DK Workbooks With Carol Vorderman Review

With 6 weeks of Summer holidays came a much welcome break from school however along with this came the worry that my kids would perhaps become a bit rusty with the skills they'd learnt that year. especially Gracie with it being her first year. So when I was offered the chance to review the new DK Workbooks with Carol Vorderman, I was more than happy to accept.

There are 4 books in the series which are as follows :

- 10 Minutes A Day Spelling Fun (ages 5-7) (DK, £5.99) 

- 10 Minutes A Day Vocabulary (ages 7-11) (DK, £5.99) 

- Made Easy Spelling Punctuation and Grammar (ages 5-7) (DK, £3.99)

- 10 Minutes A Day Maths (ages 5-7) (DK, £5.99)

We not only received three out of the four books, we were also surprised with pencils, rubber and notebook too. 

Read With Me #35

Hello and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. So the kids go back to school on Thursday so this week will be our last library trip for a while.

The girls managed to complete their reading challenge last week, this earnt them all a shiny medal.

They've really loved joining in, I think it has been especially good for my 5 year old as it has kept her skills up from what she learnt in her first year so hopefully going back to school this week won't be too difficult for her.

Did any of your children manage to finish the the reading challenge??

I've been doing a bit of reading myself and one book that I've been really looking forward to was Fallen Crest University from Tijan. This is the final book in a series of books, I actually re read the other books before reading this to refresh my mind.

Silent Sunday

Project 365 2015 Week 35

We're nearing the end of the Summer holidays and the sun actually managed to shine for a couple of hours but the rain has meant lots of indoor photos for this weeks project 365 which I do apologise for.

Day 235

A week of rain began, I love watching how well my kids can play by themselves, their imaginations are incredible.

What To Do With Myself Now The Kids Are Getting Older?

Next week the girls go back to school and Layla will start doing more hours at playschool now that she receives 15 free hours each week. This is a huge help to us not having to pay for playschool right now as the husbands wages have gone down yet the bills have predictably gone up. It was also a huge reminder of just how fast my children are growing up!

Frozen Banana and Peanut Butter Sandwiches

I love bananas and I love peanut butter so what could be better than combining the two to make the perfect snack. I love putting both ingredients together in sandwiches or on slices of toast but in the Summer months I rarely fancy either so an alternative for my favourite foods was needed, introducing the frozen banana and peanut butter sandwich.

Bratz Are Back

Bratz are back. Cloe, Yasmin, Jade and Sasha, along with their newest bestie Raya have been relaunched with not only a new look but a new ethos too. Appealing to the latest generation of young girls, this exciting new line includes five different collections of dolls and playsets which includes :

Bratz Hello My Name Is

Bratz #SelfieSnaps

Bratz Fierce Fitness

Bratz Study Abroad

Bratz #SnowKissed

Hippy Dinners Book Review

I finally got around to joining Britmums book club, hooray. This months chosen book was Hippy Dinners by Abbie Ross, her memories from a rural childhood….

In 1972 Abbie ross's cosmopolitan parents move the family rom Lodon to rural North Wales, exchanging a town house in Islington for a remote farmhouse on a hill. Abbie's Liverpudlian grandparents - dedicated followers of Liberace, sleek in scented mohair and patent leather - are sure tey've lost their minds.  For Abbie, though, the only cloud on the horizon is the nearby hippy commune and its inhabitants. There are worrying signs that this is the sort of 'better life' that her parents have in mind.

Ben and Holly Thistle Castle Review

We were recently sent the wonderful Ben and Holly Thistle Castle playset to review as well as a set of figurines to help make the place come alive. This magical castle has plenty of hidden features to help keep your little ones entertained for hours.

Things I Didn't Know About Fruit and Vegetables

Last weeks Ben and Holly Little Explorers theme was all about fruit and vegetables and I have to say I was rather surprised at some of the facts.

Did you know there are over 1000 types of apples? There was me just picking between red or green apples.

Apparenty lemons contain more sugar than strawberries. So tell me why do they taste so sour?

Eating a lot of onions can make you sleepy. Perhaps this is what I need to be eating in the evening to help me get to sleep.

How Our Bodies Can Lie

It is no secret that a photo can easily be changed to makes us look better, photoshop can do an amazing job on just about anyone, a little white lie without words. All these images that we notice, those fit and lean bodies, the flawless faces that we want so much ourselves aren't always what they appear to me.

