22/07/201522/07/2015 by jo

Collins Big Cat Reading Lions Books

Recently we were sent a selection of Collins Big Cat Reading Lions books. I requested Stage 5, which is aimed at 7-8 year olds. This is the independent reading at home level, which H has been for a long time. She’s also a free reader at school, and I know this is a suitable reading level for her.

The biggest issue for me was making sure the books aren’t too grown up – she is still only five. Luckily our school has a mixture of books, from Rigby Star, Oxford Reading Tree and Collins Big Cat – so we were already familiar with the range, and they were ones I preferred of the three, especially for facts. As it is, the books are absolutely perfect for H, and she read them all in an evening – and answered questions about them all when asked too.

I like that it includes Great Expectations. I can’t help wishing some of the books I had to read when I was older had been put into simpler forms then to read the fuller versions later on may have helped my understanding a little better – so was really encouraged to see this included, as I know it will help H.

We’ve done a video review. Sorry about the shade covering half of her face!

We were also sent the Collins Picture Atlas, which is lovely, bright and colourful and breaks down each continent onto several pages, with facts and pictures. With H being half Australian learning about the world is something she’s really interested in. Oh, and she hasn’t really seen millions of kangaroo’s (maybe hundreds?) here’s our video review!

The Collins Big Cat Level 5 books are targeted at Year 4 (age 7-8) and are a six book set, with three fiction books and three factual ones. There is more information on their website over here. They have a rrp of £24.00

The Collins Picture Atlas (affiliate link) is available to buy now – and hopefully you can see a few of the pages on our video, and how lovely and colourful it is. It currently retails at Amazon for £8.99.

In summary, I found both books to be ideal for H. She might only be five, but has the reading ability for the Big Cat books. The Atlas is definitely right for her age range, and had plenty on it which she enjoyed learning about. I highly recommend both!

We were sent all the books for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

24/06/201526/03/2018 by jo

Heat Holders Snugover

I realise that June may seem a bad time to be writing about clothing which keeps you warm, but actually, this year has been an odd one, with plenty of cold evenings. Fortunately I’ve been kept warm thanks to my Heat Holders Snugover – and very cosy too!

The Heat Holders Snugover is a fleecy jumper which has a high neck and pockets, as well as drawstrings for the neck and waist area to keep out cold air. This all helps when it comes to keeping warm!

It has a tog rating of 1.4 which is great when it still gets a bit chilly once the sun sets, and you quite fancy sitting outside with a glass of wine.

So how does it fare? I would say very well! Many an evening I’ve laid on the settee in my pyjamas and been nice and warm – it definitely makes a difference – and helps when you don’t want to cosy up under a rug. The softness is nice too – I just want to curl up in a ball and relax.

I like that the drawstrings are part of the design – I know that I need to keep my stomach muscles warm as when they tense up and get cold that’s when my back problems start – having the Heat Holders Snugover has definitely helped me.

I opted for the XL size, which covers UK size 14-22. I definitely sit towards the lower end of those sizes, and felt there was plenty of space and room – I don’t like things to be too tight.

You can buy the Heat Holders Snugover for £23.99 from their site and also places like Amazon. If you’re looking for a cosy outdoor jumper which is good for evenings when you don’t need a slanket any more, then definitely consider this!

We were sent the Heat Holders Snugover for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

18/06/2015 by jo

My Book of Bike Activities

B Small Publishing constantly produce books which we love – and their latest addition is another favourite in H’s collection. My Book of Bike Activities is, as the cover says ‘A Wheelie Good Book’ – targeted at older kids and full of fun activities. We were sent a copy to review.

My Book of Bike Activities is lots of fun – and has lots of different things inside. For example, spot the difference, name the bike, know your bicycle, a cycling-related wordsearch and so much more. It’s targeted at children 6 and upwards, and crucially, both boys and girls – it isn’t a gender-specific book.

With the interest in cycling at the moment, and indeed now H has worked out how to ride on two wheels, it’s perfect timing. The Tour de France is set to start again from the 4-26th July, and after last year’s visits to York which we all watched on tv, I know this kind of book will appeal to H.

