• minions gift guide
    Gift guide - parenting - playing - toy review

    Minions: a gift guide for kids

    December 12, 2016 - By 

    I know I said that I wasn’t really writing many gift guides this year but I couldn’t resist posting another one. My children are a little Minion crazy. There’s just something about those little yellow dudes and they have inspired playdough and bento in our house. Our favourite films featuring the Minions are the Despicable Me franchise. The films focus on Gru, a super-villain (who later becomes a dad and superhero); his yellow-coloured Minions; and his three orphan girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes. It began with the 2010 film, Despicable Me, and its 2013 sequel, Despicable Me 2. A prequel…

  • Disney Frozen Northern Lights
    parenting - playing - toy review

    Disney Frozen Northern Lights

    December 8, 2016 - By 

    I have some exciting news to share for little Frozen fans! Prepare yourselves, because the world of Arendelle will be returning with Frozen Northern Lights, when Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven will be embarking on an epic journey to restore the glimmer of the Northern Lights. Frozen Northern Lights This is an original story from Anna and Elsa’s kingdom which will include an all-new original series of animated LEGO shorts, and a companion collection of books. The shorts will be compiled as a special and will feature the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad. We were sent a…

  • A no nonsense breakfast with BEAR Alphabites
    Happy By Nature - parenting

    A no nonsense breakfast with BEAR Alphabites

    December 5, 2016 - By 

    Post in collaboration with BEAR Alphabites Regular readers of my blog will know we’re huge fans of BEAR products. They recently sent me a parcel of goodies and I was so excited! I opened up the box to find two boxes of BEAR Alphabites cereal, a gorgeous place mat, bowl and personalised spoon. With one child in Reception and another in Year 2 I know the importance of a good breakfast for the whole family. My children need a lot of energy to get through the school day so a healthy breakfast is a must. I have one child who is an…

  • our new entertainment centre
    Monday Happy List - parenting

    Monday Happy List – week 114

    November 28, 2016 - By 

    This time of year seems crazy busy, so it’s fitting that I barely sat down last week. Here are my 5 favourite things from the previous week – my Monday Happy List. We painted our cavernous living room cum dining room in white which has made it feel much more clean and modern. We also bought and built a huge media/entertainment unit which now houses our tv and has lots of hidden storage. We have a modern house so it suits the room perfectly. The living room feels instantly more grown up although I’m still getting used to not having…

  • personalised gifts from the Disney Store
    parenting - playing

    A magical Christmas tea party with a sprinkle of Disney magic

    November 23, 2016 - By 

    A little bit of Disney magic came to our home this week. The children were the lucky recipients of a parcel from the Disney Store, and in honour of our new visitors, we threw a Christmas Tea Party to celebrate. Our family has aways been under the magical spell of Disney and we all have our favourite characters. Us grown ups have been planning a surprise to Disneyland Paris next year so we were delighted to welcome some new friends into our home. I’m sure you know that you can buy plush versions of your favourite Disney characters, but did…

  • Brainboost Box activity box for kids
    parenting - subscription box

    Brainboost Box activity box for kids

    November 10, 2016 - By 

    Over the last few weeks the children have been reviewing a Brainboost Box, this is a monthly educational activity box for kids. Brainboost know successful children aren’t just good at Maths and English, they are also Emotionally Intelligent, Creative thinkers, and great Communicators. Brainboost Boxes develop these core skills and more with fun new activities each month delivered to your door, along with all the resources you need to play. Created by Dr Maryhan Baker, every box is full of hand picked activities, tailored to your child’s age and stage of development. The children love receiving mail so were delighted when the Postman…

  • cooking - eating - parenting

    Teaching Your Kids to Cook: Chinese Food

    November 3, 2016 - By 

    One of the best lessons my mum and grandmother ever taught me was how to cook.  Granted, my favourite dishes were not complicated (and not healthy to be honest) but learning to cook has not only been a skill I’ve used ever since, it also led me to develop an interest in cooking and food that has turned into something of a hobby. Plus, knowing how to cook has saved me a lot of money versus eating out, as well as given me a great deal of confidence when it comes to having friends over for dinner or a casual…

  • Hot Wheels Track Builder System Stunt Kit
    parenting - playing - STEM activity - toy review

    Hot Wheels Track Builder System Stunt Kit

    November 3, 2016 - By 

    Towards the end of half term we received the Hot Wheels Track Builder System Stunt Kit to review. Both my children love playing with cars, especially my 6 year old son. Hot Wheels Track Builder System Stunt Kit Test your skills or challenge your friends in the ultimate test of stunts and timing! Experiment with how high you can go, how far you can jump, and how well you can aim to avoid a crash! Create and re-create the Trick Builder world with this impressive set that offers multiple configurations for a variety of ways to play and nearly endless…

  • #ClangersForKindness
    competition - parenting

    Win a bundle of Clangers toys {#ClangersForKindness}

    November 3, 2016 - By 

    My children have always enjoyed watching the Clangers, just as I did when I was little. I think the message behind the show is a very important for little ones to learn – how we should spread kindness every day, just like the Clangers do on the little blue planet. Kindness is one of those things which I’ve tried to instil in my children. But just how do you encourage your child to practice kindness? Take a look at this video to see what the kids thought about kindness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51lbddJMo7o I know my kids are kind-hearted, in fact we often laugh…