7 Things To Do This Month - May

May is not only the fifth month of the year but also gives us two bank holidays plus a week of school holidays too and it really starts to get warmer, lighter and we all start feeling better. So here are seven things to do with and without the family, to eat, make and also enjoy in May.

Where to go with the family?

There are lots of free activities in the region this month, but if you have the time to travel a little further afield then we can recommend Light Water Valley in North Yorkshire and New Lanark World Heritage Site in Scotland – very different experiences to each other but we had brilliant days out at both of those places recently.

Where to go without kids?

Time without the children is usually minimal, is hard to plan and often disrupted however if you do get the opportunity to have a lunch date without the kids have you thought of trying out Fat Hippo in Durham or Central Oven & Shaker in Newcastle - it might be typical fast-food but pizza or burger for lunch has never been so good.

What to win?

We have a great competition running on the blog at the moment to win a family weekend ticket – worth over £100 – for the Rugby League #MagicWeekend later this month, taking place at St James Park in Newcastle on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May. The giveaway is free to enter and closes on Friday 5 May – you’ve got to be in it to win it!

What to play with?

As many of our children plough through their Sats, GCSEs and A’Levels my boys had the chance to test out some online education quizzes recently to help studies and revision. Although quite a lot of fun for the whole family at the moment - I think online resources like this will become really useful for my boys in the future.

What to eat?

If you are looking for vegetarian dishes for yourself, friends, family or the lunch box then these are two that are work a try. A veggie alternative to a Sunday Roast and tasty snacks that are vegan, dairy-free and can also be gluten free too.

What to watch on catch-up?

There have been so many great TV series that have ended recently. Homeland, Broadchurch, Catastrophe, Line of Duty – all well worth watching catch-up if you missed them – just try and avoid the spoilers! But now tat these are finished, thankfully one of my favourites is also back on our screens to fill in a gap in my viewing schedule. First Dates – what is there not to like about restaurant that opens its doors to single people looking for love.

What music to stream?

Songs with May in the title. I could have picked ‘Come What May’ -  pretty apt for the current General Election, Rod Stewart’s ‘Maggie May’, or Michael Buble’s ‘End of May’. Or the nursery rhyme “Here we go gathering nuts in May,” but instead I’m going for My Girl by The Temptations. We’ve all sung along to the lyrics “It’s cold outside but I’ve got the month of May”. Let's hope the weather warms up soon!”

Many of our family were born in this month so we have a lot of celebrating to do. As well as the current UK Prime Minister being called May, apparently 9 UK prime ministers were actually born in May, which is more than any other month. Maybe one day one of us will be PM!

Hope May is a fun month for you all.

Deb x