I was talking about body image over on my You Tube channel the other week and just how companies can make us feel about ourselves. The lack of diversity from the models they use in campaigns. This in turn has made many of us, including myself extremely insecure about our own bodies and we feel the need to lie about ourselves in a strange way of making us feel better. Our bodies can lie just as much as the pictures we see them in.

Below I took a series of photos which I'm showing side by side to show just how quick and easy it is to change the appearance of my body. I suppose in an attempt to show that there is no need to be jealous of how others portray themselves as what you see may not necessarily be reality.

Simply sucking my tummy in and tightening my ab muscles gives me the appearance of added definition and of course more light shining onto your body can have the same affect.

Read With Me #34

Hello and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. I know I say it often but thank you firstly to everyone who is linking up.

There have been a few new faces of late and I'm so pleased that you are managing to find my link up and hopefully being inspired to read more books.

This week the girls will be completing their reading challenges. They are down to one more book to read before we head to the library at the end of this week.

I am looking forward to reading a new book tomorrow. I've been not so patiently waiting for the final installment in Tijan's Fallen Crest collection and tomorrow will see it wing its way onto my kindle (hooray for one click).

The Cardboard Box Book Review and Giveaway

You can't beat a cardboard box, doesn't matter how many expensive presents you buy, your kids will always gravitate towards the packaging that you intend to throw away. So what goes well with a cardboard box? The Cardboard Box book of course.

Make a plane, an oven, a car or even your own city inside this imaginative craft book where a cardboard box is not just a box.

Silent Sunday

Project 365 2015 Week 34

Another mixed bag of a week for project 365, is it Summer or is it Autumn, the weather was so undecided and this made for an interesting week of finding things to do with the girls.

Day 228

Daddy got a new toy and was teaching the girls how to use it.

What The Summer Holidays Does to Our Sleeping Pattern

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say the routine goes to pot when the kids are off school. We are far too busy enjoying the freedom of Summer holidays to be worrying about when to eat, what time to go to bed etc. I mean the late nights mean lots of lay ins, I've really been enjoying the peace and quiet each morning when I get time by myself as the kids carry on snoring longer than usual.

But this change in our sleeping pattern paves the way for some resistance when it's time to get back into routine ready for the children returning to school. Can't say I blame them because I'm not looking forward to the pile of clothes that awaits me, you know the ones that need labelling.

We Girls Need a Good Pamper

Sometimes we girls need a good pamper, a bit of time to relax and unwind. Unfortuantely I can't afford a nice spa day (if you're reading this husband of mine start saving!) so I've made the best of it and had a pamper day at home with my girls. Think nail painting, movie watching, face masks and baking.

Ok we didn't have the white robes and comfy slippers so we opted for our best pjs and this where it all began. Our relaxing day started off with face masks and the obligatory cucumbers on our eyes, you can see from the images below just how stunning we looked.

Barbecue Weather

I adore this time of year. Summer generally means good weather and that of course gives us perfect opportunity to eat alfresco. Eating outside is a real bonus as it means less to clear up inside the house too. And of course the sunshine is perfect barbecue weather, I mean who doesn't love eating a good burger?!

I'm not sure if anyone else is the same but whenever we throw a barbecue, even if it is just for us, we end up catering for the masses but this doesn't need to be expensive. I've mentioned before about finding many food items a lot cheaper at aldi and barbecue essentials are no exception.

Burgers, sausages, chicken, pork, you name it and Aldi have got it and all at amazing prices. The last barbecue we had, I managed to buy way too much for food for less than £30.

One of my favourite buys was their kebabs, the girls favoured the beef ones whilst I had a soft spot for the minted lamb ones and priced at £1.49 for a pack of four they come highly recommended!!

Dork Diaries Once Upon a Dork Book Review

I don't think it is any secret now that my eldest is a hige fan of the Dork Diaries books, she was actually featured in one of their You Tube videos, her claim to fame. We've reviewed other Dork Diaries books in the past  including Tv Star and the latest one we are reviewing is Once Upon a Dork….

Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the dorkiest princess of them all?

Cinderella? Sleeping Beauty? Nikki Maxwell?

