Posts by jo

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17/04/201326/03/2018 by jo

Peppa Pig’s Big Splash! Coming to a Theatre Near You!

One lasting memory H has from last year which she’ll constantly go on about and howl with laughter at, is going to see Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt live last year, when we were close enough to the front that George cried and it landed on her tights – so imagine our excitement when a new Peppa show was announced – and it starts this October! (which feels like a way off, but will be here in no time, I’m sure)

Fresh from the huge successes of previous tours Peppa Pig’s Party and Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt comes Peppa’s brand new show, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash. Opening at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford on 24 October, this touring production will travel throughout the UK and into Ireland until summer 2014. The tour will also include a fourth consecutive Peppa West End Christmas season (details will to be announced) and it will be the biggest ever to date.

The nursery roof is leaking and Peppa and her friends need to fix it quickly. They set up a fete to raise the money for Mr Bull to do the repairs. There’s plenty of fun to be had as Peppa, George, Mummy and Daddy Pig, as well as Danny Dog, Pedro Pony and Suzy Sheep put up bunting, run stalls and organise a great day out. There’s also a Champion Puddle Jumping competition judged by Mr Potato where everyone gets wet and Peppa needs to find her Golden Boots. Another all-singing, all-dancing adventure full of songs, games and muddy puddles is guaranteed for all the family.

Peppa Pig returns live on stage with puppets and brilliant sing-a-long songs from BAFTA award-winning composer Mani Svavarsson. Richard Lewis adapts and directs this brand new show, following his previous successes with the first two Peppa Pig stage shows and the current Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom tour.

Peppa Pig’s Big Splash is produced by Fiery Angel and Limelight Productions (Fiery Light), the team also behind the recent tours of LazyTown Live!, Roald Dahl’s The BFG, the previous two Peppa Pig tours and the current tour of Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom.

Martin Ronan, Executive Producer, said, ‘Fiery Light are delighted to be presenting their third live Peppa show in 2013-2014. Following the huge success of Peppa Pig’s Party and Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt comes the biggest tour yet for Peppa. Touring the UK & Ireland for 47 weeks, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash will be a fun-packed experience for all Peppa fans. To date Peppa Live has played to almost 650,000 people and as we approach the 10th anniversary of Peppa being a family favourite, we hope the new show will thrill fans up and down the country’.

PEPPA PIG’S BIG SPLASH

TOUR DETAILS:

THURS 24 – SUN 27 OCTOBER 2013 ORCHARD THEATRE, DARTFORD
Thurs 24 at 4 pm www.orchardtheatre.co.uk
Fri 25 at 1 & 4 pm
Sat 26 at 10 am, 1 & 4 pm
Sun 27 at 10 am & 1 pm

WED 30 – THURS 31 OCTOBER NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF
Wed 30 & Thurs 31 at 10 am, 1 & 4 pm www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

SAT 2 – SUN 3 NOVEMBER CONCERT HALL, CROYDON
Sat 2 at 1 & 4 pm www.fairfield.co.uk
Sun 3 at 10 am & 1 pm

TUES 5 – WED 6 NOVEMBER G LIVE, GUILDFORD
Tues 5 at 1 & 4 pm www.glive.co.uk
Wed 6 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 9 – SUN 10 NOVEMBER GROVE THEATRE, DUNSTABLE
Sat 9 at 1 & 4 pm www.grovetheatre.co.uk
Sun 10 at 10 am & 1 pm

TUES 12 – WED 13 NOVEMBER NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM
Tues 12 at 1 & 4 pm www.atgtickets.com
Wed 13 at 10 am & 1 pm

FRI 15 – SAT 16 NOVEMBER WYCOMBE SWAN, HIGH WYCOMBE
Fri 15 at 4 pm www.wycombeswan.co.uk
Sat 16 at 10.30 am, 1 & 4 pm

WED 20 – THURS 21 NOVEMBER HEXAGON THEATRE, READING
Wed 20 at 1 & 4 pm www.readingarts.com/thehexagon
Thurs 21 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 23 – SUN 24 NOVEMBER GRAND THEATRE, BLACKPOOL
Sat 23 at 1 & 4 pm www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk
Sun 24 at 10 am & 1 pm

2014

SAT 18 JANUARY LIVERPOOL EMPIRE
1 & 4 pm www.atgtickets.com

WED 22 – THURS 23 JANUARY CREWE LYCEUM THEATRE
Wed 22 at 1 & 4 pm www.crewelyceum.co.uk
Thurs 23 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 25 – SUN 26 JANUARY NEW THEATRE, HULL
Sat 25 at 1 & 4 pm www.hullcc.gov.uk/hullnewtheatre
Sun 26 at 10 am & 1 pm

