Dotty Detective Book Review

I was recently sent a new book for the kids to read and review, Dotty Detective is the first book in the latest series from Clara Vulliamy.

Dot loves super-sour apple sherberts, running fast and puzzles! And with the help of TOP DOG, McClusky, she is always up for unravelling a mystery. So when someone seems set on sabotaging the school show, Dot is determined to find out how and save the day!

Doroty Constance Mae Louise or Dot as she'd prefer you to call her seems like your pretty typical young girl. Just moving into a new flat with her mum, dog and twin brother and sister and starting at a new school we get to see just how life is for her.

Caramel Hearts Book Review

Now I have two greats loves in my life, well after my kids and husband and they are books and cake so when I was asked if I'd like to review E. R. Murray's latest book Caramel Hearts it wasn't the toughest of decisions to make.

Live Bloom's life is even more complicated than that of your average fourteen year old: her father walked out on the family when she was young, her mother is in a recovery centre for alcoholics and her older sister is struggling to step into her mum's shoes. The only person she can turn to is her best friend Sarah, who gets out of scrapes at school and is a constant source of advice and companionship. One day Liv discovers a book of recipes written in her mum's handwriting, which sets her off on a journey towards self discovery and reconciliation - but a theft, a love rivalry and a school bully are just some of the obstacles on the way.

June Book of The Month - The Fire Child

I have to admit I was struggling to find a book to recommend to you all this month, that was until I received S. K. Tremayne's latest novel in the post. I was lucky enough to review her previous release, The Ice Twins which I found to a be a real page turner of a story so I was expecting good things from The Fire Child.

Read With Me 2016 #26

Hey you lovely lot, welcome to this weeks Read With Me. A big thank you as always to those of you who linked up last week, lovely to see both familiar and new faces appearing.

I'll admit I struggled with reading last week as the previous week I was struck down with a sickness bug and it lingered for a long time leaving me quite tired and for once I wasn't able to sit up late and read. So instead of sharing what I have read I thought I suggest stories I want to read.

My Sunday Photo 2016 #26

It still amazes me just how quickly my children can change, and it really does seem like it happens in the blink of an eye. This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago when I took the kids up the park. Gone are the days when they need help getting on slides and swings.

My June Favourites

That's it, we're pretty much half way through the year now and of course nearing the end of another month means that it is time for another round up of all my favourite products so lets see what June had to offer.

How to Get Kids to #EnjoyMoreWater

As a parent I think I've always worried whether my children were drinking enough. It started when they were babies, the thought in the back of my mind of whether they'd had the correct amount of milk. Then as they progressed to solids, they seemed to concentrate more on the food rather than the drink. I was always told that they'd ask for water if they became thirsty.

Super Soaker Tornado Scream Review

My girls love a good water fight during the hotter months, it's the perfect way to keep cool whilst having fun in the sun. We were recently offered the chance to review one of the latest Super Soaker guns, the Tornado Scream and the girls were more than happy to test it out.

Super Soaker as a brand has been around since 1989 and it's still going strong, I remember having one myself when I was younger and my girls already had a couple of their own before receiving this one.

A Colouring Classic Book Review

I am a huge fan of colouring, I've reviewed some other colouring books on my blog before and I'm forever adding new ones to my collection. Recently I was sent a couple of new books to try and of course enjoy, A Colouring Classic books manage to give two of the greatest love stories a new lease of life through the art of colouring.

Read With Me 2016 #25

Hello everyone. Welcome to this weeks Read With Me, I hope you are all well. Well I've only gone and done it, I've already reached my Goodreads target of 100 books, trouble is I still can't keep up, for every one book I read I seem to add another 5 to be to be read list. Have any of you set yourself reading targets on Goodreads this year, are you on track?

My Sunday Photo 2016 #25

This lovely little snail was probably a bit shocked when Layla and Gracie decided to make it their new pet in the garden this week.

They thought they'd make him a bed out of grass and then also try to feed the grass to him too. Although I'm not complaining to much because at least they weren't scared to go near the snail.

I Wouldn't Call It a Diet, I'd Call It Making a Choice About What Food You Eat

I think for those of you that read my blog, you'll know I haven't got the best relationship with food and I definitely have issues with my body. It's something that I'm constantly working on. For years I've seen people talking about being on various diets to lose weight and I'm guilty of saying it at times too but what I've come to realise is that really....

there is no such thing as a diet

It is simply someone making a choice about what food to eat and ultimately those choices are what can change us. I guess we really are what we eat.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses Book Review

I'm a sucker for a classic fairy tale and I really enjoy reading them with my children as my mum did with me when I was younger. I was recently asked to review The Twelve Dancing Princesses and what a gorgeous edition it is.

Every morning the king's twelve daughters need twelve new pairs of shoes. But why? The man who unravels this enchanted riddle will be the next king and have his choice of the princesses for his bride. After so many have failed, can a soldier from far away discover the princesses' secret before his time runs out?

This is a retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Retold by Jon Cech and illustrated by Lucy Corvino, it is lovely book to introduce to younger generations.

LOL A Keepsake Journal Book Review

Last year I reviewed the BFF Journal and it proved rather popular with my eldest daughter so when I was given the chance to review the LOL A Keepsake Journal I knew I would be in Elise's good books again.

If you were an undercover spy what would your nickname be? Would you wear a photograph of  your cat around your neck for a week? What would you do if you walked in on your favourite celebrity in the bathroom?

Find out by filling in this special journal and discovering your own unique brand of humour. This book is pratically overflowing with fill-in-the-blanks, questions and prompts about all kinds of funny things you've experienced as well as weird stuff you might experience.

What To Give The Husband for Father's Day?

