THAT'S (ST)ACE!
Inside Stacey Solomon’s summer holidays with her 5 kids – from free tricks to keep them entertained to £49 caravan trips
Scroll down for Stacey's advice on how to make travelling with kids easier
THE school holidays are now in full swing and no doubt you'll be wondering how to keep the little ones entertained for six long weeks.
Stacey Solomon has shared simple tricks to ward off cries of 'I'm bored!'.
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When the supermum isn't teaching her kids how to make homemade play sand, or having fun with her girls at bathtime, the mum-of-five often spends her summers on family holidays.
Here, we take a look at how the Loose Women panellist's summer adventures - from £49 caravan trips to luxurious £3k a week trips abroad.
Cheap and cheerful
She might have stacks of money in the bank, but down-to-earth Stacey, who is mum to Zachary, 15, Leighton, ten, Rex, four, Rose, two, and one-year-old Belle, recently enjoyed a cheap and cheerful family holiday at a caravan park.
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The ITV favourite took her brood for a fun-filled stay at Haven Kent Coast Holiday Park with husband Joe Swash, 42, - where guests can stay for just £49 a night.
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But Stacey was quick to respond to fans that questioned her decision to visit the caravan park, writing on her Instagram: “There must be some kind of stigma around holiday parks because so many of you messaged saying you couldn’t believe that’s where we’d chosen to go!"
Stacey documented her stay and revealed the Solomon/Swash clan had a brilliant time, so much so the kids "cried their eyes out" when it was time to head home - prompting them to book in for another night.
They hunkered down in a gold tier caravan, forking out £435 for the three nights - but you can stay there for much less.
The perks of the accommodation upgrade included more space for the kids inside, as well as huge wrap-around decking.
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They also enjoyed access to the resort's swimming pools, arcade and entertainment venues as well as restaurants and take-outs.
The X Factor alumni stripped to a green swimming costume and pulled her blonde locks back with a claw-clip as she enjoyed a dip with her brood, playing with a host of inflatable toys.
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Sprawling £3k a week hotel
Although Stacey isn’t phased by budget-friendly trips, she’s isn't afraid to splash the cash if it means quality time with her family.
Last summer, Stacey forked out on a luxury 10-day holiday in Turkey for her family.
Stacey and husband Joe chose to stay at the huge Regnum Carya – an epic resort that boasts 15 bars, a private beach (which has sand imported from Egypt) and swim up rooms.
At the time, the Sort Your Life Out star told fans the place had something for all the family.
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The stunning hotel will set you back at least £3,000 a week, and for that you get access to the hotel’s very own water park, 12 places to eat, a golf course and a spa.
Sharing pictures from the holiday, Stacey told her fans: “So grateful to be spending some time making memories with my people."
And giving a glimpse of her down-to-earth manner she added: “P.S we are literally off to the buffet, the kids disco, and then possibly bingo if me and Joe can stay awake, but I thought I’d dress up just because we’re on holiday.”
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But Stacey was cruelly shamed by trolls who labelled her luxury trips abroad “sickening" accusing her of taking “too many holidays”.
Whilst Stacey shared a snap looking happier than ever on social media – some fans didn’t share in her pleasure.
One person wrote: “Oh God Stacey, what exactly is the number of holidays that you have had this year?! It’s all getting rather sickening now.”
Another said: “ANOTHER holiday?!” while a third penned: “How relatable a 47k holiday.”
Someone else added: “Sorry Stacey but an average family could not afford this hotel you are very lucky to be able to afford this.”
Abu Dhabi beach paradise
Not only did Stacey take her youngsters to Turkey, but last year, she shared some sweet memories from her family holiday to Abu Dhabi, comparing the destination to paradise.
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Posting online, she penned: "So many of you suggested coming here and I am so grateful you did - it's like paradise.
"White sand, warm bright blue seas and here's a little crab just side stepping along the beach whilst I was watching the kids in the sea.
"Rose found a starfish and her face says it all, he was the cutest little star fish.
"They just make my whole heart happy. It is honestly the most beautiful place.
