• Imaginative play with BABY Born Wonderland toys
    parenting - toy review

    Imaginative play with BABY Born Wonderland

    November 10, 2017 - By 

    Last weekend we were invited to a lovely event with BABY born. My daughter has always loved her dolls. In fact she received her first BABY born doll for her First birthday! BABY born from Zapf Creation is the number two doll brand in the UK. Playing with a range of dolls and accessories encourages both nurturing and fantasy role-play and is proven to help develop social skills and values. The play themes grow along with a child so no limits are placed on their imagination. BABY born has a host of exciting new additions and themes, including additions to…

  • homestyle

    Child-friendly floors for a family home

    November 9, 2017 - By 

    Photo by Daniela Rey on Unsplash When you welcome new life into your home, it’s incredibly important to ensure that your home is properly prepared. The floor is where your children will spend a majority of their early years as they crawl and then learn to walk, so it’s vital you choose the right one. Our guide is going to take you through the best options for you, not just for your children but for your pockets as well. Child-friendly floors for a family home The first we’re going to look at is the most pricey option, but best looking, hardwood. Solid and…

  • Gift guide for Sylvanian Families fans
    Friends of Sylvanian Families - Gift guide - homestyle - toy review

    Gift guide for Sylvanian Families collectors

    November 9, 2017 - By 

    I don’t make many gift guides but I couldn’t resist creating one for Sylvanian Families. My daughter loves her Sylvanian Families collection and we’ve reviewed some wonderful toys which would make perfect gifts for Sylvanian Families fans this Christmas. Gift guide for Sylvanian Families collectors Cosy Cottage Starter Home The Cosy Cottage Starter Home is the ideal starter home for young collectors. It includes a house, chocolate rabbit girl and the furniture for beginners. Ballet Theatre Playset Hop, skip and pirouette along to the Ballet Theatre and admire a special performance from Freya Chocolate Bunny. Complete with a practice barre, chair and entry…

  • London's Mail Rail
    days out - Local Review - London - parenting

    A ride on London’s Mail Rail

    November 9, 2017 - By 

    We are a train-loving family so when we heard that London’s Mail Rail was finally open we were excited to book a family ticket to go for a ride under London. Have you heard about London’s Mail Rail? You can journey back in time on a specially made train through the original tunnels and station platforms under Mount Pleasant, Royal Mail’s sorting office. We’ve been waiting to go on this since we first heard about it! Ride Mail Rail When tickets were announced we immediately bought a family ticket to ride on the Mail Rail and visit the new Postal…

  • Star Wars Playset
    parenting - Star Wars crafts - toy review

    Aquabeads Star Wars Playset

    November 8, 2017 - By 

    My children are quite creative and love anything that gets them using their hands and brains. Aquabeads is the perfect creative toy for children. If you haven’t heard of them before, you use the different shaped and coloured beads to create pictures, which stick together with water. We were sent the Aquabeads Star Wars Playset to try out. Aquabeads Star Wars Playset Let the creative force be with you with the new Star Wars playset beads from Aquabeads. With this playset you can create all the favourite characters from George Lucas’ popular film series, including Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, R2-D2 and C-3PO.…

  • We Love Sylvanian Families magazine giveaway
    competition - Friends of Sylvanian Families - parenting

    Win a copy of We Love Sylvanian Families magazine

    November 8, 2017 - By 

    A few weeks ago I mentioned the brand new Sylvanian Families magazine. It’s a special one off edition and out now. It’s packed with 36 pages of Sylvanian Families content including puzzles, competitions, colouring in and stories. We Love Sylvanian Families magazine We were excited to finally track down this magazine in a huge WHSmiths. It’s a lovely magazine and includes two exclusive gifts – a five-piece stationery set and a branded keyring. My daughter made a little video to tell you all about it: It’s a lovely magazine and has certainly kept her occupied for hours. There’s a great…

  • DIY Remembrance Day painted stones
    crafts - Painted rocks - Pinty Plus Ambassador - Remembrance Day crafts

    Remembrance Day painted stones

    November 8, 2017 - By 

    Remembrance Day is a really important festival in the UK and around the world. It’s a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War, with the aim to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This Sunday we will be attending the annual Remembrance Day Memorial Service for Scouts, as both our children are Beaver Scouts. This will be our third year attending and it’s a beautiful service. We’ve tried a few crafts around the theme of Remembrance and this year we made a variety…

  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway cover
    competition - parenting

    Win a copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway by Jeff Kinney

    November 7, 2017 - By 

    Millions of children in the UK are readers because of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and fans will not be disappointed this autumn with the publication of the much anticipated Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway, the twelfth book in the series, which will publish simultaneously with twenty other publishers worldwide. My children were sent a special sleepover kit from Puffin Books, as well as a copy of the new book, so they could stay up and read it the night before it came out! 2017 also marks a milestone moment for the phenomenally successful series, with the 10th…

  • DIY Sylvanian Families snow globe tutorial
    Christmas - crafts - upcycling - vintage

    DIY Sylvanian Families snow globe

    November 7, 2017 - By 

    I spent a very happy morning Christmas shopping yesterday. I love having the time to do shopping early, it makes a huge difference if I can make lists and cross off everything as I do it. Getting my Christmas shopping done also means more crafting time which makes me extra happy! Recently I bought a huge bundle of vintage Sylvanian Families figures. My daughter loves Sylvanian Families and I thought it would be fun to craft with them. My daughter and I made our own snow globe and today we’re going to show you how we did it. Equipment to…