WED 29 – THURS 30 JANUARY CHARTER THEATRE, PRESTON
Wed 29 at 1 & 4 pm www.prestonguildhall.com
Thurs 30 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 1 – SUN 2 FEBRUARY PRINCES HALL, ALDERSHOT
Sat 1 & Sun 2 at 10 am, 1 & 4 pm www.princeshall.com

WED 5 – THURS 6 FEBRUARY THE ALBAN ARENA, ST ALBANS
Wed 5 at 1 & 4 pm www.alban-arena.co.uk
Thurs 6 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 8 – SUN 9 FEBRUARY ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Sat 8 at 1 & 4 pm www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
Sun 9 at 10 am & 1 pm

WED 12 – THURS 13 FEBRUARY DE MONTFORT HALL, LEICESTER
Wed 12 at 1 & 4 pm www.demontforthall.co.uk
Thurs 13 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 15 – SUN 16 FEBRUARY CIVIC THEATRE, DARLINGTON
Sat 15 & Sun 16 at 10 am, 1 & 4 pm www.darlington.gov.uk/arts

WED 19 – THURS 20 FEBRUARY THEATRE ROYAL BRIGHTON
Wed 19 at 1 & 4 pm www.atgtickets.com
Thurs 20 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 22 – SUN 23 FEBRUARY CLIFFS PAVILION, SOUTHEND
Sat 22 & Sun 23 at 10 am, 1 & 4 pm www.southendtheatres.org.uk

WED 26 – THURS 27 FEBRUARY GORDON CRAIG THEATRE, STEVENAGE
Wed 26 at 1 & 4 pm www.gordon-craig.co.uk
Thurs 27 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 1 – SUN 2 MARCH CORN EXCHANGE, CAMBRIDGE
Sat 1 at 1 & 4 pm www.cornex.co.uk
Sun 2 at 10 am & 1 pm

FRI 7 – SAT 8 MARCH DERNGATE, NORTHAMPTON
Fri 7 at 4 pm www.royalandderngate.co.uk
Sat 8 at 10 am, 1 & 4 pm

WED 12 – THURS 13 MARCH CORN EXCHANGE, KING’S LYNN
Wed 12 at 1 & 4 pm www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk
Thurs 13 at 10 am & 1 pm

SAT 15 – SUN 16 MARCH HACKNEY EMPIRE
Sat 15 & Sun 16 at 10 am, 1 & 4 pm www.hackneyempire.co.uk

More tour dates to be announced

17/04/201331/03/2018 by jo

LolliBop 2013 Is Coming!

LolliBop, The Big Bash for Little People, is returning for 2013 to a new venue – the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London – and takes place on August 16th-18th.

Event Manager, Jenny Kane said: “We are really excited to be taking LolliBop to the iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This is the first children’s event to take place in what looks set to become one of the premier event locations in the UK. It has so many benefits for our visitors, including great transport links and family friendly tube stations.

“LolliBop has gone from strength to strength since our first event in 2011 and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park gives us the opportunity to create an even more exciting and dynamic family day out. It’s an amazing opportunity for LolliBop to be part of such an important legacy ”

Dennis Hone, Chief Executive, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park said: “This summer at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park there will be something for everyone. We are delighted to be welcoming LolliBop to join this year’s line-up. LolliBop encompasses some of the best-loved names in children’s entertainment, as well as quality theatre, crafts and activities. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park begins to open from July 2013 and will be fully open from spring 2014. We are on track to deliver a fantastic summer events series and a great legacy for east London.”

Returning LolliBoppers will see old favourites mixed with new attractions for 2013, including:

LolliBop Live – playing host to some of the biggest names in kids entertainment, with live music and performances from stars of stage and screen. Headliners coming soon…

Lollipalladiam – is a live theatre tent showcasing performances from pioneering and internationally renowned companies and artists.

The LolliBop Kitchen where creative little cooks will have the chance to learn new skills from live demonstrations and interactive workshops.

Tween Town will host a number of activities including street dance, hula-hoop, and beat-box workshops.

Imagination Stations – A hub of creativity with lots of mess and mayhem thrown in! From clay modeling, puppet making, customised fashion workshops, balloon modeling, graffiti painting, face painting and much more

Science Zone – Make a rocket, hold a dry ice-cube, or get messy with gooey slime in the LolliBop lab – brimming with exploding experiments for pint-sized guests to try!

