08/03/201308/10/2019 by jo

Celia Birtwell Comes to Uniqlo

I love Uniqlo. I wear their clothes pretty much all the time and have done for many years now. In the last month or two I’ve finally been able to wear their women’s clothes for the first time due to my WeightWatchers success – and you know what, I love how well they fit. So I’ve signed up to be a UniQlo affiliate – I love the clothes and they have some really lovely designs, so I may as well gush about what I know about!

Which brings me on to this – Celia Birtwell has done a collection which will be in-store from 21st March 2013 – although I’m not so keen on the short trousers (they’ll show off my dry skin rash a bit too much) – but the designs are lovely!

Celia Birtwell is fashion royalty. She cemented her name in fashion through her bold prints and collaborative work with husband Ossie Clark, creating iconic, famous designs in the 60s and 70s.

And…she was even Hockney’s muse!

“I always use paint, paper and a brush and I believe that when you’re designing it should come from the hand, eye and heart,” said Birtwell. “I’m often asked where one takes one’s inspiration from, so obviously nature and I like quirky things too, which I think Uniqlo quite understands…”

The collection includes dresses, T-shirts, and bags featuring prints with cutesy names like Bird Song, Dilly Daydream and Cherry Pet Spot. All of the featured prints are from Celia’s own famous archive, but have been re-imagined, re-scaled and reworked so that they translate perfectly onto the range.

“I loved working with Uniqlo, I find lots of smiling faces, which is very pleasant,” she said. “We have a language actually that relates to each other and that’s been a real pleasure.”

Celia’s iconic prints add an atisan touch to the range. The silk culottes and shorts were the winning pieces for us but with a wide selection of garments in a variety of pretty prints there really is something for everyone.

While I’m here, the Greengate collection is still for sale in-store and has some GORGEOUS things to choose from – check out the link – and I’ve seen some Disney t-shirts still in stock in my local store too!

VIP Treat – Enjoy £5 off when you spend £45 with code UQ5OFF

08/03/201326/03/2018 by jo

A National Trust and Cadbury’s Easter Event? Yes please!

It’s back! The National Trust and Cadbury Easter Egg Trails will be running from the 29th March to 1st April 2013 – head over to www.eastereggtrail.com to find out more. There are events on at 246 National Trust places, so there’s plenty of choice. 2013 also has some new events – an Easter Monday egg and spoon race happeening at over 120 National Trust properties – so check the link for more!

Here’s a selection of the National Trust’s best events over the Easter fortnight:

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, North Yorkshire
School holiday fun – golden egg hunt, 29 March – 14 April, 11am-4pm
Shhhhhh. There’s a tiny golden egg hidden somewhere on the estate and it’s your job to track it down. However, you must keep its location a secret. Team up with family and friends for this challenging treasure hunt. Tell staff where you saw it and we’ll enter you into a prize draw to win an eggstremely eggsellent prize.

Normal admission charges apply.
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 31 March – 1 April, 11am-4pm
Take part in an egg hunt at Fountains this Easter, have your face painted, join in with games and collect a chocolate ‘Egghead’ at the end.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £2 per trail.
Easter egg ‘Eggsploits’, 1 April, 1:30-3pm
Get your paints and glitter out and bring along your hardboiled eggs to Fountains for an egg and spoon race, best decorated egg and egg rolling competitions.
Normal admission charges apply.
Booking is not required for any of these events.
For more information on each, please call 01765 608888.

Charlecote Park, nest ball©National Trust Images John Millar

Stowe, Buckinghamshire
Temple trail for kids, 29 March – 14 April, 10am-4pm
Follow in the footsteps of famous 18th century explorers to discover the fantastic temples, monuments and hidden treasures of Stowe. This self-led trail is fun for the whole family. Can you discover the secrets behind some of the temples by the end of your inspiring visit?
Normal admission charges apply.
Dogs on leads welcome.
Cadbury Easter Egg Trails – ‘Easter eggstravaganza’, 31 March – 1 April, 10am-
4pm
Crack the clues around the New Inn and gardens at Stowe to claim your Easter egg prize. On the trail, discover the adventures of Greek and Roman gods and heroes, as well as the grand tours of the family who used to live at Stowe in the Georgian times.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £2.50 per child’s trail.
Booking is not required for either of these events.
For more information on either, please call 01280 817 156.

