I was introduced to Blogs Up North as a brand new blogger by Pippa from RedRoseMummy, and on Sunday I went along nervously to my first proper meet up. There were 16 bloggers in attendance, and it was fantastic to meet so many people who's work I've read and commented on and laughed and cried at.

We were given free entry to the Legoland Discovery Centre and we arrived and nervously hung around in the shop until we saw the familiar face of Laura the never-looking-very Tired Mummy of Two and organiser of the meet.

We were split into 2 groups for the 'factory tour' which still amuses my boys even though they've seen it umpteen times - they're brave enough now to go and stand at the front and help make the Legoo and the bricks - turning cogs and jumping on buttons.

I've never had any trouble getting any of my children to eat fruit, they'll even eat a lot of veg. I can never understand when children (my own included) don't want to try all these sweet and colourful things, it makes me a bit sad because I feel they're missing out.

In a previous life I worked in Adult Education, working in various Community Buildings. I'd be the last to leave and had to bring everything with me, which would include any leftover lunch - including huge trays of fruit. I couldn't and wouldn't ever throw them out, it'd be criminal, so I'd take them home. Boy no.2 and my daughter would be delighted if I went to fetch them from school in the car, because they'd know I'd been off somewhere at work and the first question would always be 'is there any pudding left?'

In a bit of a change from usual I'm joining with 3 other bloggers for the next week to promote healthy eating.

Along with Anna from In The Playroom, Eileen from ET Speaks From Home and Pippa from Red Rose Mummy I'll be helping host a Twitter discussion and competition to win family prizes promoting healthy eating.

We want YOUR ideas for how to encourage reluctant children to eat things that are good for them, and we also want to know what you think is healthy?

We have been sponsored by SA Fruit, who have provided us with 2 x family picnic rucksacks to give away . They explain in their blurb ~

"South African Fruit is affordable, produced in a sustainable manner and fairly traded. The fruit industry creates jobs and is empowering previously disadvantaged workers, who are now  taking on management and ownership roles." 

For a chance to win one of the Family Picnic Rucksacks, retweet this Twitter status before 10am on Monday 22nd April 2013.


For a chance to win the second Family Picnic Rucksack and other spot prizes join us between 10.30am and 11.30am on Monday 22nd April on Twitter using the hashtag #healthysnackchat

You MUST be following at least one of the hosts to be eligible to win @etspeaksfrom, @redrosemummy, @TheBrickCastle and @ummziyad

SA Fruit also kindly sent me a selection of the fruits they export to Britain when our home-grown fruit is out of season. These are available nationwide in supermarkets.




Knowing full well that people of all ages eat far more fruit if it is cut up, I presented my 2 little boys and my partner with a bowlful each. Every piece was delicious and sweet, but we were all particularly impressed with the Red Williams Pears, the flavour was gorgeous. The plums were not bitter at all, and the apples had just the right amount of tang.


Hope to see you at the Twitter party! #HealthySnackChat



T&C below for the competition:

Every now and again the Little Tiger Press send me some books to have a look at with my two little men, and a few days ago we received two fantastic books from them....




 Dr Duck by Steve Small and Hannah George


This is a really cheeky story, that appeals to the horrible in my little boys. It has trumps and snot and a porcupine who sneezes their prickles off. It made my lads laugh and cringe and had exactly the desired effect!


The style of drawing reminds me of books I had as a child in the 70's, it's quaint, with Dr Duck wearing goggles when riding his bike and sidecar for example. The story is in rhyme, which will help children to learn rhythm and anticipate the next lines and words. My boys really liked it and I give it a 4/5.

 Mouse And The Moon by M Christina Butler and Tina Macnaughton


This book is really beautiful, it's fantastic to look at, with gorgeous soft-edged drawings and glitter throughout. The moon is always shiny and glittery, and my 3 year old especially loved touching it and feeling the texture.


The story is very simple and appeals to very young children. It tells of a group of forest animals searching for the moon during a storm. I have to practice my thunder and lightening sound effects - I was rubbish! Both boys really like this book, it is an excellent book for bedtime, we give it 4/5.


Little Tiger Press books are available countrywide, including online from Amazon.

Everything you ever didn't want to have to know about Chicken Pox from a Mum who has nursed 5 of my own children through Chicken Pox. What follows isn't a Medical guideline, it's my experience. If you want a medical explanation or advice then there are millions of pages online such as this NHS page, and you can go and see your GP or Practise Nurse, you could even look it up in a good old-fashioned book!

If you remember Chicken Pox then it's probably because you had it really bad when you were a teenager or an adult, and the experience is etched on your mind forever. You were really ill and everyone laughed at your scabs (maybe). If you had it young then you were probably just a bit itchy and can't really remember it at all. As far as I can see, somewhere between 2 years and 6 years is the optimum time to catch it, and is indeed the point when most children do...