Run wild and have fun in the LolliSports area. With activities including retro favorites like swingball, hula-hoop and frisbee to football tournaments and sports day style races.

The pre-school 3ft & Under area is also returning, along with the Enchanted Forest and The Village Green with live music, craft stalls and street theatre, making it an ideal spot for a picnic.

Extensive covered buggy parks, baby changing and breast-feeding areas will be available.

For Early Bird ticket information (on sale from Friday 19th at 12pm) and more head to http://www.lollibopfestival.co.uk

15/04/201326/03/2018 by jo

It’s a National Trust Free Weekend This Weekend!

We love our National Trust membership, and easily make our money’s worth on it in a year – are you one of those people who just aren’t quite sure, and wouldn’t mind trying a couple of places out? Fear not – there’s a free weekend this weekend – providing a family saving of around £30.

They’re opening the doors to more than 200 of their gardens and houses for free – on the 20th and 21st April. Also, what better excuse to get out of the house – the forecast around here is good and all being well we’ll be going somewhere.

Whether it’s building a den in the woods at Gibside or discovering rare breeds of farm animals at Wimpole Estate, the National Trust has lots of activities offering a variety of family fun.

To plan your free weekend visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/freeweekend and download a free voucher today for the place of your choice.

There will be a number of excluded places, which will be detailed at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/freeweekend. To enter a property all you need to do is show your free weekend voucher, which can be downloaded from the website.

15/04/201307/10/2014 by jo

Operation Dolls House – Part One

We’re big fans in this house of making toys using cardboard boxes. For ages H had a car, which was essentially a box with four glued on wheels and the Mario Kart Wii wheel for steering – the rest was H’s imagination – and she loved it! The car had to be written off, the box converted instead into a pirate ship which has lasted just as long and is just as loved. Recently we’ve come to the decision it’s time to recycle it – it lives upstairs and isn’t played with as much (if only you could do that to all toys), so my next idea was hatched – we love The Mouse Mansion by Karina Schaapman which is about a house where mice live made from recycled material (it is amazing) – and while we’re not at home for long enough to do anything which comes close to that, a simple dolls house would work.

The right kind of box was procured, then it was finding the time to put it together. Any good dolls house needs some preparation time – so H and I spent one Wednesday morning doing potato prints to be used as wallpaper and carpets. I fully intend to go through my scrap fabric collection and make H some curtains for the house too.

Operation Dollshouse

So today Shaun and H assembled the box to make what will be her new toy. A roof was made (with a chimney), as well as a floor so the box was broken up into two rooms.

We were sent a Le Toy Van starter pack of dolls house toys which are a perfect size – and also fit all her Playmobil toys nicely too. The furniture is all wooden and gorgeous – another incentive to make sure the house looks fabulous when it’s finished.

Right now H’s imagination is off, and she was playing with it immediately. The house still needs some work (the aforementioned windows and decorations), but it does seem like H may miss nursery tomorrow, so Operation Dollshouse may be finished sooner than we think… I love anything which gets her imagination going, you don’t need to buy the best toys to have the best imagination.

We’ll be back with more updates on how the house is going… this is only the start (I give it a week before we’re ‘building an extension’…)

We were sent the Le Toy Van set for the purpose of review from Dollshouses.co.uk – all opinions are our own. All Operation Dollshouse progress can be followed on Instagram with the #operationdollshouse hashtag (by myself or Shaun)

14/04/201318/01/2015 by jo

Review – Shloer

While I was pregnant I didn’t miss wine – it tasted pretty horrid, but fortunately there was a substitute which tasted good in my all-out-of-sorts tastebuds – Shloer. Having something a bit different to drink was nice. In fact, I kept drinking it after I’d given birth – and there’s a fine selection of flavours.

The opportunity came up to review the new Raspberry and Rhubarb Punch, and with today being the sunniest day of 2013 and our bottle nicely chilled in the fridge, it was time to open it. (Actually, we were meant to go on a picnic but H still has a temperature).

But! What would go with it? We decided on some cheese biscuits we’d made for the picnic, as well as cheese on cream crackers – a nice simple summery kind of lunch – and it worked wonderfully! Even better, H could join us – which was nice. She said it was “yummy” (I think I need to work on her review technique here).

Shloer Raspberry and Rhubarb punch is a limited edition flavour, so keep an eye out for it. Alas, Ocado don’t have that variety in stock but they have plenty of choice of the other kinds. Each bottle retails around £2.29 for a 75cl bottle.