Petworth House and Park, West Sussex
Bunny in a bag, 29 March – 7 April, 11am-4pm
Ever wished that you could be the Easter Bunny? Well stop rabbiting on about it and hop over to Petworth to get the ultimate bunny makeover. Pick up a bunny bag and follow a trail of woodland creatures to help build your very own bunny ears, tail and whiskers. Once your transformation is complete, you can enjoy a chocolate treat.
No admission charges apply, ticket charge £3.50 per child.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information, please call 01798 342207.

Lanhydrock, Cornwall
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 29 March – 14 April, 10am-4pm
Find all of the clues in the garden at Lanhydrock over the holidays and win an Easter-themed prize.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £2.50 per trail.
Servant stories, 2-14 April, 10am-4pm
Find out more about the Lanhydrock servants in this fun trail around the gardens and receive a small prize at the end for completion.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £2 per trail.
Booking is not required for either of these events.
For more information on each, please call 01208 265950

Stourhead, Wiltshire
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 23-28 March and 2-7 April, 11am-4pm
Join in with springtime family fun at Stourhead and take part in their Easter trail, giant games, face-painting and of course…eating chocolate. (Face painting available
Easter Sunday and Monday only).
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £2.50 per trail.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information, please call 01747 841152.
Beat the egg and chase the rabbit, 30 March, 10am-1pm
Join the Eco Fitness team for some fun Easter antics at Stourhead including a beat the egg 8k run and U’16s chase the rabbit 1k run.
No admission charges apply, ticket charge £10 per adult and £3 per child.
Please visit the Eco Fitness website www.ecofitness.co.uk for more information.
Booking is essential for this event.
For more information, please call 01373 836552.

Nymans, West Sussex ©National Trust Images David Levenson

Castle Ward, County Down
Easter at the barn, 29 March-7 April, 10am-5pm
Join Castle Ward for some Easter fun over the holiday period, with children’s craft activities, table top games, ride-on tractors, sandpit and farmyard trails to enjoy. Bring a picnic, visit the farm animals and relax by the shores of Strangford Lough.
Easter family fun, 30 March, 10am-4pm
Visit the beautiful estate over the holidays and have some quality time with this great family package – hire bikes, canoes and have a go at archery.
Booking is essential for this event, please call 028 4372 3933.
Easter sea safari sightseeing boat trips, 30 March – 2 April
Everyone will love this sightseeing boat tour of Strangford Lough with its abundance of nature and wildlife. See the SeaGen, Angus Rock Lighthouse, surface whirlpools and the seals at Cloughy Rocks Nature Reserve. You might even see a pod of porpoises or a basking shark.
Please note; this trip is suitable for children over 3 years of age and leaves from
Strangford Pier. Please check for times.

Booking is essential for this event, please call 028 4372 3933.
Easter fair, 31 March – 1 April, 12-6pm
Visit Castle Ward and enjoy the annual Easter fair, including kids’ activities, local crafts and food, and horse and carriage rides (weather dependant) for all the family.
Easter family adventure day, 2 April, 11am-1:30pm and 2:30-5pm
Enjoy a fun day out with the family over the holidays and try out a range of activities including canoeing, archery and orienteering.
Please note; this activity is suitable for children over 4 years of age.
Booking is essential for this event, please call 028 4372 3933.
Kids’ Easter camp, 3-5 April, 10am-4pm
Join in with activities galore during an action packed three days at Castle Ward. An answer to all child care problems for the Easter week, with archery, rock hopping, canoeing, climbing and more.
Please note; this activity is suitable for ages 8-15 years.
Booking is essential for this event, please call 028 4372 3933.

Normal admission charges apply for all of these events.
Booking is not required for any of these events unless otherwise stated.
For more information on these events, please call 028 4488 1204.

Newtown National Nature Reserve, Isle of Wight
Wildzone: spring lambs, 11 April, 10-11:30am
Have fun meeting the sheep and making spring lambs with real wool from the National Trust’s flock at Newtown over the holidays.
No admission charges apply, ticket charge £3 per child.
Booking is essential for this event, please call 01983 741020.

Winchester City Mill, Hampshire
Seasonal baking demonstration – Easter hot cross buns, 30 March, 11am-4pm and Easter baking, 6 April, 11am-4pm
Learn how to make and sample delicious baked treats at Winchester City Mill this Easter. Discover how freshly milled stone-ground flour can be combined with locally grown produce to make delicious hot cross buns and Easter themed treats.
Normal admission charges apply.
Booking is not required for these events.
For more information, please call 01962 870057.

