10/12/201324/06/2018 by jo

Carshalton Frost Fair

We celebrated the second Carshalton Frost Fair today – packed full of stalls of local businesses by the ponds. In addition to this Sutton Ecology Centre had their Christmas Fair as well – which included their fab Santa trail!

Things are slowing down here. It’s getting colder and we’re staying in more, shame on us. However, a Saturday afternoon wandering by the ponds checking out all the stalls was great – there were some fabulous cake stalls (we missed out on the rainbow cake, alas) and our favourite Koula’s Kitchen was there so we stocked up on more locally made jam – H and Koula get on well and she always gets a special jar of her own to take home!

By the ponds there were two stages – one with all sorts, from choirs to clog dancers, bell ringers – nice festive entertainment and the kind of things which make Carshalton feel like a village. The other stage had local bands performing acoustic sets. Last year H enjoyed The Dirty Spoons, but they were on a little later this year so we missed them. The kids all got to dance to earlier acoustic acts though, a special mention goes to the loud guitar bits one artist had, and watching the two four year olds clamp their hands over their ears as it was too loud! I tried to get a photo but failed… (bottom photo, bottom right)

Yet again our favourite had to be the Ecology Centre’s Christmas trail – making your way around the grounds to find Santa’s sack (with clues, paw prints and tracks to help you find each clue.) It was perfect for a four year old that can read – they ran on ahead looking for prints while getting outside. Sutton Ecology Centre is right in the middle of Carshalton – yet it’s a lovely wild open space. It’s somewhere we need to get to more often, especially as it’s on our doorstep.

H and her friend M did the trail around the grounds and bumped into another friend from school, so the three girls ran around finding clues and having a great time. Of course, the end of the trail has them finding santa and a prize, which cheered them all up. We headed back out to the fair, buying more home made decorations for the tree from yet more local crafty people (it’s this point I wish I’d picked up some cards as I can’t name them), and finished off the day with a quick drink in The Sun who also had a craft stall outside, selling things that are currently available from their little shop in the outside area – Christmas decorations and more.

It felt really good to live here this weekend, with that and the Christmas lights the week before (where I picked up some of Calladoodles lovely wrapping paper – check out their website!) it’s really starting to feel festive around here. I have just one task left to do – I need photos of the lavender lights in Wallington!

Linking in to Country Kids this week!

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

10/12/201326/01/2014 by jo

Christmas Gift Ideas – Cartoons Aren’t Just For Kids…

Today’s instalment of Christmas Gift Ideas comes from a self-confessed cartoonaholic.

I often joked about how once H could speak she’d be asking to watch documentaries while Shaun and I watched a random cartoon on tv. That hasn’t happened yet, but there’s still plenty of time.

We went to the Beano Christmas event back in the summer – and have been sent a wonderful Beano jigsaw to review. This isn’t the kind of puzzle a four year old will want to do, but it is definitely the kind of puzzle a family might want to sit around the table and do together – it has 1,000 pieces you see. I like the idea of us doing it together – it reminds me of Christmas when I was younger and my dad would sit and do a jigsaw while drinking a nice glass of red wine as we watched whatever festive delights were on the telly while we helped him find the edges and whatever else he’d let us do. H really likes Dennis and Gnasher (and has watched the CBBC show a few times now) and I know is growing into a mini Beano fan – as a former mini Beano fan myself I can only approve of this progression and hope it may continue, while subliminally getting her hooked via jigsaws!

Tickety Toc have a new book out – Bubble Time. Tommy and Tallulah are having another adventure, and now they’re on Channel 5 I’m sure will be a popular one this Christmas. We’ve been sent the book and being the kind mummy I am, I’ve put it away until Christmas, so am reviewing this with my ‘this is what H would think’ head on. I’m not sure how close this works with the Bubble Time app (as we don’t have it) but I’m assuming it should. Tommy and Tallulah are trying to stop the giant un-poppa-bubble. There was a special Christmas Tickety Toc episode Christmas episode on Saturday November 30th at 12.30pm on Nick Jr so keep an eye out for repeats!

Babar the Elephant isn’t a cartoon, but has been and still is, so that’s good enough for me. To commemorate Babar’s 80th Anniversary there’s loads available – we’ve got the Babar Collection of Five Classic Stories which are a great starter place for H – she met a Babar at an event so he’s on her radar, and they’re packed so well as a little set – they’re the original Jean de Brunhoff stories (his son carried on the name, writing several more stories after his death).

