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.

14/06/201501/01/2019 by jo

Football Mum of the Year 2015

So as I’ve mentioned several times, we were invited to the McDonald’s Football Mum of the Year launch at Petts Wood FC back at the start of May. H had an hour-long training session with Casey Stoney MBE (as announced yesterday – how brilliant is that?) and we got to interview Casey. Actually, I got to interview her as H was a bit shy.

Football Mum of the Year can be anyone you know who is a mum who helps football matches exist, who helps a child make it to games just by making sure their kit is washed. If you drive your child to football, that counts too!

All you need to do is nominate the mum and the judges (which also include Colleen Rooney) will decide – and you’ll be presented with an award on the 2nd August at Wembley.

So what has changed in the last month? H is back playing football again – Casey’s enthusiasm with the youngsters has definitely helped reignite her love. We’re watching all the England games at the Women’s World Cup (and any others we can catch) and H feels very involved. She gets excited when she sees Casey on the screen – and that’s the other thing about women’s football – it is so much more affordable and accessible than the men’s game. I think H may have a new favourite player in Fran Kirby, so we may be trying to make it to a Reading Ladies game sometime too.

I finally edited the interview we did with Casey. The camera work was done by Shaun, I think you can hear everything, so here it is for your enjoyment too. Congrats Casey on the MBE, and thank you again for letting us interview. Come on England!

Thank you again to Casey Stoney and Red Consultancy for inviting us – we had a brilliant time!

14/06/201527/05/2018 by jo

Project 365 Week 24

Sunday 7th June. H got her hair cut – eight inches off – more about that soon. Afterwards we headed to Morden Hall Park who were relaunching the National Trust 50 Things campaign, and had some fantastic creatures for the kids to meet. They weren’t allowed to touch the tarantula, though were allowed to touch the snake. It was really good – and we got several of the easier 50 Things ticked off and stickered while we were there. This is when H met and stroked a giant cockroach.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 7, 2015 at 8:19am PDT

Monday 8th June. Rainbows in the park. You probably can’t see it but this field was full of daisies – H stepped really carefully around them so as not to squash them. I also made it to our new local Decathlon store. Oh my goodness, SO much nicer (and more reasonable) than Sports Direct. I have a new favourite sports shop…

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 8, 2015 at 8:06am PDT

Tuesday 9th June. H’s hair – in the bag. I need to put them into ponytails to be able to send off to the Little Princess Trust and we’ll be raising money for them too.

Wednesday 10th June. This is what a Hungry Hippo looks like. Our dry run for the Carshalton Carnival parade on Saturday. Everything fits. Phew.

Thursday 11th June. I’ve been sent some wine which is chilling in the fridge, and of course as soon as I get the wine the sunny weather seems to have disappeared!

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 11, 2015 at 9:07am PDT

Friday 12th June. We still managed to have our tea outside – we’ve done it a few times this week. So pleased we bought a new table and chairs set a couple of months ago, as we’re getting close to July now, when our rent increases by £230 a month. Living in London and renting is a big pile of poo right now and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Saturday 13th June. The day of Carshalton Carnival, and despite the clouds there were colours and eventually some sunshine. Being Merlin passholders (which is nothing to do with the fair), and then having to pay £2-£3 a ride at the carnival made me realise how much we’re saving by having them! A lovely day with some sad news, and a visit to the pub afterwards to raise a glass. Now the stupidly busy week coming up is set to start. Oh boy.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 13, 2015 at 11:29am PDT

07/06/201501/01/2019 by jo

Project 365 Week 23

Sunday 31st May. We had to go into Sutton today to get last minute school things and Father’s Day stuff. Shaun went off to get his hair cut and H and I did a sneaky shopping trip. We found these sandals, and at only £6 they won’t break the bank (good job really!) – we had to go down two sizes too – I’m like that in my Birkenstocks, weirdly.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 31, 2015 at 10:02am PDT

Monday 1st June. Back to school and H chose a new library book at last – it had been three weeks since the last one (which was okay as it was one of the Katie books by James Mayhew) – she chose a TinTin book. I told her we had one upstairs and went to get it – only to find it was the same one, but of course in French (we bought it the last time we went to Belgium, seven or eight years ago)!