That isn’t all – there are guides on how to do various cycle-related tricks, and plenty of advice (how to avoid getting a puncture – how I wish I’d had a book like that when I was H’s age).

Towards the back of the book is lots of information about various kinds of bikes from the past (and indeed, these days) – I had no idea an MTB was a mountain bike – so even I’m learning here! (Well, they do say six and upwards)

Author Cath Bruzzone is a keen cyclist, and wanted to share her love of cycling, which is why this book exists. She realised there were plenty of books for adults to read about cycling, but none for kids – so she created My Book of Bike Activities.

The final word is with H, what with it being targeted at her age group. On seeing My Book of Bike Activities she exclaimed “WOW! Is this for me?” and then sat in silence doing several of the puzzles – not completing them all, but just a little bit of each one, or using her finger to trace the bike race, so as not to spoil it a second time. It’s a book she enjoys going back to.

As a parent, I like to think of My Book of Bike Activities as being like an issue of Okido or Anorak magazine – lots of small activities and articles that will keep a child entertained, plus they’ll learn about it too. Highly recommended!

My Book of Bike Activities can be bought from Amazon (affiliate link).
We were sent a copy of My Book of Bike Activities for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

26/05/201519/05/2015 by jo

Busy Busy Things That Go

Busy Busy Things That Go is the latest book we’ve received as Parragon Book Buddies – and it’s loads of fun. It has 2000 stickers and activities throughout the book.

Busy Busy Things That Go is a book packed full of stickers and activities to place the stickers on. The book says :

Get ready for the biggest, busiest sticker book EVER, with 2000 stickers.

Put the scoops on the diggers and the tractors in the fields. Get the machines to the construction sitee and the trucks on the road.

Make your own big, busy scenes with all the stickers!

Essentially, this book is your world. Make of it what you will – and if you leave a book like this with a five year old like H, then you get something like this:

It’s a great book when you need your stickers to have a purpose – for me it feels like the sort of book which would have been ideal when we flew to Australia, as you don’t have a set direction to go in, you can do whatever you want with each page – it’s not like you’ll lose what you’re doing.

The stickers too – and there are many – from larger ones to small, so you need plenty of page space to fit them, and there is.

Busy Busy Things That Go is available now with a RRP of £8.00, available from all good bookstores. You can find it on Amazon over here.

We were sent a copy of Busy Busy Things That Go for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

19/05/201519/05/2015 by jo

Travel Back Through Time to the Land of the Dinosaurs

Travel Back Through Time to the Land of the Dinosaurs is the latest book we’ve been sent as Parragon Book Buddies, and is part of their Gold Stars range.

Travel Back Through Time to the Land of the Dinosaurs is a book packed full of facts and activities. In fact, had this been available when H started Year 1, it would have been the perfect accompaniment as dinosaurs was their Autumn Term topic. As it was, the book has only come out quite recently – but if you’re looking for something which works alongside learning, this may be your book.

As well as having facts about the dinosaurs, I really like there are sections which show you how to draw them. I have a very defeatist child when she really thinks she can’t do something and doesn’t want to try – Travel Back Through Time to the Land of the Dinosaurs has step by step instructions on how to draw various dinosaurs – exactly what a child like H needs!

Right now H is loving doing mazes and colouring, both of which are in this book – and there are plenty. While the book can’t cover all dinosaurs, it does cover the ones you’re likely to find in the school curriculum – the obvious ones. H enjoyed reading Travel Back Through Time to the Land of the Dinosaurs as she enjoys factual books quite a lot at the moment.

The illustrations are nice and bright – the fonts are clear, and the facts are fun. This book is a winner as far as my five year old goes.

Travel Back Through Time to the Land of the Dinosaurs has a rrp of £7.99 and is available now! Follow this affiliate link to buy a copy of the book here

We were sent a copy of the book for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

15/05/201515/05/2015 by jo

Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon

As you may guess, we do rather like books by Frann Preston-Gannon a lot. They’re written and beautifully illustrated by the author, and the latest book Sloth Slept On is yet another fabulous book to add to our collection.

