Burger Porn. Now I don't know about you, but when an email came into my inbox featuring those two words I simply had to read on. I love a burger. The juicier and larger the better. There's something about them that is just utterly gorgeous but at the same time slightly dirty. Let's be honest, eating the best burgers is often a messy affair. The whole process normally involves juices dripping everywhere and you're bound to get sauce on your fingers too. And then there's the whole matter of whether or not you can actually fit it in your mouth or not. Eating one in front of someone else always ... read more
Wide-awake Hedgehog – Rosie Wellesley
Is it totally wrong of me to say that I've got to the stage of the year where I'm actually starting to get a teeny bit excited about autumn coming around again? I guess I like every season really, but I also always seems to feel ready for the next one to roll around and there's something about autumn that I really enjoy. Walks in the crisp air. Leaves changing colour. Snuggling up under a blanket on the sofa on a dark evening. I also find that it's the time of year when we get some very cute children's books coming out and Wide-awake Hedgehog is a great example. Many children will have ... read more
Odd Dog Out – Rob Biddulph
Sometimes I find myself reading a book to the children at bedtime and just falling completely and utterly in love with it. With Odd Dog Out though, not only did I fall in love, but I also found myself shedding a small tear in the process. If only all books could get things as spot on as Rob Biddulph's managed here and the world would be a far better place in my opinion. As anyone who knows me in "real life" will know - I'm not exactly someone who always conforms and as a result there can be times when I don't exactly fit in with those around me. That can make the world a lonely place, ... read more
Capturing Shared Moment with Memory Lane
As a busy parent it can be so simple to over look those special moments that happen with your kids just as part of everyday life. You tend to really remember the trips out to theme parks, things you did on holiday or the big events like birthdays, but there are so many other special things that happen without quite so much fanfare which can for just as precious memories. I was therefore delighted to be asked to work with Channel Mum and Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons to record and share three such special moments and to show you how you can use the new Memory Lane tool to help capture and share ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: We go to the gallery
Tuesday's haven't quite been the same for a few months now. The Ladybird collecting hasn't slowed down here, but there's just not been much time to write about them and share them here. I've really missed Ladybird Tuesday though. I've missed going through my collection and selecting gems to share. There's something rather comforting about Ladybird books - a reminder of a previous time when the world didn't seem quite such the confusing and screwed up place it is right now. Last week's news of Ladybird planning more humorous titles later this year (just in time for Christmas) made me think ... read more
Review: Opening Fairy Doors
Every since the tooth fairy came to visit Little Miss C for the first time she's been somewhat obsessed with fairies and in particular the idea of them appearing whilst she's asleep and leaving her notes to read when she wakes up. Opening Fairy Doors therefore seemed the perfect thing for her to kick off the school summer holidays with and she wasn't disappointed. The idea behind Opening Fairy Doors is that the set (there are three to choose from with different colours and different fairies) provides a miniature door, window, fence and mailbox and you can you can easily attach all these ... read more
Nine Lives – film review
Imagine a world in which someone that is a cross of Richard Branson and Donald Trump (before Trump decided that trying to become President was a good idea) turns into a cat. That may sound quite far out, but it's pretty much what happens in Nine Lives, which Little Miss C and I went to see a VIP screening of this morning. Tom Brand (played by Kevin Spacey) is that Branson / Trump amalgamation. A man who goes in for the publicity stunts that Branson always uses with his Virgin brand, but with Trump's determination to always beat the competition - in the film's example in terms of having the ... read more
Finding Dory with Specsavers
Last weekend saw me have a rare weekend away without the kids, but being the amazing mum that I am (or just because timing worked out that way...) I made sure that Mr C would have something special to entertain the kids with on Saturday morning, and so he headed into central London with them to a special screening of the new Disney Pixar film Finding Dory to celebrate the launch of the Specsavers new Finding Dory eyewear range. Now with both kids loving the film Finding Nemo (to which Finding Dory is the sequel) and with Master C having worn glasses for the last year it seemed like a ... read more
Sleeping Beauty – a mid-century fairy tale
Sleeping Beauty has to be one of those Fairy Stories that everyone knows in some shape or form. It's been re-told in so many editions over the years and there have been film versions and even pantomimes of the tale too. What I wasn't expecting though was a 1950s meets sci-fi version, but that's exactly what you get with this new edition of Sleeping Beauty, re-told by David Roberts and Lynn Roberts-Maloney. Annabel lives with her two aunts Rosalind and Flora in the 1950s. As a child she loves science fiction books and often dreams about what the future might look like. What Annabel doesn't ... read more
Review: Magic Twirl Mim-Mim Plush Toy
Little Miss C has been a huge fan of Kate and Mim-Mim since the series first started on CBeebies back in August 2014. At one point recently it appeared in the schedule as the last thing the kids were allowed to watch before going upstairs to brush their teeth before school and as a result Master C also became a bit of a fan. Both children were therefore delighted when I brought home the new Magic Twirl Mim-Mim Plush to review. This is so much more than just a cuddly toy though as Mim-Mim really is brought to life by saying eight different phrases from the show whenever you either press his ... read more