3D Maker Review

When it comes to toys my kids have fun with a variety of things, they love playing with dolls, dressing up etc but they also enjoy getting creative with drawing, making things with play-doh so when I was offered the chance to review the 3D Maker from Mookie Toys it was something I was quite excited for the kids to try.

This clever invention allows your child/ren to make some fantastic creations and the best thing about it is that it is suitable for kids all ages as there is no glue required and the 3D maker itself uses no heat so is safe for little ones to be around.

Lost My Name Personalised Alphabet Poster Review

My youngest daughter started school in September and she is now beginning to learn the letters of the alphabet as well as the sounds that they make which are known as phonics. There are 26 letters in the alphabet so this means there are also 26 sounds to learn too, that's a lot of information for a small child to take on board. Now as a parent I like to do everything I can to make learning both fun and as easy as possible and this is where the personalised alphabet posters from Lost My Name can really help.

Having already reviewed their lovely Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home book (which I keep telling everyone about) I was expecting good things from this product. Prices start from £12.99 with free shipping and the poster is primarily aimed at kids aged 0-8 but of course can be beneficial to children who are older too. It may seem like something simple to some but any tool that can help your child's learning journey can't be a bad thing.

November Book of the Month - The Sun is Also a Star

I'm a sucker for a good romance and having heard great things about author Nicola Yoon and her first book Everything Everything, I was a tad excited when I received a surprise delivery of her latest book The Sun is Also a Star. Going by the blurb alone I knew this wasn't going to be your typical love story and this was something I was very much looking forward to reading.

Natasha : I'm a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I'm definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won't be my story.

Daniel : I've always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents' high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store - for both of us.

The universe : Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before is. Which one will come true?

Read With Me 2016 #48

Hello everyone and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. Are you ready for the count down to Christmas, will you be doing a book advent this year? I've decided not to do a book advent this year but we will get a few Christmas books throughout the month of December.

Last weeks reading recommendations for you. I read the both dark and sexy Blood to Dust by L. J Shen and Some Sort of Happy by Melanie Harlow which looks into how people go about dealing with OCD when in a relationship.

My Sunday Photo 2016 #48

My kids don't like posing for photos when I ask but this is what happens when the kids get hold of your phone. Can anyone say selfie lol. 

My November Favourites

December is nearly here, are you ready for the Christmas countdown. Well before all of the festive excitement why not take a looking at my list of favourites for November. As always there is a nice mix of food and drink amongst other items for you to have a nosey at.

Popworks Popcorn

Popcorn is one of my favourite snacks at is a low calories alternative to the crisps I always find myself munching on and these are my new favourites. My girls are a big fan of the apple pie flavour but as a peanut butter addict I could not resist these!

Writing Letters to Santa Thanks to Puffin Books and The Christmasaurus+ Giveaway

It's that time of year, it's safe to say the C word right? Christmas is coming and of course that means that your children will have long lists of the presents that they'd like Santa to bring. We like to follow tradition in this house by writing letters to Santa so that he knows just what gifts to bring on Christmas Eve. I remember writing on plain bits of paper with my brothers when we were younger but of course times have changed and you can now get many pre-designed letters but none so special as The Christmasaurus letters from Puffin Books.

These wonderfully designed letters are free to download from the Puffin Books website amongst other fantastic activities and we wasted no time in taking full advantage of their generous offer. Once downloaded you simply need to print it off. The letter has a gorgeous illustration from Tom Fletcher's latest book The Christmasaurus (very fitting for this time of year) and asks not only what would your child like from Santa but also what would others from the family like too. I love this as it gets kids thinking about others as well as themselves.

Kids Fashion Has Arrived at Boohoo

I have four girls and they are all very typical in the sense that they love clothes and shoes, their auntie always makes a point of buying then new outfits at Christmas and others always tell her that she's boring for doing so but my kids couldn't be more appreciative! So when I was asked if I'd like to review some of the new kids fashion that's just arrived at Boohoo I knew it was an opportunity that I couldn't turn down.

Twenty Four Days to Christmas Book Tour and Review

December is nearly upon us and that means it is almost time to start the real count down to Christmas. Many of you will have advent calendars ready to enjoy but I have a nice alternative count down for you in the shape of Fred Arthur's latest book, Twenty Four Days to Christmas.

