The Great Outdoors with TK Maxx

Spring, is that you?! With all the crazily cold weather we’ve been having recently, I’ve been craving a bit (A LOT) of sunshine in our lives. I’m ready to go exploring again and so are the kids. Spring is such a great time of year where everything feels like a fresh start. A time to get outside again. A time to jump in puddles and go on adventures. A time to shake off the thick winter coats and swap them for waterproofs and wellies, because let’s be honest the weather might be better than it was in the depths of winter, but it is still pretty unpredictable!

We have teamed up with TK Maxx to get ready for our outdoor adventures this spring. TK Maxx is Europe’s leading off-price apparel and homeware retailer, selling a huge assortment of big names and designers, top brands, up-and-coming labels and one-off gems at up to 60% less than the RRP and at a significant discount to the price in a department store or on the high street. TK Maxx are stocking even more kidswear this season to help parents who need to refresh their kids’ wardrobes for spring, with clothes that can withstand the elements. That’s me!

I headed to our local TK Maxx to hunt out some bargains. There was so much to choose from – from layering pieces, to outerwear, to footwear, to accessories and toys we were spoilt for choice. I couldn’t get over some of the prices, especially the shoes!

After having a good look around (and a quick pit stop in the toy and homeware section as well!) we settled on these choices.

Jacket £16.99.
Jeans £7.99 (RRP £16.00).
Cardigan £9.99.
Trainers £9.99 (RRP £20.00).
Bag £6.99 (RRP 10.00).

I LOVE the colour of the little jacket – a really lovely, bright spring colour. The jeans are super stretchy and fit well. The cardi is probably my favourite pick of the bunch because it’s unique and isn’t like anything I’ve seen in any other shops recently. The trainers are a classic style that will go with lots of different outfits and the Velcro makes them super practical. And last but not least, the bag was great value and it was Little I’s absolute favourite out of the items we bought!

It’s great being able to compare the RRP to the TK Maxx prices. The prices meant the items we chose were great value for money. You’re getting good quality for affordable prices, which means you don’t have to worry too much about them growing out of things too quickly as well.

It was fun having Little I there with me to help choose (and L along for the ride). She can be quite highly opinionated about what she wears sometimes but we were on the same page today, thank goodness!

Now that we were all set for a spring adventure we decided to head to our fancy new play park to put our new threads to the test. Little I made sure they got tested to the highest degree by climbing, jumping, sprinting, hopping, sliding, splashing and we can confirm we made some good choices! The jacket held up against the slight drizzle, the cardi kept her nice and cosy, the jeans were comfy enough for her to run around causing mayhem and the shoes were perfect for climbing.

I think these lovely TK Maxx clothes will see her through lots more outdoor adventures this Spring. With that in mind, we thought we’d share some more of our favourite places to go outside and explore (all free or low cost apart from maybe the zoo!):

• Marwell Zoo – we’ve been to this zoo a couple times and always see something new. Lots of animals to spot.
• Forest of Bere – This forest is lots of fun because it has lovely walks, wooden play parks, den building and a sand pit.
• Alver Valley Country Park – a new state of the art play park that has lots of slides, swings, bridges, climbing frames etc to run riot on.
• Canoe Lake – pedalos are so much fun, even more so when they are swans. There is a cute café and play park here as well.
• Local Splash park – there are lots of these around where we live and they are so much fun. Basically a play park with lots of water and things like fountains and slides to keep little ones entertained.
• West Wittering Beach – a gorgeous little sand beach that has beautiful views, cute huts and is a lovely place to spend a day paddling in the sunshine with a picnic.
• Finkley Down Farm – there is SO much to do here. We love the horse rides and the sheep racing.
• RHS gardens, Wisley – you could go here again and again and still find new areas to see. We particularly love the tropical greenhouse.
• Duthie Park, Aberdeen – fun outdoor play areas, botanical gardens lovely café and a band stand to explore!
• Hazelhead Park, Aberdeen – same as the above really with some memorial gardens as well.

We were really impressed with the offering at TK Maxx, both on the clothing and toy side. There were all sorts of different brands and options to choose from clothing wise, from birth to age 10, and lots of different big brand choices for items such as scooters, puzzles, cuddly toys and fancy dress etc, in the toy section. I’ll have to head back to pick up some bits for Little I’s birthday. The only thing is I’ll have to be quick because great products don’t hang around. They’ll be snapped up by someone else before I know it!

Check out the ranges in store and online here and let me know what you think. They’ve got free click and collect over the Easter weekend for any additions you might need for the long weekend!

*This post is in collaboration with TK Maxx but we chose all products ourselves and all content in 100% our own and honest!