Some children find a creature in a tree in their garden, and they have no idea what it is. ‘He wasn’t like any other creature we had ever found in the garden. What was he? And where had he come from?’

The children let their imagination try to work out where this animal could have come from, the pictures are so beautifully illustrated and gave us lots to talk about alongside the story. Eventually they do find out it’s a sloth, where you get a page full of interesting facts. I quite like that a sloth sleeps for up to 20 hours a day – that would suit me nicely. It was also good to talk about what we’ve learnt.

Sloth Slept On is a great story which shows children’s curiosity and imagination – as well as them trying to help. The final seal of approval goes to H who sat reading it in her head giggling away. “this book is really funny mummy” she let me know.

So how do they get the sloth back home to where it belongs? You’ll just have to buy the book to find out – it’s available now via Pavilion Children’s Books with a RRP of £10.99. I think it would make a lovely present too.

We were sent a copy of Sloth Slept On for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Special note – we were sent this book to review ages ago. I mis-placed the book and held the review until I could find it to get some decent photos. Apologies for it being so late!

07/05/201508/05/2015 by jo

Jord Wood Watch

I was approached late last year to review a Jord Wood Watch. I’m the kind of person who is allergic to most watches, so hasn’t really worn one for a long time – but a wooden watch? I was intrigued. Mostly as I wanted to find out exactly what a wooden watch actually looks like!

Jord Wood Watches are US based, and approached me last year to see if I’d like to review one of their watches. I have a nickel allergy so haven’t worn a watch for years. My Jord Wood Watch is a lovely sturdy one – and it is lasting well. I’ve used it daily and it shows little sign of any wear and tear – especially on the glass face.

When my Jord Wood Watch arrived, I was impressed with the packaging. It’s presented in a stylish way – complete with a wooden tag and little cushion for it to rest on.

The main test of time would be wearing it constantly. At work I’m finding I do take the watch off as I wear it on my mouse hand as the clasp rubs against my wrist, no allergic reaction, that’s just because of the way I sit at work.

I like that the watch is bigger – while it’s a Women’s watch, it has a bit more ‘bulk’ to it – it doesn’t look dainty, it has a good colour and style, and I’ve had comments from people admiring it.

The clasp on the back is a very simple one – both sides clip into the middle and are released by pressing a button – you can see on the picture above. I did remove the blue protective plastic, but it does help show how it works. So far it has been nice and strong and hasn’t popped open at unexpected moments, so that’s good. In fact, the only unexpected thing which has happened is H popping it open – it seems it’s quite appealing for a five year old – so it’s wearing well!

I was sent the Fieldcrest Jord Wood Watch – you can find more information about it over here. It is designed to be a classic midsize watch, and I feel like it’s the perfect size for me.

Jord have many different designs of watch, so don’t rule them out – and especially don’t if you have a nickel allergy like me – six months later and still no reactions which is amazing! The only exposed bit of metal is on the clasp at the back – the other side of the watch face has a wooden back – and it’s usually there where I have the reaction.

I found my watch was a little bit big, but it was easy enough to remove one of the links from the band (as long as you have some tiny screwdrivers!) – though you can now get your watch custom-sized by Jord before despatch.

I think the true test of how impressed I am with the watch is that I’m still wearing it six months on, I haven’t had a reaction to it, and the face of the watch doesn’t have a single scratch – and there has been plenty of times I thought it might. At around £60ish with the exchange rate, this is a watch which is built to last.

You can find Jord Wood Watches over here – as well as on Instagram where loads of people are uploading their watches.

I received a watch for the purpose of review, all opinions are my own.

Watches Made From Wood

26/04/201526/04/2015 by jo

Annie – Out on DVD 27th April!

As you’re probably aware, Annie was remade last year. Updated. I wanted to hate the film and the idea they’d changed a musical I’d grown up loving; the fact it was different; but actually, on seeing the trailers I had already been won over.

annie school

We went to watch Annie before Christmas at the cinema, and came out smiling – H was ridiculously happy – her favourite songs in a film on the big screen, and a story she could relate to. She prefers the remake to the 1982 film – we’re going to see the stage version this November.