About Shloer –

The sparkling alcohol alternative
Shloer uses only the finest ingredients to create a delicious range of non-alcoholic sparkling juice drinks. All varieties make a tasty grape-based alternative to alcohol, suitable for all the family – including those who want to enjoy the Easter celebrations without drinking alcohol. Shloer contains no preservatives, artificial colours, sweeteners or flavourings and is available from all major supermarkets.

Summer Sunday’s On-pack Competition
Starting May 1st through the summer, Shloer is giving customers a 1 in 10 chance to win one of 200,000 prizes, ranging from BBQs and food hampers to cupcakes and Shloer with their Summer Sunday’s on-pack promotion. To enter, pick up a promotional Summer Sunday’s bottle ofShloer from your local supermarket and find the unique code under the neck label. Enter your unique code via www.shloer.com and find out if you could be one of many lucky winners this summer.

A flavour for everyone
Shloer is available in seven refreshing flavours including White Grape; Red Grape; Rosé; Apple & White Grape; White Grape Raspberry & Cranberry; White Grape & Elderflower; and now NEW Raspberry & Rhubarb Punch limited edition. For more information, go to www.shloer.com

We were sent a bottle of Shloer for the purpose of review, all opinions are our own.

13/04/201329/01/2014 by jo

We Love Books – Jack’s Amazing Shadow by Tom Percival

I love this book; we’re heading into the territory where H and her friends have funny, silly arguments which mean the world to them and trouble their little heads for days afterwards. Recently she had an argument with her best friend (over a Ninky Nonk) and he declared she would Never Ever be his Best Friend Ever Again. She was heartbroken for days, until he told me that of course H was his best friend (which I relayed back to her and it cheered her up again). So yes, this book covers this sort of event.

Jack and his amazing magical shadow are the best of friends, but he starts to get annoyed at his shadow when it misbehaves and they fall out. Jack tries to escape his shadow but the two just cannot be parted until Jack shouts at him and his shadow fades away.

At first Jack is happy, but then realises just how much he misses it, more than he ever thought he would – and the story I’m pleased to say has a happy ending. Targeted at 3-6 year olds, we found it funny – it’s a good book for reading and talking about everything else that’s happening on each page – and there’s plenty going on. It’s also a fabulous book about friendship.

I’d highly recommend – a lovely book – and there’s one other utterly brilliant bit – the inside covers have all the various silhouettes you can make with your hands – how good is that?

Jack’s Amazing Shadow by Tom Percival is released on the 18th April 2013, and is published by Pavilion Children’s Books, with a RRP of £5.99.

Tom Percival has an excellent website here

We received a copy of this book for the purpose of review – all opinions are our own.

12/04/201301/01/2019 by jo

We Love Books – Especially Clever Ones…

We were really lucky to be chosen as one of two parent bloggers (check Sarah’s review over here) to review a new kind of book coming from the very lovely people at Autumn Publishing.

A Clever Book has been described as a 3D manipulative story adventure, and the first of its kind.

With my child-of-the-eighties head on, it reminds me a lot of some of the offshoot Rubik’s puzzles that came after the cube – there was one really great one, a pyramid which would kind of fold in on itself, and you could keep repeating the same fold, and eventually after a few turns you’d be back at the start. Back then I could spend hours just twisting it around and I really enjoyed it. Bring it forward to now, and what you have is a house shaped puzzle-book which does exactly as the Rubik’s puzzle – you fold each section and keep doing it, until eventually you’re back at the start.

BUT! There’s more to it than that.

Each section of the house features a Hello Kitty character and a simple piece of text about what they’re doing. Right now this is perfect for H – she’s three and a half and starting to identify some words and be able to work them out (as well as developing a Hello Kitty obsession). We’re still reading to her but I know once school starts in September that it will change and she’ll be much more proficient – and this kind of book is ideal – simple text but plenty going on. The puzzle element really appeals to me, and didn’t take H too long to work out – see this video, taken when the book first arrived. (bear in mind, our video isn’t the most engaging, but is a look into the first time a child sees the book, so will give you an idea!)

All Clever Books are published with the educational tagline ‘Clever Play, Simple Learning’ – and I can’t think of a more apt description. It’s targeted at children aged 3-6 years and as well as the Hello Kitty book, there’s a Fisher-Price title. They have a RRP of £4.99 and are published by Autumn Books and are available from July 2013. Highly recommended!