Poppy is in agony - it is the First of December and she has twenty-four days to wait until Christmas and she is convinced that she will not be able to contain her excitement and impatience: How can she possibly wait so long for Santa to arrive? Poppy's parents put their heads together and come up with a cunning plan that has Poppy completing a different, Christmas themed activity every day, to keep Her busy until Christmas (and Santa) finally arrives. Twenty-Four Days to Christmas is an Advent Calendar of a book, which can be read one day at a time, or as a complete story, and centres on Christmas, family and the magic of the Christmas season.

Teaching Kids Coding With Primo Toys Cubetto Playset

Back in the day when I started school learning was focused on things like reading, writing and mathematics. Fast forward almost thirty years and times have most definitely changed with children as young as three years old being taught all about coding and computer programming. Many adults would think that this is something too difficult for younger children to grasp but a new playset from Primo Toys called Cubetto aims to show the ABC of this programming logic.

With so much focus on the online world in our modern day times, with schools opting to use iPads and laptops for a good portion of their learning it isn't surprising that many companies are now thinking about how they can give kids a head start with subjects such as this. We've already seen the introduction of more coding in the classrooms at secondary schools across the UK.

Read With Me 2016 #47

Hello and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. As we're edging closer to December I've been thinking about all of the books that I'd like for Christmas, my list is getting rather long. My mum thinks I'm boring for always wanting books as presents, do any of you ask for books as gifts?

Last week I read Not The One by Amy Daws and a cracking book by Sarah Pinborough called Behind Her Eyes, you'll definitely want to have this book on pre-order!

My Sunday Photo 2016 #47

I'm always surprised when I see flowers at this time of the year. The temperatures have dropped significantly and I know I don't like being out in the cold so it makes me wonder how all these plants manage to survive, especially ones as delicate looking as this.

Siblings (November)

Midway through November already which means it is more than time for this months Siblings post. The cold and the dark have really set in, leaves are falling off the trees and our time outside is definitely dwindling so this months catch up is our latest trip up the park during the half term a few weeks ago before the rain began. 

It was just about warm enough to get away with not wearing coats and it seemed so long since we'd managed to get some girlie time together that I think until we were up there we hadn't quite realised how much this sort of time together was needed.

Disney Moana Happy Book Tin review

Disney has a new film coming out this year and I for one am quite 3excited about it. Moana is all about an adventurous teenager who is on a mission to save her people. She has quite the journey ahead of her and of course meets some interesting characters along the way including Maui the once might demigod. Now a Disney film wouldn't be complete without some great merchandise to go along with it and the girls were lucky enough to be sent the Moana Happy Book Tin from the lovely people at Parragon to review ahead of the release of the film.

Now the girls weren't aware that they'd be receiving the tin and it was wrapped up wonderfully by the people at Parragon to make a lovely surprise to be opened. Layla was the first to notice the parcel waiting on the table so she did the honours, I asked her what might be inside before she started ripping off the paper and she did think it was a doll at first but was more than happy with the packages contents. You can see Layla opening up the delivery and the girls enjoying its contents in the video below.

Personalised Gifts to Keep Family Close Even When Far Away

With Christmas fast approaching it is not only a time to think about what gifts to buy but to think about family, especially those of whom perhaps don't live near enough to see on a regular basis. I personally have grandparents that I don't get to see as often as I'd like and I think personalised gifts are a great way to give them a sense of having family nearby even if in reality they are further away than you'd like.

Read With Me 2016 #46

Hello everyone and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. Anyone noticed how cold it's getting lately? I've found myself snuggled under a blanket by the fire reading in the evenings, have to say it is my favourite time of year.

Last week I managed to read two books which were This is the Wonder by Tracey Ward, a lovely romance that was actually quite simple, no real dramas and this was rather refreshing. And the other book I read was Love the Way You Lie by Sky Warren, this again was a romance but with added mobsters!

My Sunday Photo 2016 #46

Just a random photo this week. I happened to be looking up and the sight of the trees against the brooding skies caught my interest.