After a bump on the head, Nikki has a wild dream in which she, her BFFs Chloe and Zoey, her crush Brandon, and mean girl Mackenzie are all part of  well known fairy tales… with a very special dorky twist!

Will Nikki find her happily ever after, or will it be an epic fairy fail for this dorkella?

Geeks and princesses all in one book, this sounded right up my eldests street, read her review below to see just what she thought :

Flashsticks Review

I've never been the best when it comes to foreign languages. When in secondary I was taught Latin, French and German but I only retained the most basic of words like hello and goodbye. To Be honest I never thought I'd really need to use it in day to day life. However my father in law happened to marry a German woman, now she can speak perfect English but her parents can't so when I was offered the opportunity to review Flashsticks I thought it couldn't have been better timed.

Madame Tussaud's Apprentice Book Review

Now I have to admit when it comes to reading, historical fiction isn't high on my list of favourites however when I was offered the chance to review Madame Tussaud's Apprentice by Kathleen Benner Duble, the blurb had me intrigued….

Celie Rousseau is a talented young artist who, along with her partner Algernon, resorts to petty thieving on the streets of Paris to survive. It is 1789: rumours of rebellion against the monarchy are starting to spread in the capital, and the two of them get involved in the idealistic revilutionary fervour. But when she is caught stealing from the brother of the King himself, Celie is saved only thanks to her drawing skills and the intercession of Marie Tussaud, the famous waxworks artist and favourite at the French court, who decides to employ her.

Suddenly Celiefinds herself whisked away from the tumult of Paris to the safety and opulence of Versailles. This raises a difficult moral dilemma for the young lady who had until recently dreamt of overthrowing the very people who now treat her with kindness: should she compromise her ideals and risk losing Algernon - whom she loves - or should she stay true to the cause of the poor and the revolution?

Everyday Essentials From Chemist Direct

I worked with Chemist Direct what seems like a long time ago, last time I was talking about the bargains I'd found and how fast delivery is. So two years on, how have things changed?

Well delivery certainly hasn't, I ordered on the Tuesday and had received my order by Thursday lunch time. And with the tracking that I was provided with I wasn't left wondering when it might turn up.

Making a Difference to My Workouts With #PredNutrition

It is no secret that exercising can make a huge difference to your healthy and wellbeing. Over the past few months I have been trying out different workouts to not only help me lose weight but to just keep me fit in general but as I've learnt over the past few months what you do pre and post workout can affect how your body changes and recovers.

I was recently sent a hamper of goodies from Predator Nutrition to help me in my continued journey to tone up my body. This included two products. A preworkout drink and snack bars.

The School of Art Book Review

Learn how to make great art with 40 simple lessons… The School of Art which is written by Teal Triggs an illustrated by Daniel Frost is a fun book where you are given the chance to make learn just how to make inspiring art of your own.

I've always liked art, I took it as a GCSE when at secondary school and my kids seem to be following suit, never without pencil and paper in front of them. I've lost count of the amount of boxes full of creations I have accumulated from them all over the years!

Read With Me #33

Hello and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. The kids and I are really enjoying having the time to read at our leisure.

Not having to read a book by a certain time or take a test on it certainly makes a difference to it's enjoyment for my kids.

They've been storming ahead with their Summer Reading Challenge and have completed 4 out of the 6, I'm pretty sure they will have finished the challenge by Friday!!

My eldest has put her sisters to shame though, as well as reading the books for the reading challenge she has also been reading one to review on my blog as well as one she received as a prize.

Not sure how she does it as I can only read one book at a time or I get confused!

Silent Sunday

Project 365 2015 Week 33

Third week of the Summer holidays and the bickering has started. If the kids pair off they seem to be ok, but put three or all four together then it appears I am asking for trouble. It doesn't help that the sun has disappeared this week meaning we've been stuck indoors for a lot of the time. And I have to admit project 365 wasn't at the front of my mind so the photos aren't the best…

Day 221

All out for dinner for nannie's birthday.

Parks, Books and Getting Creative

I can't believe we are already half way through the Summer holidays, it has literally flown by so far and luckily we have been blessed with good weather for the majority of it. We have filled our days with so many activities and I wanted to share with you some of what we've been up to, perhaps give you some ideas of free things to do including park trips, reading lots of books and getting creative on those rainy days.