Check out Autumn Books on Facebook and Twitter and see their fabulous range of books!

11/04/201306/01/2015 by jo

Nickelodeon’s Dora The Explorer Live! Goes on Tour in the UK

Late last summer we went to the West End production of Nickelodeon’s Dora The Explorer Live! in the Search for the City of Lost Toys – and it was wondeful. A fabulous interactive show and of all the shows we saw I enjoyed this one the most as I didn’t expect it to be quite so good (don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed everything we saw last year, this one was due to the amount of interaction with the audience which of course if you’re familiar with the show is no surprise really).

They’re out on tour NOW! For a full list of touring venues, please go to nickjr.co.uk/doralive

Dora the Explorer fans will delight in this two act, song and dance spectacular that invites them to think, sing and play along. Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! is designed to teach kids to explore, communicate, overcome obstacles, solve puzzles and discover a diverse and exciting world…all while having a lot of fun!

In Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys, Dora has lost her teddy bear Osito, and the search is on to retrieve him.

With the help of the audience, Map, Backpack, Boots, Diego and their courageous friends, Dora uses her map-reading, counting, musical and language skills to successfully pass through the number pyramid and the mixed-up jungle to reach the City of Lost Toys. But watch out – you never know what that sneaky fox Swiper might be up to along the way!

One of Nick Jr’s most beloved shows, Dora the Explorer airs every day at 8:30am 11am and 4.30pm, with brand new episodes in March and June 2013. The series sees Dora partake in adventures in her imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. Dora explores her world just as children do every day, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience using a variety of learning techniques. Award-winning Dora the Explorer currently reaches more pre-schoolers than any other show on television (12.4 million).

LISTINGS

Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys
UK Tour

Dates: 28 March – 19 August 2013
Performances: Performance times vary at each venue. For full information please go to the website listed below.

Ticket prices:

Explorer Seats:
Get closer to the action with Explorer seats.
Subject to availability book early to avoid disappointment.
Adult: £18
Child: £16

General Seats:
Adult: £16
Child: £14

N.B There may be some local variations on price, please ask at time of booking.

Groups/Schools/Nursery Prices for groups of 10+
£12 per ticket, with the 10th free*
*Excludes Explorer Seats

Family Rates (four tickets with at least one adult)
Explorer Family: £65
Family: £55

Meet Dora!
Buy in advance from the Box Office, or on the day and meet Dora after the show!
Children: £10
Adults go free!
Please note there is limited availability so book early.

Website: nickjr.co.uk/doralive

11/04/201301/02/2014 by jo

Polesden Lacey Gold Room Chandelier Cleaning

If you’re planning on visiting Polesden Lacey, the National Trust property and gardens in Surrey next week then you’re in for a treat – the house team are going to be cleaning the Gold Room chandelier. It dates back to around 1860 and is highly decorative, made of around 4,000 pieces of cut glass, and adding to the wow factor of the room!

The cleaning of the main chandelier and matching wall sconces will happen mainly in the mornings from Monday 15th to Friday 19th April, where staff will be happy to answer questions about their work.

For more information about Polesden including opening times and upcoming events please call 01372 452048 or see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/polesdenlacey

10/04/201302/07/2015 by jo

Dear H&M

I love you. You make really nice clothes for my little girl – and that’s what she is, a little girl. Please don’t think you exclusively have my love, but this week you do.

While I’ll still wince inside as I see your stores with their blues and greens and browns to one side, and sparkles, princesses, pink and sequins to the other, the other day I was happy to see a section which appeals to both genders (even if it was tucked over in the boys section a teeny bit more).

Since we received your last catalogue H has had her eye on a Brazil football shirt. What I love the most about that page in the catalogue is there are boys and girls wearing the shirts – it isn’t exclusively male (as of course football isn’t).

H has been having football lessons for the last year – initially she was the only girl in her group but this last term she’s been with three others – and I think it’s great. Somehow in the last few weeks she’s telling me which toys are girls or boys ones, and is starting to notice it a lot more. It makes me sad, I’m not into labelling things by gender.

Seeing something which is inclusive for all makes me happy inside. Even my team (Tottenham) did the weirdest thing, making ‘Never Red’ shirts in pink – for girls. When I got my first Spurs shirt it was blue and white with just the badge on it, as I’m sure many other females did.

So thank you H&M for not dumbing down or pink-ing up the football shirts, and just making them the same for everyone. It makes me very happy. That and it being £5.99 which is a brilliant price!

luv

Mum Friendly

the things we do, the things we like

Author / jo