My husband isn't the easiest man to buy for. He is one of these people that tends to buy what he wants for himself so when it comes to others getting him gifts there isn't an awful lot left to purchase. And even more tricky his birthday and father's day are within days of each other.

The kid's dad is also a man that doesn't like change so if you try to give him a present that i something different like an alternative after shave or a another brand of clothing, you can almost guarantee that even as he's saying thank you what he is actually thinking is what am I meant to do with this now.

Read With Me 2016 #24

*waves*, welcome to this weeks Read With Me lovely people. I hope you're all well, back into the swing of things with the kids back at school? I know I am.

Now what books can I recommend this week. I really enjoyed Sloth by Ella James, it is a romance of sorts but going by the blurb it was totally unexpected with what direction it went in, a good surprise. I also read The Substitute by Denise Grover Swank which I found quite light hearted, a nice easy read to break up some of the longer ones I've been reading of late.

My Sunday Photo 2016 #24

This photo was taken last Sunday when the sun finally decided to shine so we made the decision to walk down to the seafront. Now where the girls are sitting above used to be a fountain but for some unknown reason they seem to have decided to cover it up and the girls were fascinated by what has been put in it's place.

Siblings (June)

Can't believe it's time for this months Siblings project already, nearly half way through the year, time is just getting away from us. Once again I couldn't decide on just one photo, I think the ones below together tell a story so it was only right to keep them together.

Kids Make Sushi With Yutaka

I'm lucky that my kids have a good appetite, they are also willing to try all sorts of foods and are more than eager to help out in preparing our meals too. So when I was recently asked if we would like to be sent a Yutaka Sushi Sampler kit, I knew my children would want me to say yes.

There are lots of health benefits to eating sushi, the Nori (seaweed) is actually considered an ancient superfood, the Japanese diet is one of the reason why people think they have such a long lifespan so it is a good food type to at least sample.

I Am Not a Dinosaur Book Review

My youngest daughter is quite the fan of dinosaurs, it was the first thing that she wanted to see at the Natural History Museum, so when I was offered the chance to review I Am Not a Dinosaur I just knew that I had to say yes. 

A long long time ago, strange beasts roamed Earth, both high and low, from huge to tiny, sky to shore... but - each was not a dinosaur!

Baby Milestones So Small Yet So Big

Having had four children I've experienced all those "firsts" four times over and I suppose most people would think that with each child those milestones become maybe a little less exciting but I'm here to tell you that they don't. Each time one occurred it was a monumental thing, some may seem small to those looking in from the outside but they can be oh so big to those experiencing them.

Read With Me 2016 #23

Hello and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. A lot of you had a break last week due to the bank holiday and half term, I hope you managed to have a bit of fun with or without kids. I have to say my reading slowed down to next to none last week so this post is a bit lacking for recommendations I'm afraid.

My Sunday Photo 2016 #23

This was one of those moments when I literally just had to stop and smell the flowers. We were at Howlett's Zoo and these plants just caught my eye when we were walking around trying to discover more animals.

Going Ape With Simply Health

I think we all want to be fit and healthy but sometimes the thought of exercising can be a daunting one. So what if there was a way of getting a good workout in without you actually knowing that you were doing any sort of exercise at all?

Booking Holidays Abroad For Large Families, Why Must It Be So Difficult?

We've had a taste of sunshine and wasn't it nice. I bet there are many of you like myself now dreaming of holidays in the sun. Unfortunately for us we don't actually have one booked right now.

We were forced to cancel the one we originally had booked at the start of the year due to my husband being out of work for a few weeks (the contract came to an end) and we wisely chose to spend the money we'd saved on day to day living rather than the luxury of a holiday.

More Sleep For Better Learning?

Experts have been known to say that a lack of sleep can cause a lot of problems for children this can include poor academic performance. As a mum to four children I would tend to agree with this. My kids are less likely to want to get on with any school work if they are tired from perhaps simply a poor nights sleep or going to bed late. So does more sleep mean better learning?

My youngest daughter has always been my hardest child shall we say, she's certainly different from her siblings, including sleeping at night time. This one has always had a tendency to wake up in the night, a lot of the time ending up in bed with me and with her due to start school in September I can't help but worry how this will affect her learning. She'll be one of the youngest in her class with a late July birthday and she hasn't got the best concentration span as it is.

Rent a Bridesmaid Book Review

If you've read some of my previous book reviews then you will know that my eldest daughter is the biggest fan of Jacqueline Wilson so it came as no surprise when I agreed to review her latest book, Rent a Bridesmaid.

Tilly's got a whole wardrobe full of bridesmaid's dresses - a pale pink one, a blue one, even a red one with a soft white trim. The only problem is, they're all in her imagination. In real life, it's Tilly's best friend Matty who has the beautiful pink dress to wear at the perfect white wedding. Tilly can't help being a teeny tiny bit jealous - more than anything in the world, she would love to be a bridesmaid at her own mum and dad's wedding. But that isn't going to happen. In fact, Tilly's worried she's never going to be a bridesmaid. So she decides to take matters into her own hands - and offers her bridesmaid's services for hire...

Wicked Uncle Toy Review

Anyone who has kids knows that although they can sometimes be quite easy to buy for, they can also be pretty specific in what they want and those toys aren't always easy to find. That's where Wicked Uncle can help. Aimed at all the family, from of course the parents but aunties, uncles and even godparents too.

Philips PowerPro Duo Hoover Review + Cleaning Tips

As a parent I feel like I spend a good chunk of my time cleaning up the mess that my children like to make. But that isn't just the only reason I clean, there is also the fact that I don't want an array of germs etc being left around my home, I suppose I want my house to remain healthy so that my children do too.

Philips recently commissioned a report which showed just how little us Brits actually look after our homes despite our cleaning efforts. Here are just some of the findings :