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 1, 2015 at 7:55am PDT

Tuesday 2nd June. Southern Trains are my favourite thing to moan about as they’re so unreliable. Then they’re reliable and you think they’ve changed, just to find that actually, no, they’re still the same. Anyway, their app broke this week. This was the message I got when I tried to look up my delayed train. Ends up the train was 18 minutes late, the app kept crashing, and I still somehow made it to school on time to pick up H.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 2, 2015 at 6:29am PDT

Wednesday 3rd June. H had her second playdate this school year and she had a brilliant time! We walked past the River Wandle which has been done up and cleaned up – it’s looking so much better now.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 3, 2015 at 2:36pm PDT

Thursday 4th June. Having our tea outside in the warm, although I was a bit shivery. But still, eating outside after school – you can’t beat it. I picked up a Higgidy Quiche for me, and some salad, then did home-made potato salad, it all seemed to taste fine anyway.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 4, 2015 at 10:53am PDT

Friday 5th June. I made a trip to H&M Kids on my lunch break this Thursday just gone, spotted this dress in H’s size and HAD to buy it. Luckily she likes it too!

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 5, 2015 at 8:34am PDT

Saturday 6th June. A busy day – H had football first thing, we headed up to Mayfield Lavender afterwards as it was just up the road. We had a wander around the fields picking up litter and enjoying the space before it all gets too busy again. After that we drove into Sutton for a look at their Chilli Festival which Alex had told me about the day before. It didn’t disappoint – in fact, the biggest downside was the amount of stalls who didn’t take cards and me not having enough cash. H tried lots of mild chilli sauces and enjoyed it too. The stall which made the biggest impression was The Chilli Alchemist for their fabulously shaped bottles. They have chilli popping candy in test tubes too which H bought for herself! The whole presentation of their stall was fabulous – it drew you in. It’s no coincidence we spent the most money there – and they took cards!

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on Jun 6, 2015 at 7:12am PDT

06/06/201505/06/2015 by jo

Headley Heath Glow Worm Walk

Calling all young nature lovers! The National Trust on Headley Heath is inviting guests to join them on a children’s night time stroll looking out for glow worms. Well worth the late night at the start of the summer holidays, the walk, which will be held on Friday 24 July from 9 -11pm, is a special chance to see these rare bugs. Suitable for ages 5+, the short walk will start with a warming hot chocolate and an introduction to the magical world of these glowing insects.

Ranger Will Frost, who has looked after Headley Heath for the past 4 years says “glow worms are usually found on grassy slopes, verges and hedge banks on heaths and open grasslands, especially in chalky and limestone areas. We’ve spotted them over several years on Headley Heath and we can’t wait to share the magic of them with our younger visitors. Truly a magical sight and one that they’ll remember for years to come”.

Suitable for ages 5+, tickets for the event cost £6 per person and need to be booked in advance by calling 01372 220644. The event, which will start at 9pm will last until approximately 11pm.

Did you know? Five facts about glow worms:

There are four types of glow worm: Tropical, U.S., New Zealand and European.
They are neither worm nor fly, but are in fact beetles, resembling woodlice more than a beetle with the female glowing strongest to attract the male.
They are most commonly seen between late May to September. They glow for a few hours at a time and usually stop after mating.
Adult glow worms can’t feed and live only 14 days. The adult female glow worm has a glowing life of only a few weeks until she mates and dies shortly afterwards.
The light from the glow worm is cold and is a form of Bioluminescence. It is caused when a molecule, luciferin, is oxidised to produce oxyluciferin with the enzyme luciferase acting as a catalyst in the reaction.

05/06/2015 by jo

Polesden Lacey Photography Competition

Polesden Lacey is holding a competition in search of their ‘Photographer of the Year’ for 2015.

