Out and About: Jess and Rachael are Wildlife Park Keepers for the Day

A few weeks ago, we sent our trusty employees Jess and Rachael to Hertfordshire to become wildlife park keepers for the day. They took some incredible pictures and Jess told us all about what happened…

“The day had a glamorous start when we met the first keeper who helped us get stuck in by shovelling peacock and zebra poo – which was hard work but very funny! Next we went to feed the lemurs who were so cute and crawled all over Rachael and I, we didn’t expect them to be so friendly. We also had a short talk on monkeys and got to see a sloth and an armadillo.

Next we travelled to the woodland area of the wildlife park, where we fed beautiful exotic birds which sat on our hands and even climbed on our heads! I was worried they might poo on us, but luckily we escaped unscathed. We then watched a brilliant bird of prey display – it was great to see the skill and speed of the birds close up.

 

Next up was feeding the meerkats, who were even cuter than I imagined – they sat on our laps and crawled around our feet. I wanted to bring one home! After lunch we got to feed a racoon and then we watched the red pandas getting fed. There were so many opportunities to take loads of great photos and every keeper we met was so friendly.

The afternoon was spent meeting farm animals, rats and even snakes. The day ended with a visit to the tiger enclosure. While the tiger was away we left a bag of meat inside the enclosure. Then we left and watched as the tiger was released and got stuck in to his dinner.

It was such a great day with loads to do – we both highly recommend it!”

Do you fancy being a wildlife keeper for the day?

 

Things to Do on Father’s Day

With Father’s Day a mere two days away, we’re sure you’ve managed to grab a novelty card and secure a memorable gift – but what will you do with dad to celebrate the big day?

Here are a few suggestions that might offer a little inspiration for things to do on Father’s Day…

Enjoy a Family Meal

A family Father’s Day feast!

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Going out to one of dad’s favourite restaurants or preparing a home cooked feast is sure to go down well – and it’s a great way to get the family together.

Go on a Brewery Tour

Ideal for beer loving dads

For beer loving dads, a brewery tour is the perfect activity. In addition to sampling the brews and seeing how the final product is made, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy some all important bonding time.

Throw a Party

Father’s Day party time!

Everyone loves a party and this is a great way to host a combined Father’s Day celebration. All you need is a house (and weather permitting, a garden!), some food, drinks, music and guests, and you’ll have a truly memorable day.

Head Outdoors

A scenic walk may just do the trick!

Should it be a fine (or at least dry) day this Father’s Day, heading out for a leisurely stroll might be the answer. From coastal hikes to leisurely river path stomps, there is a great selection of walking routes in every region of the UK. It’s an ideal chance to get some fresh air and you may even come across a pub or two on the way!

Whatever you decide to do, we hope you have a day to remember…

Happy Father’s Day!

Images: JessieHarrellTed BighamDave Litcherman and Jim Linwood via Flickr

Presents for Dad: A Little Father’s Day Animation

If you’ve got 30 seconds to spare, take a look at our latest Father’s Day animation.

It’s only short, but might provide a little bit of inspiration if you’re currently thinking about presents for dad (or if you just like aeroplanes).

You can watch more of our experience day animations and videos here.

What will you be saying this Father’s Day?

Gifts for Dad: Exciting Alternatives to Boring Father’s Day Presents

Everyone knows that dads are hard to buy for. By the time Father’s Day rolls around (it’s this Sunday 16th June!), it’s usually a mad panic to run out and buy some socks, aftershave or whatever manly looking gift you can get your hands on.

We are here to change all that with a few exciting gift ideas that are all a little bit different to the standard Father’s Day fare…

Instead of a DVD, why not get movie loving Dads a tour of some famous film scenes?

A DVD is a fail safe present for any film loving dad and although it’s a great present, a tour of London’s famous movie locations lets him get even closer to the action. As well as seeing the sights and monuments from loads of excellent movies, he can also have a brilliant day out in our beautiful capital city.

Instead of getting Dad yet another tie, why not get him a wet shave for a little bit of pampering?

We’re pretty confident that most dads have a surplus of ties in all imaginable patterns, not to mention a mountain of novelty socks. So why not surprise your dad with a little bit of masculine pampering with a wet shave? He’ll feel like a brand new man.

Instead of your standard box or bar of chocolate, let you Dad get creative with a chocolate making experience

If your dad has a sweet tooth, instead of getting him a bog standard bar of chocolate, let him release his creative juices with a chocolate making experience. However, we can’t guarantee he’ll share the spoils!

Instead of giving your Dad a DIY present, let him kick back and relax with a beer tasting.

DIY related presents are one of the most popular gifts for dads according to our Father’s Day infographic and while we’re sure they love getting a new toy for their tool box, we have a sneaking suspicion that he might appreciate a break and a beer tasting even more.

What are you getting dad this year?

Images courtesy of Christine and David Schmitt, Kevin Hutchinson, The Doctr, matthew kehoe, Siona Karen, elisabet. s, homespot hq and Felix via Flickr.

Father’s Day Gifts: How Does the UK Celebrate Dad’s Big Day? [Infographic]

How important is Father’s Day to you?

