• baby products - Family Life - parenting

    Everything you need with Smyths 2018 Baby Catalogue

    March 17, 2018 - By 

    If you’re a parent then you’re probably familiar with Smyths. It’s a huge toy store and we regularly visit our local one as they have a great selection of toys. Whereas me and my husband are happy to shop online it’s no surprise that my children love to visit an actual toy shop. Nothing beats the excitement of walking down an aisle stuffed with the latest toys and choosing a toy to buy. Everything you need with Smyths 2018 Baby Catalogue I find Smyths toys a great experience. They’re big, with wide aisles and it’s easy to find everything. I’m excited…

  • 7 travel essentials for car journeys with kids
    Family Life - parenting

    7 travel essentials for car journeys with kids

    February 4, 2018 - By 

    We’ve enjoyed a few long car journeys over the summer holidays. As my children have got older they need different things to keep them busy. Gone are the days of a dummy and a cuddly toy. Now my 6 and 7 year olds demand iPads and endless snacks. We’ve always said they can only have screen time in moderation so we balance the use of iPads with other things. With half term in sight I thought it was a good time to pull together my 7 travel essentials for car journeys with kids. 7 travel essentials for car journeys with kids…

  • 5 Creative Date Night Ideas for Busy Parents
    Family Life - parenting

    6 Creative Date Night Ideas for Busy Parents

    January 31, 2018 - By 

    With Valentine’s Day now just 2 weeks away my thoughts have been turning to how to mark the occasion. I’m not a huge fan of overly commercialised days. Instead my husband and I try to make time for each other through the month, rather than go all out on one day each year. We’re huge Netflix fans round here. Lack of a baby sitter means we often watch a film when the children have gone to bed. Sometimes it’s good to plan something which doesn’t revolve around a screen though, so I thought I’d share 5 creative date night ideas…

  • parenting

    Writing letters to Father Christmas {2017 edition!}

    December 7, 2017 - By 

    Every year my mum organises for the children to receive the NSPCC Letters from Father Christmas. These are sweet personalised letters, and the money goes to a great charity. This year she was super organised and the letters arrived before we had written ours! So yesterday I sat the children down to write their letters to Father Christmas. Writing letters to Father Christmas I would love to tell you I was super organised but I’m not. I had to do a quick search on Pinterest to find a suitable free printable. I really wanted one which included “something I want,…

  • DisneyStore magic
    Christmas - parenting

    Giving #GiftMagic this Christmas with the Disney Store

    December 5, 2017 - By 

    My children are so excited for Christmas. I feel a huge amount of responsibility to make it truly magical for them, without making them into spoilt children along the way. I thought this year might be the year that my son discovered that Father Christmas wasn’t real. Thankfully he is still a 100% believer and has been so excited to come downstairs every day, open his Advent calendars and see where our naughty Elf has moved to. Of course Christmas can be magical whether you believe in Father Christmas or not. Christmas is my most favourite time of the year,…

  • Win a copy of The Emoji Movie DVD
    competition - film review - parenting

    Win a copy of The Emoji Movie DVD

    December 3, 2017 - By 

    On November 27th Sony Pictures Animation’s The Emoji Movie was released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Little Sis and I watched The Emoji Movie in the summer and we absolutely loved it (see what we thought of it here), so we couldn’t wait until we could watch it again at home. The animated comedy unlocks the never-before-seen secret world inside your smartphone. Hidden within the messaging app is Textopolis, a bustling city where all your favourite emojis live, hoping to be selected by the phone’s user. In this world, each emoji has only…

  • Sharing classic children's books - The Little Prince
    parenting

    Sharing classic children’s books – The Little Prince

    December 1, 2017 - By 

    I write a lot about books because I am passionate about reading and encouraging my children to read. I took a little video of my 5 year old yesterday. We were reading her school book and I was blown away with how much progress she has made so far in Year 1. Both my children love to read and I’m excited about all the books I’ve been buying them for Christmas. The Folio Society recently got in touch about some of the latest titles they have published. The Folio Society are a London based publishing company, renowned in the literary…

  • Mongoose Stance Scooter
    parenting

    Mongoose Stance Scooter review

    December 1, 2017 - By 

    My children have had scooters since they could toddle. Although they both have bikes they prefer to scoot everywhere. Just like a bike grows with your child, so does a scooter, and they have both had a few different models over the last few years. They both started with the Mini Micro 3-in-1 Scooter with a seat and Scoot ‘n’ Pull so we could give them a little helping hand. The seat and straps soon went and they enjoyed the Mini Micro Scooter for years, scooting to and from nursery, and then school. These scooters were brilliant and we were…

  • The Marvellous Moon Map
    competition - parenting

    Win a copy of The Marvellous Moon Map

    November 30, 2017 - By 

    I’m so excited for the 1st December. Not only do the kids get to discover which Advent calendars the cheeky Elf on the Shelf brings, but we also get to see our Book Advent. The kids love our Christmas traditions, and books play a big part at Christmas. One new book we have added to our festive reads is the lovely The Marvellous Moon Map by Teresa Heapy, illustrated by David Litchfield, published by Penguin Random House Children’s. The Marvellous Moon Map “I’ve got you, and you’ve got me – so we’ll be all right”. One day, adventurous Mouse sets off to find…