The property itself is a photographer’s playground offering bags of inspiration, including sweeping views, idyllic formal gardens and Edwardian interiors crafted by the gentlemen who designed the Ritz. This year’s competition asks for photographs on the theme ‘Celebration of Colour’ capturing the vivid colours of Polesden Lacey wherever they might be found.

Ten finalists will be selected, one of whom will be named Polesden Lacey’s ‘Photographer of the Year’ and win the prestigious Spectrum Award. All finalists, including the winner, will have their work made large as photographic installations and displayed throughout the grounds at Polesden Lacey in their Autumn photography exhibition, which begins in September.

The judging panel will be made up of Polesden Lacey staff including Head of Collections, Jonathan Marsh, and one of Polesden’s top volunteer photographers, Eddie Hyde.

“People love sending us their photos of Polesden,” says Camilla Morgan, Polesden Lacey’s Marketing Officer. “Some of the photos are so beautiful that they end up in our leaflets or on the website. The competition is a way for us to showcase the work of our most talented visitors.”

You can enter the competition by liking Polesden Lacey’s Facebook page and posting up to two photos on their wall. You must include the words ‘Celebration of Colour’ in your post. You may also enter via email but everyone is advised to read more about how to enter the competition, including the rules, terms and conditions on the Polesden Lacey website. The submission deadline is midnight on Friday July 31^st.

To enter, go to www.facebook.com/PolesdenLaceyNT or for more information visitwww.nationaltrust.org.uk/polesdenlacey or call 01372 452048.

03/06/201502/06/2015 by jo

Wildlife Jack – I Want to Fly by Ed Kellie

Wildlife Jack – I Want to Fly comes from The National Trust via Pavilion Books and is based on the Wildlife Jack tv series.

Wildlife Jack – I Want to Fly has been described by Chris Packham as “a great introduction to nature” – and when you’re young anything which makes it interesting has to be a good thing. So what’s the story about?

Jack is an ordinary boy who lives in the city but he loves birds and animals and learning more about their world. His Grandad is an explorer and gives Jack a very special book, full of pictures from his adventures. As they read it together, Jack’s bedroom transforms around him and his own wildlife adventure begins.

Jack uses his special ability to talk to birds and discovers their extraordinary world. He learns about their ability to fly and wishes for wings of his own.

H says “he tries to fly, and in the book we get to learn about all the different types of birds, and what they look like. I like the pictures of them, as it helps me learn what they look like when I see them in real life” – I think this may be the case for me as well! There are also interesting bird facts on the front and back covers which H has enjoyed learning about.

The illustrations are the same as the show – photos of birds alongside the cartoons of Wildlife Jack.

Wildlife Jack is a new series on the Disney Channel, is narrated by Chris Packham, and is aimed at 2-6 year olds. The series uses film footage of birds with Wildlife Jack being a cartoon and is a great entry-level into the world of nature. You can understand why Chris Packham is involved.

Wildlife Jack – I Want to Fly book has lots of facts in it about birds – handy as H loves to learn. The story itself is a simple one, not too many words so ideal for very young readers, but enough information that even more experienced readers will learn at the same time. We love it!

The National Trust publish this book via Pavilion Books, with a rrp of £6.99 and is available to buy now (affiliate link).

We were sent the book for the purpose of review, all opinions are our own.

31/05/201527/03/2018 by jo

Project 365 Week 22

Sunday 24th May. Recovering from Eurovision, we did what all sensible Euro-music fans do, and picked our favourite songs to play H. I think we may have stayed in our pyjamas for most of the day until I saw a 50% off code for Zippos Circus who were in a nearby park. We booked tickets for the 7pm show, so H got to go for the first time. It was interesting – the animal side of things I wasn’t so keen on, but all the people parts were incredible. More often than not I’d be clapping along then realise I was mid-clap with my hands and mouth open, completely gobsmacked at what was going on. The bikes inside the large sphere were the most impressive – managed to get this photo with four of them inside it.