Books To Buy This Christmas

With Christmas creeping up rather rapidly I thought I would share with you some festive themed books, some I've got already and I highly recommend whilst others are on my wish list and I am secretly hoping that someone is reading this and would like to buy them for me.

A Christmas Carol Colouring Book

First up is one for the adults with this colouring classic book from Little Tiger, A Christmas Carol is the latest book to be added to this range and let me tell you it is gorgeous, the pictures tell the story well and there is so much detail that can be coloured in. I've been enjoying this whilst eating mince pies.

Gift Ideas For Him Christmas 2016

We've sorted the kids and we've sorted the ladies, now it's time for the men to be treated. Now I've always found the men in my life tricky to buy for but I've put my thinking cap on and here are just a few ideas on what to buy them for Christmas below.

Stocking Fillers 

For the bearded man in your life how about these fantastic beard oils from PowerHealth, with scents like lemon and black pepper & cyprus, they'll not only look good but smell great too.

Gift Ideas For Her Christmas 2016

Yesterday you might have seen my gift ideas for kids this Christmas, well today the focus is on the ladies. From the mums and mums to be, to friends or perhaps that special woman in your life, there is inspiration for all.

Stocking Fillers

Tights, ok nothing too exciting but I know I'm always in need of them and these light legs tights from Scholl combine fashion and health which to me is a winning combination.

Toothbrushes are a tradition for stockings in my house and I absolutely love these new WooBamboo toothbrushes and the floss to go with them. Eco friendly and theres a toothbrush for everyone in the family, including the pets!

Gift Ideas for Kids Christmas 2016

You can't stay in denial, Christmas is creeping around fast so over this week I will be sharing with you all some gift ideas, things I'll be getting for my kids. From stocking fillers to main presents, from toddler to teen I think I have a suggestion for everyone...

Stocking Fillers

For younger children how about these cute toothbrush holders from Dentek (£3.99) which are available from Boots.

For the little baker in the family how about a fantastic baking kit from BKD, these kits come complete with biscuit/cake mix, cookie cutter and all you need to decorate your creations. A great way to fuel their imaginations whilst having something yummy to eat at the end of it too.

Read With Me 2016 #45

Hi guys and welcome to this weeks Read With Me. A big thank you as always to those that linked up last week. I'm really missing reading of late but my time seems to have dwindled significantly. Can't believe that we've reached November already!

My Sunday Photo 2016 #45

It's funny what you can find when you're not even looking for anything. My eldest daughter happened to spot these on a tree when we were up the park the other day. Not quite sure why someone has put them on there but they certainly gained our interest.

An Open Letter To the People Who Like to Judge my Body

I think sometimes people forget that we are all human, that we all have feelings and that we can all get hurt by peoples comments, actions and judgements. For me what hurts the most is when others feel they have the right to say negative things about my body, to judge me on the way I look, I pass way too much judgement on myself that I don't have any need for anyone else input.

I've always had issues with my body and the way I look and I'm also aware that I'm certainly not alone, there are many girls, boys, men and women that struggle on a daily basis with the way they think they appear to others. There are definitely days where I don't want to look in the mirror for fear of what I'll see looking back at me. 

Hatchimals at Argos

My kids would love a pet, really my husband and I would really like one too but cost, time and space don't really allow for this to happen. I'm sure there are a lot of you are in the same position as us, but worry not because this Christmas you could be the owner of your very own Hatchimals. Available from Argos stores both on the highstreet and online, it is being hailed as one of the most exciting toys this year!

Jungle Jam Book Review

I'm always on the look out for new books, not only for myself but for my kids too. I like to support newer authors and perhaps just those I haven't previously heard of too, so when I was asked if I'd like to review a children's book called Jungle Jam I could hardly resist.

How are you making that beautiful sound? What is this music you have found?

Mikey the Monkey dreams of being a famous singer. One day he decides to leave his home and sets out on a wild musical adventure to share his singing with the world.

Less Spills Means Less Mess With Ribena Minis

As a parent one of my pet hates is when my children spill their drinks, it isn't too bad when it is a cup full of water but when you add juice or fizzy drinks into the mix then there is the worry of stains on the carpet. And that's where Ribena are stepping in to save the day with their new less spill bottles for kids because of course less spills means less mess for us parents to clean up.