Going back to The Beano, there is the 2013 Annual to consider too – loads of cartoons, plenty of Dennis the Menace and the rest of the gang, if you like The Beano, this is a good one for you. I may have found myself reading and chuckling along to a little too much of this… available in all good stores and suitable for all ages!

Finally, one that isn’t really for us adults, but is handy when you need to distract your child (and let’s face it, Topsy & Tim isn’t out on DVD yet, as that’s currently our biggest distraction) is My Little Pony – we’ve been sent two DVDs to review, ‘Welcome to Ponyville‘ and ‘Call of the Cutie‘ – they’re suitable for all audiences and have a U rating which means I can get on with what I need to while H is in a cutie, horsey world of pink where she’s happy and not scared about a single thing. This is a good thing by the way, as so many things at the moment seem to be scaring her, so My Little Pony is a nice safe option and one she enjoys. Both DVDs are out now – if your little one is a fan, then check it out! My Little Pony is shown on the Tiny Pop channel (a channel well worth checking out as it also shows Meg & Mog!) !

We have been sent all these for the purpose of review and Christmas recommendations. All opinions are our own and honest! The links above are affiliate links to Amazon where current prices are shown.

09/12/201326/01/2014 by jo

London Science Museum

We met with friends yesterday at the London Science Museum in Kensington. Most people I’ve spoken to say they don’t know where it is, and indeed we were the same until I realised we’d walked past it loads of times – it’s next door to the Natural History Museum, so easy to get to.

The London Science Museum is huge too – and has a fantastic kids area. Actually, they call it a kids area, but us adults waited for the kids to finish so we could try the things on offer.

My personal favourite – a hologram of a watch which H fell for three times before she got really cross with it. I may be a cruel parent by standing back and watching her trying to grab the pretty watch while laughing – but I loved how she learnt things that I could never teach her.

There were various lenses to look through so you could see each other through them, huge great big lenses and chin-rests so you could see everything, as well as so many other things on offer – I figure some pictures may describe what is on offer better than I can. Dry ice melting in water, and different liquids with bigger bubbles depending on their velocity. A bubble wall! A sound frequency which I tried to recreate my tinnitus on (it was close). A straw you could bite on a piece of wire, stick your fingers in your ears and you hear music (how?!)!

Next to the kids area is a Red Arrows Flight Simulator – with a smaller one that H aged kids could do (for £2) – the larger simulators are two to a pod and over 9’s only. H was more than happy with her kid-sized ones!

We headed downstairs to The Garden which had more things for kids, but younger ones (0-6 years) – from a play area where you could do plays, to musical areas, to kaleidoscopes and a fantastic water play area with waterproofs for kids.

We finished off in the design area where there were plenty of interactive things you can have a go at (such as making kaleidoscope style pictures) and a section on 3D printing where someone had the brilliant idea of doing a 3D print of a child’s picture – genius!

The London Science Museum has loads to do. We spent almost five hours in there and barely scratched the surface. H was upset as “we need to do more” (she did the most) so I know we’ll be back.

The London Science Museum is free admittance, with additional costs for some exhibitions. The shop is brilliant with loads of choice and interesting things to buy – I found several things I’d like to get for myself. There’s also plenty of food choice and for us it was quiet which is good! There’s decent buggy and wheelchair access if you need it, and several lifts around the building too. Their website is here.

05/12/201324/06/2018 by jo

You Can Shop Local With MyHigh.St

I like to support local businesses where we are as much as possible – especially with all the recent articles about big online retailers who shall remain nameless right now. We’ve some great shops, but they don’t stock everything – but fear not, help is on the way with MyHigh.st!

MyHigh.St concentrates on local shops and has some fabulous choice – and even better, you can order online. There’s so much choice – from food to craft to crockery to bakeware, creams, lotions and potions, and gadgets too!

The site looks lovely. For me, part of a good shopping experience is a good looking site – and MyHigh.St has just that; a good logo, the right fonts, enough information. It’s somewhere I enjoyed having a good browse.

Because of my terrible lack of style, I like to have things around me that don’t match so somehow one day they will. This is why this wonderful purple cookware fry pan jumped out at me.

Who doesn’t want a purple frying pan? Seriously, I love it! I NEED it. What’s your favourite colour?

One thing I’m bad at is sleeping. Which is why this Sleepy Cream jumped out at me – it looks lovely and boy, do I need some sleep. If you click their shop name (Querencia) you can see a picture of their premises. If I happened to be in Stroud this is exactly the sort of shop I’d go into. I quite like that about the site – you get an idea of the kind of things the shops sell, you get a feel for them. They’re online shops with personalities!