Monday 25th May. My dad’s birthday. So I showed H some pictures of him, to remember the Grandad she has never met. We drove to Knole and it was the perfect weather, with loads of activities and space to walk and climb. I keep forgetting we’re really close to Kent here – we need to explore more. Knole is a beautiful place with beautiful deer all around – and somewhere we’ll definitely go back to. I’m still getting my head around the fact the family still live there, in a private area which they rent from the National Trust. How cool?

Tuesday 26th May. Back to work for me, Shaun and H had the week off. Lucky things. Today they kept it simple and made cupcakes. When I got home from work we headed to the park, where H started to cycle on two wheels for the first time which was amazing. This also means we need to buy her a new bike as her current one is way too small for her.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 26, 2015 at 2:50pm PDT

Wednesday 27th May. Shaun and H went to Legoland, and I worked. In fact, I worked a 8am to 6pm day with my lunch break being the travel from Wandsworth Town to Tottenham Court Road – I had a meeting at Google. Fortunately afterwards we went to The Angel for beer with old and new friends, and it was an excellent time. We walked past what was the 12 Bar to get home. Sad. It’s just a shell.

Thursday 28th May. Back to the park again after work, and more cycling on two wheels as well as moving onto paths. H still can’t quite start herself again but she’s getting better – the balancing is fine, it’s just the starting off. Her new trampoline arrived on Wednesday, so Shaun spent an hour putting it up – it’s really nice and sturdy. We raised the money to buy it by selling H’s baby toys (a good way to declutter and convince her they need to go as well!).

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 28, 2015 at 6:54am PDT

Friday 29th May. Rainy. In between the hailstones we got bits of time outside, so tried to get H’s home learning done. She was having none of it, until we decided that a Lego Carnival Float would be a good thing to draw and write. I ended up doing a lot of the drawing, with H adding a lot to it and customising it, and labelling it with the things she’d added to her model. I had to help her draw it, but she’s written and labelled and coloured everything that needs doing..

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 29, 2015 at 8:39am PDT

Saturday 30th May. A lazy day, we all needed it after the previous week. We painted one of the wine boxes we have outside that we use for plants – it’s all bright and colourful. It is now covered in varnish, drying – soon to be returned to the garden.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 30, 2015 at 9:01am PDT

27/05/2015 by jo

Heartlake City is Open for Business at Legoland Windsor!

Today Shaun and H went to Legoland, mainly as she’s pretty obsessed with Lego Friends and was desperate to see the new Heartlake City area now it’s fully open!

Heartlake City is the central area of Lego Friends where all their shops are. Legoland Windsor has revamped the old High Street into Heartlake City, so Shaun and H popped along for a visit today.

Lego Friends Heartlake City Legoland Windsor

It was rammed at Legoland, so they did the sensible thing and bought a Q Bot Mobile – so you don’t have the gadget, it just works on your phone. It meant they got to do a lot more than if they’d braved the queues, and now we’ve made our money back on our Merlin Passes it made sense.

Heartlake City didn’t disappoint. The main ride there, Mia’s Riding Adventure was a bit too much for H though, as she fancied the more sedate rides – imagine a large circular area where everyone sits, which turns around as you move from side to side. Definitely one for older kids, but at five she wasn’t keen – but she loved everything else – especially the more interactive area, where you can build extra parts onto Heartlake City via an iPad type tablet.

Around Heartlake City you can find Mia, Andrea, Stephanie, Emma and Olivia models, and at Olivia’s house you can help build a home for one of her pets. Emma’s Ice Cream Parlour is close by and serves up delicious desserts!

There’s also a Lego Friends show which is in the same area as the Pirate show, called ‘Friends to the Rescue’, an action packed adventure full of songs.

The train which goes around a lot of Legoland has been renamed the Heartlake City Express – though remains the same as before.

Keep an eye out for a large Taylor Swift Lego picture too! We’re not entirely sure why it’s there, but it’s impressive anyway!

Shaun and H made it home by 9pm, exhausted and happy. Going on how much H wanted to go to Legoland again, and having the Qbot’s, both of them had a brilliant time – and a lot of that was thanks to Heartlake City – go and visit!

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.

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