"There's also so many amazing places for the kids in Abu Dhabi that we've tried to book what we think they'll love the most so I'll share those places as we go along.
"But for now I can't even explain how grateful I am just to be here spending time with all of the pickles.
"We don't deserve this anymore than anyone else so we feel so lucky to be able to get away.”
Stacey’s travel tips
If you’re lucky enough to be jetting abroad with your kids this summer, Stacey shared the advice she swears by when travelling with young children.
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She revealed the four items you must take with you, including kids' favourite snacks.
She suggested packing window stickers in your hand luggage, as they kept her son Rex occupied for a good 40 minutes.
And she swore by an Etch-a-Sketch - to avoid losing pens.
When it comes to settling babies to sleep mid flight Stacey had a genius idea: “I bought a ‘plane seat extender’ from Amazon which attaches to the chair in front making it like a bed!”
She hailed the cheap buy as an “absolute game changer”, as she added: “Rose didn’t have a seat but they both fit on there to sleep.”
Stacey’s staycation hacks
But if you can’t afford to get away this summer and will be entertaining the kids at home, Stacey has some simple, unmissable hacks - and one even makes bathtime fun.
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On a recent “girly day" with her two youngest daughters Rose two, and Belle, one, to keep the tots entertained, Stacey decided to let them have a go at "bath painting".
The Loose Women star took four bowls, and squirted some whipped cream in them.
She then used four different colours of food colouring to make the cream into "edible paint pots".
She said that what her kids love most in the world is having a bath, so to make it fun, she got some paintbrushes and let the girls use the edible paint to make pictures on the side of the bath.
Tips for keeping organised during the summer holidays
IF you aren't sure how to keep organised during the summer holidays, then you've come to the right place.
Senior Fabulous Writer, Sarah Bull, has shared her top tips...
FOOD: One thing I find difficult is keeping on top of my kids' constant requests for snacks.
Despite the fact they have one break time at school and then lunch, their demands for food during school holidays seem to be 24/7.
To make things easier, I've decided to bring in snack baskets for them.
They each have a certain amount of food (the same so that there's no arguments) and once it's gone, it's gone.
Not only does it make my life easier, it teaches them that they have to spread things out - and to maybe see if the 'hunger signals' are actually ones of hunger or thirst.
ACTIVITIES: It can be hard to keep your kids entertained - and six weeks can feel like an awfully long time.
One thing to take advantage of is having an outside space. If you have a garden, you can put bikes or scooters in there, or even a trampoline.
It keeps them entertained and also makes sure they're doing some kind of physical activity every day.
If you don't have the space for a climbing frame or added activities, why not give the kids a bucket of chalk and get them to draw on the paving slabs?
Or another one I did was to give the kids a 'magic solution' I needed painted on the wall (it was just water and washing up liquid) to protect it. They spent a good hour doing that!
CLOTHES: One thing I've used from when my daughter, now six, started school is to use clothing drawers for her and my son, who's 10.
On a Sunday, I put all of their clothes, underwear, socks etc in the corresponding drawer for the week.
Usually it's uniform, but I still use the drawers during the holiday too.
It just makes things easier, more organised and less stressful - for all of us.
The TV host added that the mess is super easy to clean up, as you can just use the shower head to wash it off after you've finished.
Thrilled with the simple trick, she beamed: "It was like a proper day out.”
Not only this, but the savvy presenter, who is known for her DIY abilities, revealed her 'easy' way to keep children entertained for hours using just two ingredients.
In a clip uploaded to Instagram, Stacey shared how she makes homemade play sand with the help of her three youngest kids, Rex, Rose and Belle.
Following a previous incident whereby she accidentally ordered too much sand for Rex's sandpit, Stacey decided to take matters into her own hands and make 'sand' using some plain flour and coconut oil.
In the tutorial, the adoring mum shared a video of herself, Rex, Rose and Belle mixing the flour and coconut oil and playing with it in their hands as if it were the real deal.
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"Making our own sand with flour and coconut is better than ordering sand and ending up with a tonne of it like I did a few years ago," Stacey wrote."
It's unlikely that boredom will set in this summer down at Pickle Cottage if Stace is in charge.
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