In our house you can never have too many mugs. Especially if they’re Brontë themed – but if all else fails, Emma Bridgewater has half pint mugs too! With spots! Obviously I need it to go with my purple frying pan and orange Brontë cup.

I think you’ll find I have impeccable taste!

Shaun says he would buy this Stellar Electrical Stand Mixer as he’s always wanted one and as he does like to try all our gadgets at home. The most pleasing thing is that the shops on MyHigh.St don’t just stock local things – there’s big brands for sale – but you’re supporting the local shops.

That’s not all. The shops within MyHigh.St have a points system, Hi-Points – you earn one Hi-point per £1 spent to spend online with them. As someone who keeps many kinds of points this sort of shopping appeals to me!

I was going to add how I wish the site broke up the shops into areas (especially as they offer click & collect for some purchases) when I stumbled across this page – it’s going to happen! You can discover some new high streets – I can’t wait for it to launch! At a time when we’re all being encouraged to shop local, this kind of setup, and it being free is brilliant – I’ve already recommended it to one of my local stores, hopefully they’ll get on board!

This is my entry for a MyHigh.st blogger competition to try and win £200 to spend on the site – all items above are ones we’d definitely buy!

03/12/201326/01/2014 by jo

Light Switch Timer by Switched On Products

We don’t get away very often, but when we do I’ve often felt our house is a little exposed and it looks obvious we’re away. A light switch timer is always an easy option when you want to make your house look like there’s someone at home.

Light switch timers are one of those things I’ve looked at and felt like they’re really complicated – fitting things onto a light and with us renting, would it be the kind of thing we’d buy and have to leave in a house? This timer from Switched On Products is great and it’s so simple to set up as well – providing you have the correct kind of light switch. It won’t work with dimmer switches or any you need to twist – just the ones you press. The main point is, it needs no wiring to work – which for us is a huge selling point. It took around a minute to set up. Oh, and it works with all kinds of bulbs too – as a lot of the more complicated timers don’t work with energy-saving ones.

To get the light switch timer in place you need to loosen the back of your switch unit to allow it to fit behind (there are full instructions that come with the unit – you need to remember to switch off the power supply of course!). Make sure the rollers on the back are correctly aligned so they can activate your switch, then add the batteries and set the timer! If you need to switch on your light outside of the timer, you can press the on and off buttons. The battery part is easily removed if you’d rather just use your switch.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? And it is. I left the programming to Shaun who found it really straightforward. I jumped the first time the light switch timer worked – the noise of the rollers flicking the switch is quite a noisy one, but that’s not a problem! It’s a really simple solution – and is something which is about to be accredited by the police – as far as reviews and recommendations go, that has to be the best for a product like this!

That isn’t all – I have a special discount code which is valid at the Light Switch Timer site until the 15th December – there is a special online launch price of £27.99 online, and if you buy two you can save an additional 10% using the code Lights-on .

Actually, it’s probably best explained with this little YouTube video we made :

We received the Light Switch Timer for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own and honest.

02/12/201326/03/2018 by jo

Back Ache

I’ve had back problems for a while now. I can’t remember when they started, but things slowly came to a head a couple of weeks ago. I was in constant pain and nothing seemed to help. Add to that I was picking up colds, and the coughing set off the pains in my back again. It wasn’t fun.

I decided to try and find things that might work – my issue with my back is disc related, as well as the way my bones are in my lower back, so it’s something that exercise will fix rather than an operation or rest. So far they’re helping a lot – and I’m as surprised as anyone the difference they’ve made.

Firstly, I invested in a pair of massage balls. I put myself forward as a reflexology body in the summer and had a free session – my back felt lovely afterwards – and these massage balls follow the same principles. You roll them on your feet and every time my back stops hurting. At my pilates classes we’ve used them before doing roll down (when you touch your toes). Our teacher gets us to roll the balls on our feet (in standing position) for a minute, then try – and it works. My thinking is that if I’ve a sore back in the morning, a quick massage on my foot will help me get to the station and to my train on time! So far, so good!

Secondly, I’ve started taking Devil’s Claw – I bought some from Healthspan which are Vegetarian and Vegan friendly and almost immediately noticed the difference. They aren’t cheap, but right now I’m taking one a day (rather than the recommended two) and it’s helping a lot. They’re designed to help with back pain as well as rheumatic pain and aren’t recommended if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, or have had ulcers. Fortunately I have none of those so I’m fine. There’s also a chance you can feel drowsy afterwards, but I haven’t felt that.

