There are some emails that you receive as a blogger that you end up reading and re-reading to check that they're really true. The one that came from Weston's Wyld Wood Cider asking if they could send me some cider to review was one such email. Some people may think me a bit queer, but to be honest when I go one a rare night out to the pub I'm someone who is much happier ordering a pint (or half pint) of something to drink than a glass of wine - although don't get my wrong, I do love wine too, but it's just a preference thing. When Mr C and I moved to St Albans years ago I discovered my love ... read more
Archives for September 2014
On Sudden Hill – Linda Sarah and Benji Davies
When reviewing children's books here on Being Mrs C I've written so many times about the important role I believe books have in helping to explain situations and behaviours to our children. Conversations about difficult subjects can be opened up by reading a related book and with Little Miss C starting school properly this year I've found so many different books helpful in encouraging our chat and play. Being in a class with some of her old pre-school year friends (but not all of them) along with some children who are new to the school means there's actually a fair bit of change in her ... read more
Review: The Sticker Club
So, whilst it seems that boys go mad for diggers, I think the equivalent thing for little girls has to be stickers and Little Miss C seems to have been obsessed with them since she was very young indeed. At first it was the physical act of just sticking them anywhere that exited her. Since then it's moved on to how the stickers actually look and then spending ages creating pictures with them, or using them to decorate things. I remember when I was a child collecting stickers and actually being too afraid to stick them on to anything in case it ruined my collection. I also recall sticker ... read more
Review: My First JCB Big Wheelers Joey JCB
What is it about little boys and diggers? When Little Miss C was younger she'd always point them out if we walked past one, but with Master C it's a whole different level of enthusiasm. We've been known to go for walks just for the sole purpose of walking past some road works or a building site so he can sit in his buggy and watch the diggers and other building vehicles go about their jobs. Is it the bright yellow colour? (Pretty much the only colour he can identify - or is that a related thing too?) Or maybe the flashing yellow lights on top? Or is it the digging action? Whatever the reason ... read more
The Polar Pack
Little Miss C and I review a huge number of children's books together and it's a job we very much enjoy. Finding a book that stands out though can be tough, but The Polar Pack has managed just that - literally! As well as being a beautifully illustrated book about polar animals, The Polar Pack also has an envelope at the back containing push out card pieces that you can use to make all the animals featured in the book. You just need a bit of glue to hold them together and then you have your own set of polar animals. As well as turning the book into a craft activity it really ... read more
Featured Post: Mr C daydreams about a new car
There was a time, before children, when Mr C and I had a bit of a gadget thing going on. New bits of technology would come into our home regularly, after crazy amounts of online research by Mr C to make sure he understood exactly what it did and how it did them. When we needed a new car he just considered it like buying a new gadget, albeit a big one. These days our crazy gadget buying days are somewhat behind us, but Mr C still likes to daydream and many a time I find him doing some online fantasy car shopping. Here he has a bit to say about electric cars which are now a real option for many ... read more
Featured Post: Manchester – beyond the cobbles
When I was a lass growing up in Yorkshire the first thing that sprang to mind when anyone mentioned Manchester was Coronation Street. Eastenders was never a big thing up north you see. We watched Emmerdale, as it was from Yorkshire, and Coronation Street so we could keep track of what was going on on t'other side of the Pennines. We were always wary of them over there - after all, look at any map and it's clear to see that there's only one "right" side of the Pennines. So in my mind Manchester was this large city of small cobbled streets, local boozers like the Rovers Return and people with ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Scouts
My Ladybird collecting obsession is now at the stage where I have to carry round in my handbag two little notebooks containing a list of all the Ladybird titles in my collection, arranged by series. Otherwise it seems I can no longer remember which ones I have or which ones I just dream of having. Against each series I also have a tally number so that I know just how many there are out there in the series. Ladybird were a bit strange in that they had several series where there was only one or two titles, yet other series that had many more. One series that is exactly the right size is ... read more
Imaginative play with Fafu
Before having children I had a dream about how I wanted to bring them up. Inspired greatly by SouleMama I dreamed of long days with them playing outside in all weathers, ignoring anything with an electronic screen in favour of spending hours and hours lost in games of their own imaginations. The reality is a little bit different, but I do still try to take things back to the simpler way of doing things and to encourage Little Miss C in particular to just let her imagination lead her play whenever it can. I'm always on the look out for products and brands that work in this way - ... read more
Featured Post: Making the most of now #PowerOfSoft
I can't pretend it isn't happening any more. Little Miss C's pre-school days are well and truly over. She's been in Reception now for over a week and, although they're not up to doing full days yet, there's no doubt that she's very ready for it. Rather than having a pre-schooler and a baby at home I have a school girl and a nearly pre-schooler. Master C will turn two in a couple of weeks time. How on earth did that happen so fast? In my head I still think of myself as a new parent, yet actually we've had over four years experience at this parenting lark now. With two children I find that ... read more