Trelissick Garden, Cornwall©National Trust Images John Millar

Polesden Lacey, Surrey
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 29 March – 1 April, 11am-4pm
The eggs-tremely popular Easter Egg Trail is back at Polesden featuring lots of activities for children including face painting, games and storytelling.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £2.50 per trail.
Easter holiday trail, 2 – 14 April, 11am-4pm
Join in the fun at Polesden Lacey this half term with their Easter holiday trail.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £1 per trail.
Booking is not required for either of these events.
For more information, please call 01372 452048.

Castle Drogo, Devon
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 29 March – 1 April, 11am-4pm
Follow the trail around the garden and grounds at Castle Drogo and collect your Easter egg prize.
Easter egg and spoon race, 1 April, 11am-4pm
Come and be part of the National Trust’s nationwide Easter egg and spoon race and have fun with all of the family.

Normal admission charges apply for both events, ticket charge £2 per event.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information, please call 01647 433306.

Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire
Discover Easter, 25 March – 8 April, 10am-3:30pm
Have you ever wondered when Easter is, why the Easter bunny exists or what an Easter tree is? Then pop into the chapel at Clumber Park this Easter where more will be answered.
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 29 March – 1 April, 11am- 3:30pm
Explore the quiz trail at Clumber Park this Easter. Follow the clues, solve the puzzles and win a tasty prize.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £2 per trail.
Traditional Easter Sunday, 31 March, 11:30am-12:30pm
All are welcome to experience a traditional Anglo-Catholic Easter Service with choral song and music from the magnificent organ at Clumber Park this Easter.
Normal admission charges apply for all of these events unless otherwise stated.
Booking is not required for any of these events.
For more information, please call 01909 544909.

Hardy Country, Dorset
Victorian Easter activities, 29 March – 1 April, 3-7 April and 10-14 April, 11am-5pm
Visit Hardy’s birthplace and Max Gate over the holidays and have fun with Victorian craft activities. You can decorate the brightest egg or even make the prettiest Victorian bonnet.
Normal admission charges apply, a small fee may apply for some activities.
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 29 March – 1 April, 11am-5pm
Go and explore writer Thomas Hardy’s birthplace over the Easter weekend and take part in the fun Easter egg trails and puzzles to win a chocolate prize.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £2.50 per trail.
Dogs on leads welcome to both events.
Booking is not required for either of these events.
For more information, please call 01305 262366.

Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses, Staffordshire
Easter geocaching, 11 April, 11am-4pm
Join the hi-tech treasure hunting game at Kinver Edge this Easter and search for hidden treasure boxes, each one filled with an Easter themed activity.
No admission charges apply, ticket charge £10 per group.
Dogs on leads welcome.
Booking is essential for this event, please call 01562 712 822.
For more information, please call 07920181605.

Dinefwr Park and Castle, Carmarthenshire
Cadbury Easter Egg Trails – ‘Eggs & Birds’, 29 March – 1 April, 12-4pm
Children and grown-ups can join Dinefwr this Easter holiday to discover the wonder of bird-watching. Learn to use binoculars and I.D. sheets and try the ‘Eggs & Birds’ trail over the Easter weekend to win an Easter egg.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £1.50 per child’s trail.
Dogs on leads welcome.
Booking is advisable for this event, please call 01558 824512.

Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate, Cheshire
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail, 29 March – 1 April, 12-4pm

Hunt for clues around Quarry Bank Mill over the Easter weekend to earn an egg, plus take part in games and activities on the Mill Meadow.
Normal admission charges apply, ticket charge £1 per trail.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information, please call 01625 527468.

07/03/201306/01/2015 by jo

Review – The Sapphires on DVD

We were sent a copy of The Sapphires to review – and is based on a true story, though the film is based on the stage play. Think along the lines of something like The Commitments but without as much humour, heartwarming and plenty of soul.

Oh, and it features Chris O’Dowd from the IT Crowd (who even sings – if that is his voice and not someone else dubbed in then he’s got a good one).

So, the film. Firstly, I enjoyed it – I like a bit of that ‘feelgood’ feeling and this came along at the right time. Shaun wasn’t so keen after a while, but I put that down to him being a bit grumpy that night.

