Normally at this time of year, heading into the last week of July, kids are relishing the first days of not having to get up for school and parents are trying to work out what to do with their offspring for the next 6 weeks. For everyone else, the school summer holidays mean little more than a nicer morning commute and an excessive amount of little humans underfoot in the High Street, at the beach or just about anywhere. Except this year.

What has made this year so different isn't the Jubilee or a Brit reaching the finals of Wimbledon for the first time in three-quarters of a century. It's not even the upcoming Olympics or the fact that 8000 regular people got the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a torch bearer. No, what's so different about the start of this year's school summer holidays is the fact that, after weeks of dismal weather and some of the wettest summer months on record,  it finally looks like summer is actually here. For how long I don't know but, like the rest of the country, I have every intention of enjoying the weather while I can.
However, I don't know about anyone else but the fine weather certainly seems to make me a bit less cautious with money than I normally am. Maybe it's the need to rush out and buy clothes that are more fitting to the warmer - and dryer - conditions. Or perhaps it's because, as I dust off the BBQ and head off to Tesco to stock up on meat and salad, I feel compelled to stop off at Homebase and check out their selection of patio furniture, outdoor dining and citronella candles.

Or maybe it's just the rush of feel-good endorphins from the increased production of Vitamin D that we're all getting now that the sun has decided to shine down on us for a while.

Whatever the cause, I think we Brits deserve to enjoy the summer now that it's finally arrived and we deserve to enjoy it totally guilt-free. As a parent, that's going to start with some fun days out with the kids and saving money on each and every one.

Groupon - at this time of year, Groupon starts offering some incredibly discounted days out and mini-breaks so it's worth keeping an eye on the deals that change every day.

Ticketmaster - over the summer, apart from the usual festivals, you can find some great deals at Ticketmaster on all sorts of events from concerts to kids productions.

Virgin Experience Days - Virgin is offering a 15% discount on hundreds of experience days until the end of July. I know that only gives you a week to decide but, with the way summer's gone so far, I'd suggest you don't wait!

Activity Superstore - Likewise, Activity Superstore is offering a 10% discount on all their days out. It might be less of a discount than Virgin but it lasts all the way throughout August, by which time we'll be looking at back to school anyway.

Of course, there are many more vouchers and discounts on offer from an industry that has suffered along with the rest of us thanks to the bad weather but, whatever your plans are for the upcoming few weeks, please do get out and breathe the sunshine.