If you’re a dad, no doubt the answer will be fairly straightforward – but what about the rest of us? With surveys suggesting that Brits spend an average of 50% less on Father’s Day in comparison to Mother’s Day, we wanted to dig a little deeper and find out where our money’s going (or not), and whether dads in the UK are getting less than they deserve.

Take a look at the infographic below to see how the numbers add up, and find out how the UK celebrates Father’s Day.

FATHER’S DAY in the UK

The UK spends about50% LESS on Father’s Day than Mother’s Day
How much…?
Dad £771.4m

Mum £1.5bn
AND…
an estimated
1 out of 5 dads
get no card at all
Americans spend more than Brits
dad
mum
£14.45
£77.02
£27.37
£99.94
average spend

Do we all celebrate Father’s Day?

NO 22%
YES 78%

What do we spend our money on?

71% gifts
5% cards
21% meals out
3% leisure & days out
TOTAL SPEND = £771.4m

Do dads deserve more?

48-hour working week
is the LONGEST in the EU
Working dads spend nearly HALF as much time with their children than working mums
57% of working dads said they want to spend MORE time with their children and work LESS
BUT
40% did NOT take their
2 weeks’ paternity leave

Current uk dad stats

5.9m men live with dependent children
227,000 are
stay-at-home dads
180,000 are single dads

Best celeb dad?

73% say
David Beckham
Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2288831/Mothers-Day-2013-Children-spend-twice-gifts-mum-Fathers-Day.html#ixzz2TqIXGsko

http://about.datamonitor.com/media/archives/4315

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/news/cost-of-mothers-day-revealed

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fathers-day-facts-and-trivia-398817

http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=1381

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/dads-fear-the-social-stigma-of-staying-at-home-8439821.html

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/fathers-choose-not-to-take-paternity-leave

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8408503/Working-mothers-spend-81-minutes-a-day-looking-after-their-children.html

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-demography/families-and-households/2012/index.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/9822271/Rise-in-stay-at-home-fathers-fuelled-by-growing-numbers-of-female-breadwinners.html

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-demography/families-and-households/2012/stb-families-households.html#tab-Lone-parents

http://www.askamum.co.uk/News/Search-Results/Current-news/Best-celebrity-dads-No-1-David-Beckham/

Embed this infographic:

Father’s Day: Our Favourite Dad Blogs

No doubt you’ll already know what Sunday is (hint: it’s Father’s Day), so all this week we’ll be showing a bit of love to the dads – and we’re starting online.

So whether you want to get the male point of view on parenting, or just fancy a quick read on your lunch break, we’ve picked some brilliant dad blogs from across the internet to get you started.

Expect humourous insights, useful tips, toddler tantrums, teenage angst, good writing and a dash of fatherly wisdom…

It’s A Dad’s Life - http://www.itsadadslife.co.uk/blog/

David lives in Scotland with his wife and two year old daughter Olivia (with another on the way in September). We like his refreshingly honest take on day-to-day life and those little memorable moments.

Belfast Dad - http://belfastdad.com/

Documenting not only the trials and tribulations of fatherhood, watching CBeebies and a love of music, this blog also offers first-hand advice on travelling with babies and, most importantly, where to find the TV remote when there’s a toddler in the house.

Cabbage Dan - http://cabbagedan.com/

Yorkshire man Dan doesn’t actually like cabbages, but he does take a very nice photo. As well as being handy with a DSLR camera, Dan writes about life with his wife, three kids, a flock of chickens and, well, the occasional board game. There’s the odd heartfelt letter in there, too.

Reluctant Housedad’s Recipe Shed - http://reluctanthousedad.com

We like a good foodie feast here at Red Letter Days, so dad-of-three Keith’s move into food blogging is right up our street. As well as reviews and recipes, you’ll find kid friendly meals and, if you dig back through the archives, the insightful musings of a man who had to reluctantly embrace life as a house-dad.

Dad Down Under - http://daddownunder.wordpress.com/

Another dad with a foodie streak, Matt Ross – husband to Mrs Under and father to The Boy – moved from the UK to Melbourne in 2008. As well as the handy parenting tips, recipe suggestions and amusing anecdotes, we love the honest and funny look at life as a young stay-at-home dad.

Best Dad I Can Be - http://bestdadicanbe.com/

Life with teenagers could never be described as dull, as Mark Richard knows. He’s been documenting the life of his family both in print and online for the last ten years, and if you’ve got teenagers in the house, his stories about piles of washing, driving lessons and snarky remarks will probably be familiar.

Shouty Dad - http://www.shoutydad.com/

While day-to-day life can be boring, Shouty Dad manages to turn everyday details into a string of funny, revealing and oh-so-true posts covering everything from book reviews to saying sorry. Parents will no doubt be able to relate – right down to the tagline: “it must be time for a glass of wine”.

Whiskey for Aftershave http://whiskeyforaftershave.com/

“JallieDaddy” writes about life as a slightly older stay at home dad and the often moving, inspirational moments that his three year old twins, Jack and Ellie, treat him to every day. You can find out more about his unusual blogging name, too…

Have you got any favourite dad blogs? Let us know!

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