For a long time Little Sis has been obsessed with Peppa Pig. Thankfully she’s recently become interested in other toys and has been building up a little collection of Sylvanian Families, or ‘Families’ as she calls them. I remember them from my own childhood so I’m pleased to see they’re still going strong. Created in Japan in 1985, Sylvanian Families is made up of woodland creatures, dolls houses and furniture sets. The Bramble Hedgehog Family were recently introduced and Little Sis was sent a set to review. With their soft bark-brown spines, wide eyes, and button noses, the Bramble Hedgehog…
-
-
You know how much I love to sew. I’ve been making lots of doll quilts for my daughter as the size means I never get bored! I was recently sent an amazing fabric bundle of 6 Truly British Fat Quarters from The Bead and Button Company to craft with. The Truly British fabric selection contained 6 different fabrics, each measuring 45cm x 55cm and 100% cotton. The selection was really good and I decided to use five of the pieces to make a maverick star doll quilt from my favourite craft book Doll Quilts. It was surprisingly easy to put…
-
The Cat Who Came in off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt, translated from the original Dutch by David Colmer. It is a charming and funny tale about cats, friendship and learning to dare. Mr Tibble is a talented writer but is struggling as a reporter at his local newspaper. His editor is growing increasingly dissatisfied with his endless stories about cats! Then along comes Minou. She used to be a cat but after a freak turn of events is now a young woman – a young woman who likes to climb trees and roof tops, drinks milk from…
-
I can’t quite believe my son will soon complete a year at Nursery. We’ve already had a letter in his book bag about a presentation to the teachers for all their hard work with our children. This is the first year we’ve had to think about an end of term gift. Fortunately I found a pocket friendly box of chocolates from Guylian which must be the perfect way for children to thank their teachers for all their help this year. The 46g box of Sea Horses are a particularly great gift as they retail at £1 so could be bought…
-
As a mum of two pre-schoolers it’s fair to say we watch a lot of Peppa Pig. My children adore Peppa and Little Sis has all the Peppa Pig playsets, clothes, cutlery and story books she can get her hands on. Nick Jr. is one of their favourite channels and Little Sis gets quite upset when the adverts get in the way of watching her beloved episodes of Peppa! Luckily for her Nick Jr. is gearing up for a month of Peppa Pig celebrations. This July will mark 10 years since the nation’s favourite pig was first broadcast on Nick…
-
Do you know that it’s Child Safety Week this week? I’ve been working with Lindam – the UK’s number one safety brand – who have been raising awareness of child safety in the home via some research with Mumsnet to find out parents’ opinions on child safety. Although a large number of Brits would suggest they are confidently clued-up when it comes to safety knowledge, this new research suggests many remain on the lookout for more information to help understand the products and devices needed to adapt their homes effectively. The report shows only 37% of people are aware of…
-
I’m always keen to encourage my children’s learning so was delighted to be sent some Leapfrog products to try with them. Leapfrog sell a huge range of learning toys which range from tablets to gaming systems, reading and writing toys. Both my children already have a My Pal Violet and My Pal Scout and Big Brother has a Read with Me Scout too which he loves. They both love technology and are completely happy to have an iPhone or iPad to play with but I prefer them to play with age suitable toys. Big Brother was very happy to receive…
-
Regular readers will know that I love to craft and upcycle. So it’s probably no surprise that I adore Reloved magazine. It’s a brilliant magazine for people who want a little creativity in their lives and upcycling is a great way to make beautiful, practical things for a fraction of the cost of buying them in the shops. The latest issue of Reloved magazine is a Summer Special with 29 fun new craft projects. As usual there are Midweek Makes, Fashion Fixes, Home Refurbs, 3 Ways With… and a Furniture Revamp. There’s a great mix of projects for upcycling furniture,…
-
My 4 year old has developed a sudden obsession with Spiderman and other superheroes. I blame the Marvel Kinder Eggs he’s been collecting and the Lego set he bought recently. I was excited to hear about an exciting partnership inspired by Spider-Man, the Philips Marvel Spider-Man range which inspires little heroes’ creativity, projecting a world of light around them to make playtime more vivid. Come bedtime, Spider-Man helps kids feel safe and sound by comforting them with a touch of light throughout the night, when it’s needed most. Some of my favourite products are – the Wall light Spider-Man: give…