31/07/201205/06/2016 by jo

Sacrilege 2012 – an inflatable Stonehenge on tour – by Jeremy Deller

Fancy bouncing on a life-size replica Stonehenge for free?

Check out Sacrilege 2012 by Jeremy Deller quick – they’re touring parks all around the country, but it’s almost over.

We went yesterday in Cheam Park – and although it had to be deflated due to high winds for a while, it was soon inflated again (as it’s better for Stonehenge to be up).

Things worth knowing:

• Follow Sacrilege on Twitter (@sacrilege2012) – especially when the weather is bad, then you can get updates when it closes and reopens (if they have to).
• Even when it rains they’ll let you on – just in smaller batches so there’s more room – bear in mind it’s slippery though. We got a 10-15 minute bounce – though the second time was cut short due to high winds again (damn you weather).
• They said they can’t come back (if a showing is disrupted by weather), so persevere if you can – or find something else locally you can do if it is bad weather so you can get back quickly.
• There’s no secure storage for valuables, and you can’t take them on with you – so leave your most expensive stuff at home

I put together a little YouTube thing when it was being inflated the second time.

Check out their website too – there’s extra goodies – music and even a beard to print out and take with you.

Jeremy Deller is a genius. I’ve never seen so many happy laughing faces bouncing around on a huge great big bouncy thing. Apparently it’s available for hire too…

TOUR DATES
21 June – Carmarthenshire, Wales
24 June – Redruth, Cornwall
26 June – Exeter, Devon
29 June – Marlborough, Wiltshire
4 July – Southend On Sea
7 July – Flag Fen, Peterborough
11 July – Wakefield, Yorkshire
15 July – Gateshead – CANCELLED
20 July – Fishermead, Milton Keynes
21/22 July – Greenwich, London
25 July – Brent, London
28 July – Westminster, London
29 July – Sutton, London
31 July – Ravenscourt Park, London
1 August – Hampstead Heath, London
2 August – Clapham Common, London
4 August – Southwark, London
5 August – HIllingdon, London
7 August – Newham, London
9 August – Crystal Palace, London
10 August – Alexandra Palace, London
11 August – Christchurch Green, London
12 August – Lee Valley Park, London
18 August – College Green, Bristol
26 August – Belfast
9 September – Preston

30/07/201226/03/2018 by jo

Hello Okkiobe!

Okkiobe are a new family-run online store, who have some lovely handmade gifts as well as stocking some lovely brands.

I’m a sucker for handmade things – and this was my immediate attraction when I looked at their site – and there’s some lovely colours and fabrics being used. In addition to this, I’ve not heard of anyone doing NHS Red Health Record Book Covers – ours is so tatty, so I jumped at the chance to try one to see how lovely it looks (and to help preserve ours for as long as possible!) –

It arrived the following day, lovingly wrapped in tissue paper and well packaged – and I love it! It’ll keep the book safe and tidy and I love how each case is unique, due to it being handmade by Corrina – wife of Jerome – who are Okkiobe.

The online store has some really lovely things to buy – from brands I’m aware of (like the excellent Pixie & Punk), to ones I haven’t heard of but would definitely think about buying like Babymoov who do some really cool changing bags.

If you like handmade and different baby gifts, go and check out Okkiobe – there’s some great products and they’d make unique presents for many occasions.

You can also find Okkiobe on Facebook and Twitter

I received the book cover to review, all opinions are my own

29/07/201204/02/2014 by jo

Ben and Holly Star of the Week

We’re very much a Ben and Holly household as you may be aware – why just last weekend H and her friend went to a party as Ben and Holly – if only I’d got some video of them both and I’d be entering right now.

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom

The Official Ben and Holly Facebook page has a competition running at the moment – you need to submit a video of something Ben and Holly inspired – and whoever submits the best video will win a Ben and Holly Magic Toadstool toy. At the end of this there will be one overall winner who will get a VIP package – including tickets to the Live Show – and getting to meet the cast.

Head over to the Facebook Page and get your entry in – you’ve got until the end of September!

From 30th July, Nick Jr will feature Ben & Holly on their Star Of The Week slot, airing back to back episodes.

28/07/201231/03/2018 by jo

App Time – Peppa Pig’s Sports Day

It’s impossible to avoid The Olympics (especially if you live in London right now), and here’s another fab addition to sporty-themed merch that’s been released to coincide.

Peppa Pig’s Sports Day came out on July 20th 2012, and is available in the App Store for £2.99 and is compatible with the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone.

What’s more is, we love it. So many games are single player – whereas this one has multiplayer options which make it so much more competitive (especially difficult when you want your almost-three-year-old to win).

Firstly, after the Peppa Theme you’re greeted with this screen with your options

That’s Obstacle Race, Long Jump, Ice Cream Maker, Bicycle Race, Tug Of War, Rosette Making and finally a selection of scenes to place your reward stickers.

We’ve had several games on the multiplayer options (Obstacle Race, Long Jump, Bicycle Race, Tug of War) which was fun – you can play up to four people, though I’m not sure how well it would work on an iPhone or iPod.