So what have they changed about Annie?

She is now a foster kid – not an orphan in an orphanage. Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz) takes in foster kids to get money from NY State – though she’s still not the most motherly of mothers. Annie knows she was left outside a restaurant by her parents, and a certain food they ordered, so she waits outside the same restaurant every Friday in the hope they might go back. She shares an apartment with other foster kids, and ‘Maybe’ and ‘The Hard Knock Life’ both live on.

While she’s making her way home, she’s saved from a road incident by Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) who pulls her out of the way in time from a van, saving his reputation (as someone happened to YouTube the incident, what with him wanting to be the Mayor of NY, and people recording everything on their phones all the time) – so Grace, his assistant makes a deal with Miss Hannigan to have Annie stay with him to help improve his public image. ‘I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here’ gains an update – and it fits well with a story which has a New York background to show off.

So what happens next? Well, it follows the same Annie path, they grow fond of each other, he wants to adopt her, and she wants to find her real parents.

Fans of Annie will almost certainly spot the references to the original musical which pop up throughout the film – see the picture below for one within the first five minutes! Songs from the musical are referenced throughout the film, ‘NYC’ and ‘Something Was Missing’ feature in an instrumental break, the full ‘Something Was Missing’ song comes as an extra on the Blu Ray (not the DVD though) – it was never used in the final film.

Annie has moved with the times – when everyone becomes aware that Annie’s parents aren’t her real one and they need to track her down, it’s Instagram which helps them find her (I’m not sure how well that will date in thirty years, mind!) Plus mentions by pop stars like Katy Perry on Twitter – it’s a very ‘now’ film which recognises its past.

So Annie, remade. The verdict? It has a PG certificate due to some mild bad language – which went completely over H’s head. It’s fun, it’s bright, it’s a showcase for New York where lonely people find each other with a spectacular backdrop.

I’d say a big green traffic light thumbs up, though it may be worth covering stranger danger with your child beforehand if they’re sensitive to it – but let them know there’s a happy ending (and let’s face it, she isn’t hanging off a bridge waiting to be saved which was always a little bit weird).

Annie is out on DVD tomorrow (did you see what I did there? Although that would be April 27th to the rest of us) – available from Amazon and all good retailers.

There’s a Twitter Party going on RIGHT NOW, Sunday 26th April between 2-4pm – make sure you’re following the hashtag #anniemovieparty – come join in the fun!

We were sent a copy of the DVD and some Annie goodies (including a lovely Sandy plush toy) – everything above is our own opinion. All images were found via the internet, used without permission but to illustrate this blog post. This post contains an affiliate link.

08/04/201510/04/2015 by jo

Hello Kitty Live Fashion & Friends

Hello Kitty Live – Fashion & Friends is on its way, with an extensive UK tour in October 2015!

Hello Kitty Live – Fashion & Friends is on its way, with an extensive UK tour in October 2015, and an official World Premiere at Hammersmith Apollo, London on Thursday 8th October.

The full Hello Kitty Live tour goes on general sale at 9am on the 10th April at www.hellokittylive.com – and there will also be a special appearance at Westfield Shepherds Bush W12 in M&S at 1pm this Friday – 10th April.

Sanrio GmbH, Live Nation and Zen Tiger Live in association with WME Entertainment officially announce the forthcoming launch of HELLO KITTY LIVE – FASHION & FRIENDS. The first chapter of a series of live shows starring Hello Kitty, her family and the other Sanrio characters.

HELLO KITTY LIVE – FASHION & FRIENDS gives fans of all ages the first ever opportunity to physically enter the world of Hello Kitty as she takes to the stage live and in 3D for this World Premiere, the latest development in the continuing evolution of this global super brand.

A ‘Pop Show’ in the truest sense, the soundtrack features high calibre artists including Charli XCX, Bruno Mars, Kylie Minogue, Echosmith, Clean Bandit, Flo Rida and many more.