Finally, way back in time I was sent some PosturePlast back supports to review. They’re quite interesting. A large sticky X plaster you put on your lower back. These are helpful – I know my biggest problem is my posture when sitting down, and going into standing – I feel lopsided. With this X stuck to my back it helped me fix how I was standing and sitting, which was interesting to try – though wasn’t the most practical in day to day life. However, as a reminder of how my posture *should* be, it worked well. It sticks onto your back well as well!

Right now, after trying these I feel different – I’m back to running for things again (at one point I could barely walk), and the final thing I should mention are my running shoes – I was sent them for review at the start of the year and they’ve been the best shoes I could wish for. The support when I’ve had to run is great – I’m no runner but I know these have helped. I’m hoping this is the way forward and things will continue to improve!

28/11/201326/01/2014 by jo

PNP – Portable North Pole Video Message

Portable North Pole Video messages are back – the chance to get a personalised video from Santa! Well what are you waiting for?

Portable North Pole video messages are brilliant! We’ve been provided with a promo code to try out the premium video as well as receive a personalised phone call from Santa, which isn’t working just yet but should be soon. You can also download the PNP App to view your video, again not yet available, hopefully soon.

H loved her Portable North Pole video – Santa said “hello H!” and her face lit up, we got a sort of gasp and she started to wave – and yet again Santa knew EVERYTHING she’d done and had the photos to prove it.. These of course are the things I’ve set up while she was distracted, watching tv – which were straightforward, quick and editable.

I was quite pleased to see you can edit the options, for example, the four names which are shown on books are in the area where other children have been good. I amended those to her friends names from school rather than Shaun and I and her cousins as it was a better fit on the video.

On completion we got an additional Portable North Pole video which has Santa delivering his presents on Christmas Eve. The video is marked that way in your account but not when you’re viewing it. Fortunately it was vague enough that it just looked like he was checking where we live rather than saying he was on his way – a big parent fail from me there!

Ultimately, it didn’t matter, H found it magical and was delighted Santa knew so much about her and had a little book which told them what she’d done. I’d recommend ordering it in the evening and showing your child the following day. You can add a few photos of key moments from the year, and get photos from your Facebook albums which was handy. I selected five photos in total, two from holidays, one family, one of H and one of a picture she drew which came at no extra cost.

The Portable North Pole video was available immediately and we’ve already watched it a few times. If you want to start that Christmas feeling early, I’d recommend PNP – it’s a big hit in this house! We haven’t ordered the video on DVD, which comes at an additional cost, and are happy to stream it.

We’ll report back once the phone call is available, that should be interesting..
Head on over to PNP – Portable North Pole to order yours!

If you place an order and fancy a 20% discount on any of the digital products in the PNP Store, using the code BLG20BKP will work – it’s valid until the 1st January 2014.

The premium Christmas Video costs £2.99

We were provided with a promo code to try out the Portable North Pole video message service – all opinions are our own.

23/11/201326/01/2014 by jo

Portable North Pole – the Santa Sprint App

Portable North Pole is back for 2013 – and this year there’s also an app – Santa Sprint. We were given a code to give it a go.

Santa Sprint is a new game from the people behind Portable North Pole. I think we’re right on the borderline for this game and it’s something H will really enjoy very soon, but she isn’t quite there.

You need to complete each level by collecting all the various objects (and additional extras) then make your way to the stairs to progress to the next. There are several levels you can play, within each group. I’ve been playing in the library so far. This has been simple enough, but of course there are obstacles on the way – and this is where H got upset unfortunately! (she’s quite sensitive)

She was a bit upset about the ‘flame’ type characters which drain your energy levels (the area at the top where there’s a heart), which made her burst into tears! So I’ve taken it over and am finding it fun – and a break from Plants vs Zombies 2.

Santa Sprint is straightforward enough – and once you clear a floor you get a special treat from Santa (we’ve had a story which H enjoyed).

This part left me confused – H is only four, so having a Santa treat at the end isn’t something she’d benefit from if I’m playing the game. Maybe when she’s six or seven? Will she still believe in Santa then? (I hope so!)

At the end of each level, if you have enough coins you can update your clothes, magic, heat, agility and you have an option to buy double points.

You have three options for a Second Chance, and if you want any more then you guessed it – you have to buy them.