It’s 1968 and three sisters have a singing group, enter a local talent competition and despite being the standout talent, don’t win due to being Aboriginal. Dave Lovelace (O’Dowd) is rightfully angry and ends up becoming their manager encouraging the girls to find soul, and finally their cousin comes on board. They then set out on a tour of Vietnam to sing for the troops.

Obviously, being in Vietnam back when the war is on isn’t the safest, and we see parts of their journey, highs and lows and plenty of courage and commitment, and especially their friendship and family.

If you like your films to have that kind of slushy feelgood feeling, this will be right up your street. It’s available to rent and own on DVD from the 4th March 2013 and if you’re stuck for a film then I reckon this would make a fab Mother’s Day present!

We were sent a copy of the DVD to review, all opinions are our own

06/03/201304/02/2014 by jo

Review – The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club by Helen McGinn

Knackered? Yep.

Mother? Oh yes.

Wine Club? Crazy. But yes please.

The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club has just been released – and after getting around two thirds of the way around this book, I now realise at the grand old age of almost 43 that I need some proper knowledge about wine in my life. No more will I go to our local M&S and get some of their awful cheap rosé or red and endure it, wondering if I’m pregnant as it tastes so bad and it surely can’t be that bad? (it really was)

I now know I need some wines for my wine cupboard too. Yes, cupboard. We have space – it currently holds some random spirit bottles, plus the unopened bottle of Triple Sec I bought in Duty Free once. Actually, I bought it without having a clue what to do with it – and I think that’s the problem with me and alcohol. I mean, I don’t have a problem – I’ll have a glass once or twice a week, maybe a half a guinness in the pub on a knitting night, but never that much – and what I need is education. I have bits here and there, bottles that kind of go together but not quite – I need someone to help me have some order and organisation in my life without making me feel like a bigger fool.

This book has it in droves. I’ve been sitting reading it on the train and just yesterday another mum looked over the top of my book “is it any good, this book?” she said. Whether she’s seen a copy in stores or whether it’s just the really catchy cover which drew her in I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound like it’s just me that needs some help and direction.

See, what I’m learning right now is that you don’t just buy the cheap and cheerful stuff. Think ahead – a bit like doing meal planning, work out which wines go with your food or evening snacks. Pay a bit more and have nice wine rather than pay less and have more (nasty) wine.

There’s also recommendations for which types of wine go with food – Helen McGinn, the writer was once a wine taster for Tesco so she knows her stuff. She also has her Knackered Mother’s Wine Club blog where she’ll share good deals and good wines (seriously, are you still here? She is the Superwoman of all things Wine – she’s done the hard work for us).

The best thing? The book is written in a way which is easy to understand – I now just have to work on the knackered side of me to retain the information, but I’m getting there – right now post-it’s are helping. You could too. The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club is out now and at a damn good price via Amazon.

06/03/201318/01/2015 by jo

We Love Books and We Love Our Library

It’s possibly a good thing for my bank balance that we didn’t join our library until recently, as last time I came away with new books for H I ended up wanting to buy copies for us so we could keep them forever. Sighhh.

Today we took the first lot of books back and took out some more, and seeing as it’s something we’ll be doing a lot more, here’s my new little idea – We Love Our Library – where I’ll do a briefer than usual writeup on each book and recommend (or not!). Obviously this isn’t something we can do single-handedly which is where you come in – as most people still have a library nearby (I hope… who knows these days) – so let’s share what we’ve found.

Here’s today’s stash…

The Monster Bed by Jeanne Willis and Susan Varley – published by Andersen Press. This is a Dennis The Monster book, and I’m hoping there’ll be more from this monster – H has an irrational fear of them, so this was perfect for reinforcing how much monsters are scared of humans – in short, Dennis the Monster decides to sleep under his bed as that’s where the humans go to scare him, a human finds his cave and has a lie down on the bed but decides to check underneath the bed for monsters… and well, you can guess the conclusion. H enjoyed it, it’s a book that rhymes and is fun – one we’ll read plenty of times.

Not Last Night But The Night Before by Colin McNaughton and Emma Chichester Clark – published by Walker books. It’s the familiar rhyme, but this time the little boy’s friends (who happen to feature in most nursery rhymes too) are all paying a visit – until the point it all becomes a bit too much! It’s fun and involves plenty of repetition which is always good for younger kids. Lovely illustrations too as you’d expect from Emma Chichester Clark (which is the reason I picked it up).