See Hello Kitty like you’ve never seen her before as this fashion icon welcomes audiences into her world in a story that highlights the value of friendship, creativity, respect for nature and a love of learning.

The producers at Zen Tiger Live have assembled an accomplished creative team comprised of Richard Lewis, creative director of a long list of successful productions including Peppa Pig Live and Lazy Town Live; Del Mak, choreographer of TV show Got to Dance and LRNZ, one of the most acclaimed upcoming visual artists on the digital scene. Together they have created a fun-packed show, where the characters on stage and the animations on a mega HD screen interact with the public as the story unfolds.

Steve Homer, Promoter at Live Nation Entertainment, said ‘We are delighted to have Hello Kitty Live – Fashion & Friends on our roster; she is a natural addition to a line-up of Global superstars we work with including Madonna, Rihanna and Beyonce.’

Hello Kitty Meet & Greet – The Atrium, Westfield London W12, Friday 10 April 1.45pm

To celebrate the announcement of the UK Tour and tickets going on sale, Hello Kitty will be visiting The Atrium at Westfield London in White City on Friday 10 April at 1.45pm. Fans and families are welcome to come along to meet Kitty in person.

Fans will also be invited to enter a competition to win the ultimate Hello Kitty fan prize – the ‘Platinum Hug’ VIP package at a venue of their choice, plus runner-up HELLO KITTY LIVE SUPER-FAN GOODY BAG prizes which will be full of exciting Hello Kitty merchandise.

An exclusive and limited series of HELLO KITTY LIVE – FASHION & FRIENDS merchandising will be available only at the show venues.

The official premiere will be in London on 8 October 2015 at the Hammersmith Apollo before the show departs for an extensive tour across the UK with future dates planned across Europe (tba).

Here’s the UK tour information!
Adult tickets: £18 – £25 per ticket*
Child & Family (in sets of 4, must in include at least 1 child): £16 – £22 per ticket
Schools & Groups: £16 – £22 per ticket (11th ticket for teacher free)
* Premium ticket: £29.50 (Aylesbury and London only)

TOUR SCHEDULE

Sunderland Empire
5pm Monday 5 October 2015
www.atgtickets.com/sunderland
0844 871 3022

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
5pm Tuesday 6 October 2015
www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury
0844 871 7607

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
7pm Wednesday 7 October 2015
www.trch.co.uk
0115 989 5555

Hammersmith Eventim Apollo
7pm Thursday 8 October 2015
www.eventimapollo.com
0844 249 4300

Bournemouth Pavilion
11am & 3pm Saturday 10 October 2015
www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk
0844 576 3000

Northampton Derngate
1pm & 4pm Sunday 11 October 2015
www.royalandderngate.co.uk
01604 624811

Edinburgh Usher Hall
1pm & 4pm Tuesday 13 October 2015
www.usherhall.co.uk
0131 228 1155

Aberdeen Music Hall
12noon & 3pm Wednesday 14 October 2015
www.aberdeenperformingarts.com
01224 641122

Dundee Caird Hall
2pm & 5.30pm Thursday 15 October 2015
www.cairdhall.co.uk
01382 434940

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
1pm & 5pm Saturday 17 October 2015
www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
0141 353 8000

Manchester Palace Theatre
11am & 2.30pm Sunday 18 October 2015
www.atgtickets.com/manchester
0844 871 3019

Liverpool Auditorium
5pm Monday 19 October 2015
www.echoarena.com
0844 8000 400

Stoke Regent Theatre
4.30pm Tuesday 20 October 2015
www.atgtickets.com/stoke
0844 871 7649

New Wimbledon Theatre
4.30pm Thursday 22 October 2015
www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon
0844 871 7646

St David’s Hall Cardiff
5pm Friday 23 October 2015
www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk
029 2087 8444

Brighton Theatre Royal
1pm & 4.30pm Sunday 25 October 2015
www.atgtickets.com/brighton
0844 871 7650

Wolverhampton Civic Hall
11am & 3pm Monday 26 October 2015
www.wolvescivic.co.uk
0870 320 7000

Southend Cliffs Pavilion
11am & 2.30pm Wednesday 28 October 2015
www.southendtheatres.org.uk
01702 351135

Portsmouth Guildhall
11am & 2.30pm Thursday 29 October 2015
www.portsmouthguildhall.org.uk
0844 847 2362

York Barbican
11am & 2.30pm Saturday 31 October 2015
www.yorkbarbican.co.uk
0844 854 2757

03/04/201504/04/2015 by jo

The Sound of Music UK Tour

The Sound of Music UK tour is in Wimbledon at the moment. H and I caught the Wednesday matinee performance this week, and loved it. Read on to find out more!

