There are some companies that I just want to work with through this blog and Bigjigs (and in particular Bigjigs Rail) falls squarely into that category. Ever since Little Miss C first unwrapped the train set that we bought her last Christmas the whole family have loved the traditional nature of their train sets and we have played with it for hours. We were also lucky enough to review the Farmyard Crossing and Veg Train earlier in the year and I've also been introduced to other things in their wider range thanks to the lovely people at our local toyshop, Cuthberts in St Albans. I was ... read more
Hand in Hand: Crafting with Kids – Jenny Doh
Some days things just work out right. Little Miss C goes down for her nap without any problems and just as you're about to sit down with your feet up and a cuppa the postman appears with some perfectly timed reading material. That's exactly what happened when my review copy of Hand in Hand arrived. I'd been eying this up on amazon for a while and it was already on my wish list, so being asked to review it was an added bonus. As soon as I opened the book I just knew I was going to love it. The simple reason being that the first section is written by Amanda Blake Soule whose SouleMama blog ... read more
Featured Post: Best British Summer Toys for 2012
Today, a featured guest post from Karl at MoneySupermarket.com Some of my favourite childhood memories are of being with my family in the garden at one of our first family homes – playing in my paddling pool or with my enormous Tonka truck, my dad sitting under the parasol reading the paper with my mum carrying out trays of ice cold drinks, sandwiches and ice lollies. Despite the UK’s distinct lack of sunshine, the summer months are a great opportunity to create such wonderful memories. So as we’re stoking up the barbeque in Summer 2012 what’s keeping our children occupied, and more ... read more
Keeping it simple
Things at home have been a bit manic lately. Our builders are two weeks into our loft conversion and as we're still living at home that means that there's noise, dust and a change of routine to get used to. As the builders start just after 8am I need to make sure all three of us are up, dressed and downstairs by then which doesn't really fit in with the lazy morning routine that Little Miss C and I developed over the last couple of years. Daytime naps have also had to be downstairs in a travel cot in a not very dark front room and playtime in the garden isn't always possible ... read more
Pintoy Table Top Magnetic Easel and Chalk Board
I'm pretty sure I can't be the only mum who has lists of things that they would buy their children if they had the money and space to do so. Beautiful children's toys, especially wooden ones, that you see in magazine pictures and on other people's Pinterest Boards. Our budget doesn't stretch to all the things I'd like to buy Little Miss C though so I keep a keen eye on the companies that I like on social media so that I can try to take advantage of special offers and competitions where possible. I've made some great savings by doing this and I'm delighted that all my competition entering has ... read more
Gin O’Clock – The Queen (of Twitter)
If you're on Twitter and not already following The Queen then there is no doubt that you're missing out big time. In this her Diamond Jubilee year her tweets give you a fantastic background to all the visits and events that are going on around the country. You also get a great insight into what she really thinks of some of the people she meets and the politicians in Westminster. If you've ever wondered how she manages to keep control of her family, run the Commonwealth and manage to look serene on all occassions then the secrets are here. One of Her Majesty's most ... read more
Mega Bloks Play N Go Table
Ever since she first discovered Mega Bloks (or "towers" as she likes to call them) Little Miss C has been a great fan. The nice chunky shape and light weight means that they're incredibly easy for little hands to push together and they also stay together amazingly well no matter how high a tower you try to build. I was therefore delighted when we were asked to review the Mega Bloks 3-in-1 Play n Go Table mainly as I saw it as a way of trying to get LMC to concentrate all her building in one place rather than scattering it all across the living room floor! The table has ... read more
Parenting Tips #617
Don't leave a toddler alone with a felt-tip pen the day after they've sat in on four women having their make up professionally done. If you do, this may be the result. Yesterday the three of us ventured north for a make-up trial for my sister's wedding next month. LMC was fascinated to watch the bride and bridesmaids have their make up done and kept asking what they were having done. The phrase "having their make up done" didn't seem to mean much to her, so someone instead said that we were having our "faces painted". That she seemed to understand. So much ... read more
Down on the (Lego Duplo) Farm
Just a quick heads up about a little guest review I have over on Being a Mummy of the My Furst Lego Duplo Farm Set. ... read more
There’s a baby in mummy’s tummy…
A swift karate kick to my stomach was how Little Miss C responded when we first told her that there was a baby in there. I was three months pregnant and she was 21 months old at the time. It wasn't quite the reaction we expected, but then again you just can't always guess how children are going to respond to things. She's always been very inquisitive and picks up on lots that is going on around her so we decided to tell her as soon as we'd had the 12 week scan. A simple sentence of "there's a baby in mummy's tummy" seemed to be enough for her to realise what ... read more