Finally, Ginger Finds A Home by Charlotte Voake published by Walker Books. I liked the really lovely illustrations – ginger is a cat, a stray, and is skinny and hungry. He finds a bowl of cat food and eventually a girl turns up with the bowl and adopts him, naming him Ginger. The story has not too much going on and I liked the illustrations best of all – let the story and the pictures keep everything really simple. I wouldn’t recommend this book if you’ve lost a cat (it might be upsetting with a small child thinking someone else has their cat?) – but it has a happy ending.

03/03/201304/02/2014 by jo

A National Trust Weekend

We’re lucky, we have so many National Trust places a short drive from us, and now the weather is improving decided to get out this weekend and get some fresh air. I checked on my National Trust app to see what was open (top tip – bear in mind what date it is – I forgot so we nearly went to two places that don’t open for 2013 for a few more weeks) – and yesterday went to Morden Hall Park (which is open all year round), and Clandon Park today just outside of Guildford.

Morden Hall Park

As with most National Trust places, there’s a children’s play area, plenty of grounds to walk around and a nice house you can sometimes go into – and of course the cafe serving good coffee and good cake. H was asked her age for the first time today too – you’re charged a membership fee once you’re five – but fortunately at three and a half she’s still a way off that!

Clandon Park with the grotto in the background

The best thing I’ve found about our local National Trust places is that there’s so much to do – and with Easter on the horizon I spotted most places have an Easter Egg hunt on – last year we did the one at Claremont Park Gardens near Esher (and H was particularly happy with her egg) – so keep an eye out for more information!

Funnily enough, after thinking we’d been to Clandon Park before, on getting there nothing looked familiar – I think we must have got there as they were closing when we visited (as Hatchlands Park is just up the road with their amazing bluebell woods – head there around April-May time for some fabulous views) – so we had another great place to discover!

03/03/2013 by jo

Let’s Get Dads Reading To Their Kids Campaign from Booktrust

The UK’s leading reading charity Booktrust launched the ‘Get Dads Reading’ campaign, challenging dads to match mums in reading with their children. Read on for more information… but first, have a watch of an introductory video by James Patterson.

UK dads trail far behind their partners when it comes to reading to their children. A new poll, carried out for Booktrust by Opinium, reveals that just 13% are the main reader with their child, with a quarter of fathers saying that the demand for them to work late means that they do not have time to read together more often.

These findings are a major concern as a father’s involvement in their child’s early reading is proven to boost academic success, leading to improved social and emotional wellbeing. To fight this crisis Booktrust is launching a major campaign to raise awareness of the importance of dads as reading role models for their children.

Further research, commissioned by Booktrust from the Institute of Education, sheds more light on this hidden crisis. A series of in-depth interviews reveals that many fathers see reading as a female domain, and are working in isolation, rather than sharing practices and drawing on the networks available to mothers. When they do read to their children, fathers favour their daughters over their sons, reading to them for longer, and more often.

Booktrust is calling on dads up and down the country to match mums’ efforts in reading with their children. To launch the campaign Booktrust’s patron, HRH, The Duchess of Cornwall and bestselling author James Patterson – 2010 Children’s Choice Book Award Author of the Year and founding partner of the Booktrust’s Children’s Reading Fund in association which his publisher Random House – will this afternoon visit a thriving dads reading group to see how dads and their children benefit from sharing books. At the moment, research shows that at formal literacy events for children, only 10% of the parents attending are dads.

The research carried out for Booktrust by Opinium surveyed 1,016 parents of children aged 0-11 – and also reveals that:

43% of mums read to their child everyday in comparison to just 26% of dads.

The top reasons dads give for not reading with their children more often are:

1. I get home from work too late (26%)
2. I feel too tired (22%)
3. I feel like I read to my child enough (19%)
4. I don’t have enough time (18%)
5. My partner likes to do the reading (12%)

37% of dads claimed to read to their child everyday – but only 19% of mums reported that this was the case.

Commenting on the research, Viv Bird, Booktrust Chief Executive, said:

‘The most crucial thing for dads to understand is that if kids see their dads reading they’re more likely to enjoy it themselves. There is evidence that boys are slipping further behind girls in reading – and this emphasises how important it is that dads are positive role models to their sons as well as their daughters when it comes to reading.’