The multiplayer mode looks like this :

Simply drag your character into the relevant ring.

H loves making pictures on the iPad and we were impressed with the rosette making, as once you’ve finished and click that final tickbox, it will auto-save it to your pictures folder. Nice!

Finally, the sticker scene – what I really liked about this was each sticker can be made smaller or larger – though right now all H wants to do is put all of them onto the scene. I suspect we may run out of stickers soon – I haven’t done a count, but it’d be nice if there were more – though the option to reset a profile is really straightforward so you could start collecting again that way.

As previously said, it’s a fun game, and it’s perfectly timed. At £2.99 it’s not cheap, and you’d expect to get a fair amount of use from it – which we have. I love that we can join in with the games as we’ve found most games we try don’t have that as a feature.

Available now at the App Store

We reviewed and paid for this app. All opinions are our own.

26/07/201205/06/2016 by jo

Llama’s Baked Bites Review

Okay, so now I’ve got your attention, allow me to draw your attention further to some new snacks launched recently, Llamas!

They’re made from whole-wheat and are oven baked for plenty of crunch – then finished off by being a llama shape, which amused the toddlers no end.

There’s three flavours – BBQ, tangy cheese and sweet chilli. We really liked all of them – there wasn’t one that stood out over the other (the BBQ and Sweet Chili ones go nice with wine, btw) – and they come in handy 150g bags.

What appealed to me the most is that it’s a snack you can share with your little ones – plus of course you can persuade them to help you put the llamas in places around the garden for a photo shoot…

A Llama on a motorbike, H giving that “don’t touch my llama” stare, two llama’s on the seesaw and one llama thinking about a swim…

I like snacks that I can share, and don’t have to hide (like say, chocolate) – and this is perfect. They were tested by three mums and three toddlers plus one almost-toddler, and everyone gave them a big thumbs up.

Llama’s available from Tesco stores nationwide, priced at £1.69 for a 150g bag.

Aside from all this, check out the Llama’s YouTube channel where you can see some football predictions – I can only hope the Llama is back in action for Team GB soon…. we may need him/her!

For more information on Llama’s plans for taking over the snacking world, read his crunch time blog at www.llamasnacks.com or join the herd @llamasnacks on Twitter or on Facebook.

We were sent a pack of each flavour to try, all opinions are our own.

24/07/201226/03/2018 by jo

We Love itti bitti nappies!

Itti Bitti the Australian cloth nappy has recently launched in the UK.

Tracy was sent the Itti Bitti All in One to review for us at Mum Friendly, testing it out on her almost-three year old boy. She’s no stranger to the brand, and is a cloth nappy user for both her boys.

Itti Bitti ‘dlish is the ultimate dad friendly nappy,
no inners or snaps to forget before tossing in the nappy bucket.
We have a very decent stash of reusables with all kinds of funky prints and materials,
but the Itti Bitti All in One is the first choice.
Because it is as easy as a disposable and fits so well under clothing,
and really never leaks, I am confident even to send my son to pre-school in these.
The designs are awesome, functionality better than other nappies making these
great nappies pretty Mum Friendly too.

They’re designed to fit just like a disposable and offer families the best in modern cloth, luxurious fabrics and superior quality. To see their wide range of colours, styles, sizes and material options visit www.ittibitti.co.uk

Why choose itti bitti?
• Superior fabrics and quality
• 12 month workmanship guarantee
• Excellent product range
• Fantastic customer service
• Innovative designs
• Globally recognised cloth brand

The collection comprises bitti d’lish, (All in One and Snap in One in a rainbow of nine bright fun colours),
bitti brites (limited edition prints in the bitti d’lish range),
bitti boo, (ultra trim, luxuriously cuddly, highly absorbent and super soft with bamboo and organic cotton velour),
bitti tutto, (a one size nappy that fits neat and slim from birth onwards and comes in a rainbow of 18 gorgeous colours and seasonal prints).
There is also a full range of accessories including Wet bags and Ultimate Wipes and Blankees & Change Mats.

The number of families with new babies choosing to use cloth nappies has substantially grown in recent years with the development of advanced, affordable and attractive designs.
Using cloth nappies for one child’s time in nappies can save as much as two tonnes of waste from entering landfills; lessening the effect that hard-to-break down disposable nappies has on the environment for years to come.

Cloth nappies are an effective choice to reduce your baby’s environmental footprint. With their signature ultra trim fit and luxurious fabrics; itti bitti will definitely change the way you think about cloth nappies!
Facebook @ittibitti.uk
Twitter: @itti_bitti

23/07/201206/01/2015 by jo

Nickelodeon’s Dora The Explorer – LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys

Firstly, let me share the trailer. If you love Dora as much as H does, then this is going to be right up your street.

Dora on the stage! She’s coming to London for three weeks in late August to early September, as well as some dates in Blackpool – and we’ll be reviewing the show! (which we’re extremely excited about, by the way)

London’s show is at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, and runs from the 28th August to the 16th September 2012, whereas Blackpool is the 10th August to 26th August. There’s also a proper tour planned for 2013 – dates to be announced shortly.