One of the things we've been doing a lot of is going to the park. This doesn't cost a penny and we're are very lucky to have quite a few parks local to us so we can go to a different one each time. Our favourite has to be Connaught park as it is only 5 minutes up the road from us and there is plenty of space to wonder around as well as an enclosed park to play in.

Green Tea Protein Smoothie Recipe

I was recently sent some organic matcha green tea powder from Kiss Me Organics and I knew exactly what I was going to use it in first.. Matcha powder is known to boost energy and burn calories. This amazing ingredient can be used in lattes, baking and my favourite, smoothies. I love smoothies and I love green tea so what could be better than combining the two.

Below you will find my recipe for my favourite protein packed green tea smoothie.

Great Birthday Gifts from Toxicfox

Birthdays, there is always so many of them, each month another family member to buy for. August is the mother in laws turn. Something I've mentioned frequently is that I love buying personalised birthday gifts, I find them to be more meaningful and this is definitely something you can find at Toxicfox.

From funny, unusual to the downright funny, there is something to suit everyone. The kids nan loves photos, her walls and tables are covered in canvases and framed photos so when I was asked to choose something from their site I opted for the Typography Of Love, specifically My Family Photo with Matt Frame.

Food and Drink Round Up, The Healthy Edition

You must have noticed by now that I've been changing my lifestyle this year. Ok I'm not perfect I still love to eat chocolate and cake but a lot of what the food and drink I allow myself now is very different to what was being consumed last year.

I was recently sent a few different foods and drinks to try and now I'm ready to share with you what I thought.

Natur Boutique Diet Tea

Ok so we've seen quite a few teas on the market recently aiming to help you lose weight but many I feel are overpriced and don't give you a lot of benefits for what you pay. This diet tea with garcinia cambogia (brindal berry) from Natur Boutique is a great alternative to those of use on a budget. At just £2.99 for 20 teabags, not only is it affordable but it tastes good too.

                                 

My Health and Fitness Routine Right Now

Routine is something that has always worked with my kids and I think the same can me said to me. If I'm a bit strict and do things at certain times etc each day then I tend to stick to it. It's taken me til this point in the year to sort out what really works for me and my body so I thought I'd share my typical healthy and fitness routine with you all.

Freedom's Child Book Review

I was recently sent the book Freedom's child by Jax Miller from Mumsnet to read and review. I originally applied because the blurb had me more than intrigued.

There's a lot people don't know about Freedom Oliver. They know she works at the local bar. They know she likes a drink or two.

What they don't know is that Freedom is not her real name. That she has spent the last eighteen years living under Witness Protection, after being arrested for her husband's murder. They don't know that she put her children up for adoption, a decision that haunts her everyday.

The Freedom's daughter goes missing, and everything changes. Determined to find her, Freedom slips her handlers and heads to Kentucky where her kids were raised.

No longer protected by the government, she is tracked by her husband's sadistic family, who are thirsty for revenge. But as she gets closer to the truth, Freedom faces an even more dangerous threat.

She just doesn't know it yet…

Read With Me #32

Hello. Welcome to this weeks Read With Me. So we've reached the third week of our Summer holidays and the girls have managed to read 3 out of their 6 books for the Summer Reading challenge.

It has made a nice change having all of the kids with me to pick out their books instead of me trying to decide what they might like.

We were so busy last week that I forgot to make a  library haul video but I can tell you that there was a great mix of scary, history, well known characters (Hello Kitty) and short but sweet books.

I've been busy reading too, I've started reading the City of Bones series, so far so good!!

My favourite post linked up came from Story Snug. A brilliant piece showing us how to create a Summer reading tree. This activity would be perfect for any rainy days over the holidays.

Silent Sunday

Project 365 2015 Week 32

A second week of the Summer holidays is almost over and it has flown by too quickly for my liking, just like this years project 365 seems to be. Trips to the park, dinners out, library visits and eye tests, ther hasn't been a day where we've sat down and done nothing but this is exactly how I want the holidays to be.

Day 214

Another day another party, trying to get a photo of the girls all dressed up.

At The Car Wash

With the Summer holidays here I think most of you will be in agreement that we want to spend as much time outdoors as possible but of course sometimes the cost of going out can be too much and the free alternatives can become boring when done too often like going to the park or geocaching perhaps.

So how do you get the kids outside?