James Patterson – who started writing for children in 2005 in order to encourage his son to read and has developed his own website, ReadKiddoRead, to help dads find books to read with their children – adds:

‘If we can get children reading and enjoying books, we open up a whole world of possibility to them. I believe that dads have a huge role to play in encouraging their children to read. We need to give fathers the support they need in reading to their children. If I can help dads to understand their role in making books and reading more important in children’s lives, I’ll be a happy man’

As part of the Booktrust campaign dads will have access to a whole range or resources and guidance about how to get the most out of reading with their children. A host of celebrity dads – Booktrust’s ‘Dads Army’ – including James Patterson and Dan Snow will lend their support to the campaign. See www.booktrust.org.uk and #dadsreading.

01/03/201326/03/2018 by jo

Children’s Traffic Club

When I was young we had all manner of great things teaching us about road safety – the Tufty Club and the Green Cross Code man. I’m not sure what happened after that, but now H is an age where road awareness is something that is important, I looked around to see what was on offer.

It was only after H’s last open day at nursery I spotted The Children’s Traffic Club – a fairly easy name to remember (which I promptly forgot), though after googling I found them and duly signed up. Her open day was early February, and her pack arrived today around three weeks later. The club is aimed at 3-4 year olds and it’s free. So, what do you get? An activity book – one page per week plus four sheets of stickers, a certificate to confirm you’re in the club and a DVD with various activities and songs (put to the same tunes as nursery rhymes, so you get ‘this is the way we all hold hands’ or ‘play play play our games’ and so on) – there are sixteen weeks of activities then we’ll be sent the next DVD in the set.

H’s nursery is on a busy road, and we’ve already been practising looking left and right (apart when the really annoying parents park on the dropped kerb right outside the entrance blocking the view up the road, gee thanks), and I think this will complement what it already being taught.

So this isn’t a review, I’ll come back to this in a few weeks but just helping spread the word – it’s a fantastic idea and something more people should know about. Sign up today!

*If you live in London TfL pay for this, so you will receive everything at no cost. Outside of London you will have to pay.

01/03/201317/02/2019 by jo

My Best Mothers’ Day Present

Painshill Park in Cobham are yet again doing their excellent mums-go-free deal (if you take your child) this Mothers’ day, 2013. The information is here – and if the weather is good (which it generally is) then you’ve plenty of grounds to wander around.

If your little one is still in a buggy don’t worry, as it’s generally all accessible – though could be muddy in parts.

We LOVE Painshill (we’ve been the last two years to see Santa there and often do these deals)

There’s plenty of activities to do there too, leading up to the big day – check out the What’s On section of their website.

27/02/201304/02/2014 by jo

Review – Running Shoes

I am definitely not a runner. I say this, as this backs up the fact I’m no authority on running shoes – however, I do run daily. Almost every day I’m in a mad dash for the train – and if it’s at home that’s two lots of stairs to get up and down in less than a minute, if I’m at work it’s a run from the bus through Clapham Junction and onto Platform 15.

So the opportunity arose to choose some running shoes to review. So I had a good look at my lifestyle. I do a huge amount of walking – definitely more than running, I love going to National Trust places and I have been known to run occasionally there. Banstead Woods is another place I like to walk around though I fear running in there (it’s hilly and I’m the kind of person who trips over easily) – however, looking at the choice at Sports Shoes.com I went for some which were made for running as well as walking – a good grip but good support too – the description sounded like me!

The shoes arrived quickly and I put them to the test the following day – as ever we were late getting me to the station in the morning, but for the first time ever I didn’t get a shin splint when running for the train – my old trainers were getting past it, but already I can see the importance of paying a good price for some good shoes – especially ones you intend to run in. I’ve found myself running a lot more when I wear them as they’re so comfortable – and when you’re not in pain doing it this is quite important.

Oh, and when you’re forever rushing around like I am, a good pair of running shoes is definitely something worth considering. I found the price reasonable and I’ve already had a lot of use from them.

Another thing I liked on the Sportsshoes.com site was having an explanation about the kind of shoe – I don’t have a clue, but armed with the information there I definitely know I picked the right pair. I feel like once the nights get lighter maybe I’ll give Couch to 5K a go… if Shaun can do it then I can!

Also, the shoes on offer have some great reductions, so it’s definitely worth checking them out!

I was sent a pair of shoes for the purpose of review, all opinions are my own.

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