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

Everyone’s favourite explorer is embarking on a LIVE musical adventure in London’s West End! In Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys, Dora has lost her teddy bear Osito, and the search is on to retrieve him!
Dora The Explorer live 2012

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

Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys  Apollo Theatre – West End

Dates: 28 August – 16 September 2012
Performances : Monday – Sunday 10.30am/1.00pm/3.30pm*
*Please see full performance schedule on the website for dates with no 3.30pm performances
Ticket prices: £13.00, £18.00, £25.00 (premium)
Prices include a 50p restoration levy

Address: Apollo Theatre, 31 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES
Box Office: 0844 412 4658
Website:
www.ticketmaster.co.uk
www.nimaxtheatres.com
www.nickjr.co.uk/

Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer LIVE! Search for the City of Lost Toys  Globe Theatre, Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Dates: 10 August – 20 August 2012
Performances: Monday – Sunday 10.30am/1.00pm
Ticket prices: £12, £14, £17 (£2 off for children) £50 family ticket

Address: Globe Theatre, Pleasure Beach Blackpool, 525 Ocean Boulevard,
Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 1EZ
Box Office: 0871 222 9090
Website: www.pleasurebeachresort.com

17/07/2012 by jo

We Love Books – So We Made A Playlist

We’ve already done it with music, then it hit me the other night – there’s so many audiobooks or even just readings of books on YouTube which we keep stumbling across – so we’ve created a playlist to share the goodness.

Every day we’re devoting at least twenty minutes to look for any good quirkly YouTube videos – and that includes some trailers for books we’ve featured like Clara Vulliamy’s ‘Martha and the Bunny Brothers – I Love School’ and ‘The Hueys in the New Jumper’ book by Oliver Jeffers (as read by Jarvis Cocker, excellent!) – the only rule is that it has to be a book we’ve read (and if you’ve seen the size of H’s bookcase, then there’s a lot to get through) and it doesn’t matter if it’s read or sung as long as it stays faithful to the book.

Up until an hour or so ago I never even realised you could sing ‘A Squash and a Squeeze’ by Julia Donaldson. We all do now, though. There’s going to be so much more out there that we’ll find, and it’s all shared below. Oh, and yes, there’s Topsy and Tim in there too…

12/07/201226/03/2018 by jo

Mum Friendly Group – Night Terrors

I know it’s linked on the frontpage, but I’m sure nobody reads it – did you know there’s a Mum Friendly group where I end up asking tons of questions, and get loads of helpful replies? It’s over here.

I just wanted to bring this up, as H has had some awful night terrors lately – waking up and screaming. It all came to a head when we were at a friends house, just about to settle to sleep and she started – and it would go on for twenty minutes or so – sometimes longer. We were at our wits end, I was tired out as I was talking to her in her dream to let her know I was there (most of the screams were “Mummy! Mummy!” type ones) until her subconscious kicked in and she drifted off again. It’s not fun.

Sometimes she’d wake up and come into our room as there was a wasp in her room. We knew it was in a dream and she was still partially asleep, but try convincing a scared toddler of that.

Which brings me to the solution we’ve found works for us. Naomi suggested it, and although we didn’t make one, when we were staying with friends we were by the sea – and there’s loads of cheap shops where all the things you could ever want to buy (and the rest) are. Including a light up magic wand (as we now call it).

Every night I cast a spell, and every night H sleeps through, pretty much. We’ve not had a single night terror since I started casting spells (they’re obviously very sophisticated). We’ve also had minimal wakeups in the night.

So yes, thank you Naomi – I’m passing on your fabulous solution to whoever may read this now who could find it useful. Good luck!

11/07/201226/03/2018 by jo

We Love Books – Topsy & Tim Have Their Eyes Tested

I suspect this one is no longer in print in any way – I picked one up at Amazon, but if your child is set to wear glasses or get an eye test, then after just one read I can see this will be a positive addition to our Topsy & Tim collection – and that’s the beauty of these books – it’s regular things that happen to them (I’ve still never found any other books about headlice or safety incidents that set it out as plain as this).

For that reason alone, I love Topsy & Tim. H really relates to them and the things they do.

Topsy & Tim Have Their Eyes Tested was first published in 1990, and I suspect this is that very edition, so already 22 years old. Yikes.

Topsy & Tim Have Their Eyes Tested

The story starts with the school medical check, Topsy and Stevie both fail their eye tests, so are referred to the optometrist which becomes a very odd word when you repeat it a lot. Topsy passes the tests at the optometrist (the same tests H had so that’s good!), but Stevie has to wear glasses; he’s not happy about it (fortunately H was!), but sees things the others don’t spot so actually quite likes having them in the end.

You can pick up the book for around 1p with shipping extra on Amazon Marketplace – if your toddler is set to have glasses and you want something that spells it out simply, this may well be your book.