I found higher levels there was sometimes a delay in loading, but I put that down to my iPad Mini rather than the game – I have no other devices I can try it on, as it isn’t compatible with our first generation iPad.

Santa Sprint is fun, probably not one for younger kids, and has in-app purchases which I’ve switched off.
You can buy it now at the App Store for £1.99.

We were sent a code to review Santa Sprint, all opinions are our own.

20/11/201326/01/2014 by jo

Christmas Gift Ideas – The Because I Like Shopping at Uniqlo Edition

My workmate today realised there’s One Whole Month left before we finish for the year. This is a good thing as our section of the office is F R E E Z I N G. We’re all SO cold. Fortunately Uniqlo have their Heattech range and just to taunt me that little bit more there’s a fabulous Orla Kiely range within that. At a bargain £12.90 for each top I had to buy another today – especially as I’m wearing one every day (I have five now, not the same one every day!!) – I do love shopping at Uniqlo!

My problem with Uniqlo when they do a range with a designer I like is that I end up wanting to buy everything. This Orla Kiely range is no different – although only available in v-neck or polo neck (I usually prefer round neck ones).

They also had some of the last Celia Birtwell range reduced – so I picked up a yellow stripe long sleeved top for £7.90

Those alone, if anyone bought me them for Christmas would make me a very happy lady. They’ve got Fair Isle style knits in store – gloves, hats and scarves, and fleeces of all manner of colours, jackets for this horrid cold weather and really reasonably priced jeans.

I’ve loved Uniqlo for years as I’ve found their clothes to be great quality and my kind of style. I love they’re working with designers and that each range has something most people will like. They’re not too girly and they’re not too plain.

I also love the 10 Gruppen fleece range and sent Shaun out to one of the West End branches to pick me up this fleece, which I’m really pleased with.

I like quirky and interesting, and always end up clashing my patterns, but fortunately work is SO cold that I have my fleece zipped up all day so nobody ever knows… phew!

Uniqlo are even doing underwear these days. I haven’t bought any yet, but they look pretty comfortable so I’m sure it won’t be much longer… as a footnote, we finally got to the Wimbledon store and bought some of the kids range – and we’re really happy with it – and there’s plenty of Heattech choice there too. I love shopping at Uniqlo!

this post contains affiliate links

19/11/201326/03/2018 by jo

Christmas Gift Ideas – You Don’t Need To Spend a Lot

You don’t need to spend a lot of money at Christmas. Every year I fall into the trap and spend far too much – I’m sure we all do. This year I’m attempting to be sensible – starting with setting a strict £30 budget (which I’ve gone over by £5). It’s doable as long as you have some idea of what you’re buying. (H has been asking for a PlayDoh ice cream parlour since her birthday so I kept my eye out for good offers and got it for £15 in the end – it has a RRP of £25)

This year I started picking up bargains I spotted online and in stores – Tiger Stores has loads of traditional games, often wooden ones which appealed – they’ve got a kids toys section on their UK site (it’s not an online store) and most gifts come in at less than £5.

The Entertainer has a store near work, and I’m pleased they have games like Mouse Trap and Operation on offer. Someone in-store told me they were holding stock back as the offer had been so popular so they’d have enough to keep them going until Christmas. I got Operation for £6 which I’m happy with. We had both games when I was young and I know that H will enjoy them too – and I’m looking at games we might not play with immediately but could be ones that stick around for a while. H keeps requesting the Doggie Doo game…. well she is four!

Amazon have had some book deals lately – I’ve picked up some classics for just £1 new which are great stocking fillers. We’ve also had some good local markets near us which have great deals on new books that we’ve stocked up on, so don’t rule out shopping locally!

I’m always on the lookout for good toy deals in shops – we’ve recently had a Kiddicare store open in Croydon which is fantastic, they’ve got a 3 for 2 on ALL toys going on at the moment. They’ve also got free next day delivery on all orders over £29.99 – and considering I have an extra child to buy for this year, this works out a really good deal – I’ve just saved myself £17, and can get delivery to work tomorrow as well. Now THAT is convenient! Oh, and they accept PayPal as payment too – more shops should do this.

I’ve bought a book ‘Homemade‘ as a present which has some brilliant ideas. Essentially, you can make your own everyday items – from baking preserves, home remedies, cleaning solutions, beauty products, confectionery and pet care. I know someone who will enjoy this book a lot… hopefully she won’t be reading this post…

So far, not too much spent anyway… there’ll be more Christmas Gift Ideas tomorrow…

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