Well one way we found was getting the girls to help daddy clean the car. This is good in more ways than one.

Win a Wickey Sandpit!

My bad luck turns into good luck for one of you lovely readers. I was recently given the chance to review a fantastic sandpit from Wickey. Unfortunately for me, I just don't have room in my garden for it.

This fantastic company stocks all outdoor toys from climbing frames, swings and playhouses to the fab sandpits that I was offered.

The particular sandpit I had to decline is a great size at 125cm x 110cm and comes complete with a hinged lid that allows it to be closed when not in use but turns into comfy benches to sit on when flipped open.

Healthy Lunches Needn't Be Boring

There can be a misconception sometimes when it comes to being healthy and in more ways than one. Some people see healthy food as boring, tasteless even. Others think the foods that are generally seen as better for you are too expensive. I think the same can be said of junk food. Now if you've been reading my blog this year then you will have seen that I've been trying to get fitter and be healthier and this includes changing what I eat. Simplyhealth recently wrote an article to talking about promoting healthy lunches in the work place, to make the public see that they needn't be hard to incorperate into a hectic lifestyle. So I wanted to share with you my favourite lunch right now.

Getting Scruffs in The Great Outdoors

Last year my husband was given the chance to try out some of Scruffs workwear, he found it to be comfy and hard wearing but sis you know the scruffs clothing can be great just for general wear too??

With the Summer holidays here, Scruffs sent my husband a couple of items from their range to trial and see how it faired not only when he was at work but when he was at play too. A great excuse to get outside in the great outdoors.

The Good Girl Book Review

I was recently sent a copy of The Good Girl by Fiona Neill as part of Mumsnet's book club. The Daily Mail said, "Touching, shocking. A thought provoking cautionary coming of age tale". This immediately had me intrigued.

The Field family have just moved from their London home to the wild Norfolk coast. 

Nine year old Ben's the first to realize that the reasons for the relocation don't quite add up; that the narrative of their family life is constantly being rewritten.

But why? Just what is everyone hiding? 
What is the cataclysmic secret that his mother. Ailsa harbours from her past? 

Who is her devoted husband, Harry, receiving anonymous text messages from? 

Special K Gets Colourful

My girls and I have always loved cereals and porridges. I love putting granola over yoghurt and mixing porridge with yummy fruit and nuts and to be honest I don't eat them just at breakfast either. Special K have recently launched a new range of porridges, cereals and snack bars as part of their 'Live in Colour' campaign in an aim to encourage people to live a life which is filled with variety and choices and what better way to start this than with the most important meal of the day.

I was kindly sent some of their new range to try and I was disappointed. Each box packed a punch in their own way …

Ben and Holly Live

Part of being Ben and Holly ambassadors means that we were given the chance to go and watch Ben and Holly Live, our chosen venue The Marlow Theatre in Canterbury, Kent.

I think I was more excited than the girls but in the end we all had a brilliant day out. Nannie came along with us and the day started with a train ride which is always fun, especially when Nannie buys snacks for everyone. Layla was fascinated watching everything go by out of the window.

We're Going On A Flower Hunt

If you haven't seen by now, I am lucky enough to be an ambassador for Ben and Holly and this Summer they have set up the Little Explorer challenges for everyone to get involved in, each week with a new theme. Last week was all about flowers. So whilst the sun was shining on Friday we decided to go on a flower hunt at our local park.

Calm, Colour, Create Magazine Giveaway

I am a huge fan of colouring. I showed you my ever growing collection of colouring books over on youtube the other week and I recently got to review a lovely set of adult colouring books. And now I'm really excited because I get to share with you all a brand new colouring magazine specifically for adults, introducing Calm, Colour, Create.

Read With Me #31

Hello and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. One week of the Summer holidays down and we finally decided that Fridays will be our library day.

And whilst the kids have been busy reading their library books, I've been busy making my way through the ever growing pile of books on my kindle.

I'm a sucker for buying all the free books but I forget that I've one clicked and end up not being able to choose which book to read first.

A book which wasn't free but I absolitely loved was The Strongest Steel by Scarlett Cole. You can see my short review over on Good Reads.

My favourite link up from last week came from Mummys Monkey.

A lovely post talking about hosting a baby book club, a great way to get kids excited about books from an early age.

Silent Sunday