends with were an incredible support to me and will always be friends I will carry close to my heart. We spent most days together during maternity leave, drinking coffee, going to the park and to playgroups and occasionally drinking far too many cocktails in our favourite little bar in West Didsbury (without the babies of course).  With my second baby I joined NCT classes and met another amazing group of ladies. We have a Whatsapp group and in the early days would chat in the middle of the night when we were up feeding. Just knowing someone else was up at the same time put a smile on my face and was really comforting. Talking to each other about the daily struggles you are facing can make you feel so much better.
 
Get out!
Sitting at home all day is great on some days but going for a walk, or braving a baby group on your own is great for both you and your baby and a great way of meeting other mums. It’s not always easy when you have other children and therefore other responsibilities but sitting at home getting stressed about all the things you need to do isn’t going to do you any good so getting out will help you forget about many of those worries.
 
Take a nap
Catching up on lost sleep is a necessity. Sleep deprivation is a form of torture and a quick 30 minute nap ill make all the difference if you can.
 
Accept help
Accepting help from others can be hard at times, especially if you are a proud person, but noone finds motherhood a walk in the park, no matter what it looks like from the outside. So if a family member or friend offers help then take it. You will feel better for it.
 
Talking
Talk to someone. A problem shared is a problem halved, or so they say. It may not always solve the problem, but talking to someone about how you are feeling can instantaneously lift your mood. Sometimes just getting everything off your chest can make you feel less alone in your own mind. Being honest with other mothers is so much more beneficial than pretending to be on top of everything all of the time and you will be more respected for you honesty. As much as we all want to be super-mum all of the time, 99% of the time it isn’t possible, so be kind to yourself and look after yourself. A happy mum will mean a happy home and family.xxx

However if none of the above help then it is really important to seek other support sooner rather than later. As well as talking to your midwife or GP there are other organisations that can help, such as PANDAS, Mind and APNI (Association for Postnatal Illness) or have a look on the NHS website for more information. 
 

Things are getting really busy here at NC Hopes Photography. I was worried after nearly a year off after having my daughter that it would take time to build things back up, but it’s happened a lot quicker than I anticipated! I’ve been beavering away and it’s paying off!  I plan to write a blog in the next few weeks about how to best prepare for a Newborn Photography Session and I hope to give you come insight on how Newborn and Baby Photography sessions run.
Below are some beautiful images of baby Lucy during her newborn session. Lucy came in to the studio in January and was super awake during her session…although you can’t tell from these images! I met her lovely mummy, daddy and big sister Lily in 2016 when they booked in for a Family Photography Session which we did at Bramhall Park, Stockport. Mummy, Tine is also a photographer so it was lovely that coming from her background she chose to have her photos done with us. She clearly has good taste and an artistic eye…haha!

*MARCH AND APRIL AVAILABILITY*
I now have limited availability for newborn sessions during March and April and May is booking up quick so if you would like an appointment please contact me as soon possible.
If your baby is already here then don’t panic I can still do newborns up until 10 weeks. The earlier the sessions are done the better obviously, the optimal time being up to 3 weeks. Don’t worry though, I can still get some beautiful images past this stage though.

People are also already booking in for Spring and Summer Lifestyle and Family Photography sessions so if this is more your style then these always make great photos. There are so many great locations in the local area such as Bramhall Park, Macclesfield Forest, The Carrs in Wilmslow and Lyme Park. It may be that you and your family have a particular place that is special to you so please get in touch to discuss further!
 
You can use the ‘Book Now’ button above or contact me at nchopesphotography@outlook.com to book. Alternatively, you can also message me via Facebook.
Nikki x

.A little share of this beautiful newborn baby boy’s session here in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport. As a newborn photographer I have always asked parents in advance about colour choices for their sessions but more recently I have been sending out pre-shoot questionnaires. This gives parents the opportunity to ask questions as well as plan for their sessions in advance.  Often if parents don’t know the sex of their baby yet they will specify on the questionnaire what colours they would like to use in the event of a boy/girl. The questionnaire also helps them to plan for the use of certain props and whether or not they want family or sibling photographs as well. Often people choose colours that they know will complement the nursery they are decorating or the colour scheme of their home. 

This particular session was creams, whites and navy blues. I was telling Mum how much I loved the whites and creams against his skin during William’s newborn session but when she mentioned how lovely navy blue was on him….I was stunned by the results. For a newborn baby William had the most beautiful complexion with lots of dark hair….perfection! 

If you are looking to book a baby portrait photography session here in the Cheadle Hulme, Bramhall area then please don’t hesitate to contact Nikki either via email at nchopesphotography@outlook.com or via our Contact Form. I have families booked in from all over the Stockport and Cheshire areas including Poynton, Cheadle, Wilmslow, Hazel Grove and The Heatons to name a few. If always recommend booking your session in after your 20 week scan to ensure I have availability around your due date.  

A little share of this beautiful newborn baby boy’s session here in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport. As a newborn photographer I have always asked parents in advance about colour choices for their sessions but more recently I have been sending out pre-shoot questionnaires. This gives parents the opportunity to ask questions as well as plan for their sessions in advance.  Often if parents don’t know the sex of their baby yet they will specify on the questionnaire what colours they would like to use in the event of a boy/girl. The questionnaire also helps them to plan for the use of certain props and whether or not they want family or sibling photographs as well. Often people choose colours that they know will complement the nursery they are decorating or the colour scheme of their home. 

This particular session was creams, whites and navy blues. I was telling Mum how much I loved the whites and creams against his skin during William’s newborn session but when she mentioned how lovely navy blue was on him I was stunned by the results. For a newborn baby William had such an amazing complexionmatched with lots of dark hair….perfection! 

If you are looking to book a baby portrait photography session here in the Cheadle Hulme, Bramhall area then please don’t hesitate to contact Nikki either via email at nchopesphotography@outlook.com or via our Contact Form. I have families booked in from all over the Stockport and Cheshire areas including Poynton, Cheadle, Wilmslow, Hazel Grove and The Heatons to name a few. If always recommend booking your session in after your 20 week scan to ensure I have availability around your due date.