The Sound of Music UK tour is calling at various venues around the UK at the moment, and is currently at the New Wimbledon Theatre. I’ve grown up loving the film and the play, both of which have their differences. I’ve seen the film more times than I could even estimate, and have seen several stage productions too. Most productions seem to try to recreate the film on stage – understandable as it’s such a lovely film, but they’re missing a trick as the original stage play makes the film much easier to understand. In addition to this, the play has many funny moments which don’t feature in the film at all.

Fortunately the Sound of Music UK tour version is the play – with just one minor change, subsituting ‘An Ordinary Couple’ for ‘Something Good’ (which was written especially for the film).

Danielle Hope plays Maria, and was marvellous. A lot of her pronunciation and the way she sings brings memories of Julie Andrews in the same role, a comparison which is hard to avoid when she’s wearing a short blonde wig. We didn’t have Steven Houghton as the Captain, but his understudy Lynden Edwards was great. I was looking forward to seeing Houghton as I’d seen him seven years ago in Blood Brothers, so that was a bit disappointing. The children were all marvellous and all their voices worked well together. Jan Hartley as Mother Abbess was wonderful too – ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’ was powerful and moving (I may have shed a tear or two).

The play itself brings back in the old numbers ‘No Way to Stop It’ and ‘How Can Love Survive’ both songs featuring a singing Baroness Schraeder and Uncle Max, giving them a bit more depth of character than the film did – and with the former song giving the situation in Austria (the Anschluss) a perspective – Elsa and Max believe you can’t stop what’s going to happen, and try to convince the Captain he should pretend to be on-side with the Nazis. This is what leads to the Captain and Elsa breaking up. The latter song is sung again by all three, celebrating their individual wealth and trying to work out how they’ll actually exist together when they’ve both got everything they individually need!

Let’s not forget young Rolf – a different character to the one in the film; the silence in the theatre at the end scene in the Abbey as the Von Trapps escape shows how convincing he was; his love for Liesl and his warnings for them to leave Austria are given a satisfying ending.

This was H’s first proper musical on stage, and she loved it. Her favourite character was Gretl, probably as she’s five too – she’s already being like her mummy… ! She managed well with it, the first half of the play is approximately an hour and a half, with a 20 minute interval and a 55 minute second half – so it’s quite long but there are plenty of songs which break up the dialogue when you’re five and just want to hear the music.

Everywhere is celebrating the film being 50, but I would highly recommend seeing the Sound of Music UK Tour while you can – the production is going all over the UK at the moment and just this weekend Wimbledon are offering half price tickets. We’d already bought our tickets, but they’re also doing a ‘Children go Half Price’ deal too (subject to availability, terms and conditions apply).

My biggest criticism. No merchandise! I’d have loved to have a book to accompany it, or even just pictures in the programme. I came away having spent £3 and hoping to spend more. I’d even buy a soundtrack were one to exist – mainly as my only version of ‘No Way to Stop It’ is the original Broadway Mary Martin version!

The Sound of Music UK Tour has a Tumblr page here

Bill Kenwright’s site is over here with dates and information – plus a gallery where you get a good idea of the gorgeous sets on stage.

I’m already thinking about going again… sigh!

There’s an awesome timelapse video over here of them setting up the stage at Wimbledon

and a fabulous extended trailer here which gives you an idea of how fab Danielle Hope is too

Our next visit to Wimbledon will be for the touring production of Annie in November – H is just as excited about that! (as am I, it’s been over thirty years since I’ve seen it on stage!!)

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