Heading down the M5 to spend our Easter break at the Haven Holiday Village, Burnham-on-Sea would normally be a cause for celebration. On this occasion I had a sense of trepidation; could I enjoy my holiday without alcohol?
Yet
again I appear to be giving you all the impression that I am some half-soaked
mother who is permanently attached to a bottle of gin. I assure you this is not the case - I prefer
vodka!
Holidays
go hand in hand with relaxing by the pool (okay so maybe not the ‘outdoor’ pool in the
UK), watching a good turn at the club house and enjoying a meal out at a local
restaurant. Staying on a site with
everything you could possibly need on your doorstep means you can leave the car
and let your hair down - or enjoy a latte in the coffee lounge if you are off the demon drink!
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| Cheers! |
So
my mission for week 15 - surrounded by clinking glasses and merry holidaymakers
– was to work my way through the soft drink menu; lemonade, diet coke and a hideous
slushy which left my tongue blue!
Normally, when the kids go swimming and hit the water slides, I park myself in the bar overlooking the pool with a good book and a large glass of vino (me time is a rare luxury). Glancing around at the frosted beer glasses I chose to take a walk around the nature reserve and stop off for a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. Note to self - don't tell my Weight Watchers leader just how many hot chocolates I had.
Is
it possible to enjoy a holiday without alcohol?
Well, yes it is and it happened to be much easier than I thought.
If
you have an alcohol free month coming up on your own resolution list then my 3 top
tips may help you plan:-
- Offer to drive to local attractions so you stop the temptation for a lunchtime drink.
-
Check
out the drinks menu for non-alcoholic alternatives, many holiday centres offer
great mock-tails.
-
Treat
yourself to a new top, manicure or iTune download if you manage one week alcohol free.
If you don’t think you fancy going cold turkey on holiday then follow this top tip I found on Facebook from Baileys GB – To pace yourself on a night out, alternate alcoholic drinks with soft ones.
You can find lots of top tips at http://calculator.drinkiq.com
Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Village holds many happy memories for us as a family. Aside from the lovely food, proximity to the beach and the variety of attractions it is also the place I won a dance competition several years ago. I'm sure you are now picturing me in a beautiful ballgown gown or high heels and a saucy salsa number - sorry to disappoint, this particular dance contest was for the Cha Cha Slide! One balmy summer evening I was adopted by a Welsh family who believed they were saving me from my sad, singleton evening as I nursed a bottle of wine while my children danced and played with new found friends, it all went downhill from there!
As it happens my kids were very proud of their mum as I beat the other contestants on stage and won - yep, a bottle of wine!
Would I be able to replicate this stardom without the dutch courage of a glass or two of Rioja?
It suddenly occurred to me, as I stood under the spot light in the centre of the brightly coloured Big Top at Paulos Circus yesterday afternoon, that it has nothing to do with alcohol, I just have one of those faces that means every entertainment rep or 'clown' finds it incredibly easy to drag me up on stage, make me do stupid things and send me on my way.
Following on from my unexpected five minutes of fame with Paulos Circus I have decided to dedicate next weeks post to The Big Top!
I'm looking for Circus related mock-tails so get your non-alcoholic thinking caps on and let me know what you can come up with.
I also have a special Circus related treat for my readers, courtesy of Author, Julia Douglas....see you next week.
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