In glorious technicolour ~

1.Chicken Pox starts before that first single spot, in fact your child is highly contagious for a couple of days before you could possibly know they have it. You may find yourself faced with a really grumpy and irritable child who isn't happy at all. You may know that they aren't well, or you just think they turned into a teenager overnight.

Day 1 AM, Day 1 PM Day 2 AM, Day 2 PM

Today is exactly 1 year since my little brother died. He was 32 and an alcoholic. He had always liked a drink, but the day he gave up was the day that his child died. It took him several years, but eventually he killed himself. We all had to watch, and none of us could help. No-one could make him understand it would never be his fault.

Today FSID has a new name. The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths has changed to The Lullaby Trust. I think it's an excellent name. It speaks of peace and calm, which is what I wish to anyone who loses their child, at whatever age.

I'm linking this with Jennie Edspire and Ghostwriter Mummy's Lullaby Linky. I was a brand new blogger just getting to grips with Twitter when I saw Jennie's tweet at the top of my page and wrote this. What I've seen since has been a mighty community with a level of support and understanding that never ceases to amaze me, and a woman who has a strength and poise beyond human.

The number of babies who are lost to SIDs has reduced by around 65% since we became aware of ways to reduce the risks in 1988. Lets bring it down further.

Yeah, if you do accidentally set fire to your frying pan, probably best to grab the kids and leg it, but I was reminded last night of a question we always asked when I was at school. If your house was on fire what would you grab to take with you as you run out of the door?

If you had time to grab just 3 things (and everything living is safely out on the lawn already - including the fish and the Yukka plant), what do you take? This isn't real, this is fantasy, so 'the bath' is a real option.

When I was 15 it was band posters, tour t-shirts and my midi system - of which I was very proud and it cost an entire 60 quid! Back then £60 was the equivalent of a million pounds - well, to me it was.


Now I'm a weeny bit older , I actually DO still have my tour t-shirts and posters (not the cheap tinny midi system though). Up in my loft is a mildewed programme bearing the autographs of Michelle Shocked, Billy Bragg and Michael Franti. I've got a poster that Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera has signed and written 'Sorry' on because I was crushed at his gig at Rock City. I've got programmes, maps, tickets and wristbands from every festival I ever went to. I even have a flyer from when me and 7 other people went to see My Bloody Valentine at The Dial in Derby on a Tuesday night for £2.50. None of it would make it into my top 3 though....

No.1 ~ Photo's of the kids. Real photo's, the kind I used to walk into town to collect and it cost me £2.50 for the film, and £3.00 for developing and I'd have 3 blank photo's, 2 shots of the floor, 1 picture half superimposed on another, 6 shots so blurry you couldn't see anyone, 4 where the heads were cut off and (if I was lucky) 3 where the subject was actually looking at the camera. We didn't even get a computer until my oldest was 7, so my real photo's mean a lot to me. (Good job this is fantasy because that's 2 tea chests already).

No.2 ~ All the 'treasure' I've collected from my children over the years. The certificates from school, the paintings, the cord clamps (everybody saves them, right?), first teeth and shoes, birth certificates, first passports, GCSE work they threw out and I rescued from the bin, birthday cards, programmes from plays and assemblies, bits of paper with the first 58 times they drew a recogniseable human on them......all that.

No.3 ~ The Jewellery Box my partner bought me for Christmas the year before last. I love it, it reminds me of one my Grandmother had and it's very beautiful. It has my treasure in it - ear-rings and gift tags and little Lego boxes with tiny things in, and on top are some cuddly things that my children and my partner gave me....

It's also possible I might just be able to fit in 4 or 5 band t-shirts at a push....


I guess that time and experience teaches us what is actually important, things are just things really, and anything that can simply be bought can usually only ever have limited value.


What would you save?

To celebrate the fact that my blog is now 4 months or 1/3 of a year old, or the fact I've got 457 following on Twitter, or the fact that my children have all now had chicken pox and hopefully I can tick that one off, or whatever you want to celebrate, I'm doing my first giveaway.

Because my blog isn't just about pre-schoolers I have decided my first giveaway isn't necessarily for the tinies, it's more for bigger kids.

Skylanders is an incredibly popular game which is available to play on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii U. The characters are not only within the game, but you have a real world figure to stand on the 'Portal Of Power' which connects to your games console, and makes the animated character appear within the game.Each toy also has the ability to store game information, so you can take it with you to your mates and join in with them without losing your stats! There are various extra single figures, and therefore characters, available to buy, and I have one to give away.


My 4 year old has been asking us to get this for the last few months. He'll have to wait until he's older, but for the rest of you  I have 1 Skylanders Giants Eye-Brawl Figure to give away using the rafflecopter form below.


This giveaway is open only to UK entrants, the prize is one new Skylanders Giants Eye-Brawl supplied by myself, the winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter when the competition ends and the timer runs out.I'll make every effort to contact the winner, but if I've not heard back within 48 hours then I reserve the right to choose another winner.

We have been lucky enough to review the Pirate Shapes game by Orchard Toys for Izziwizzi Kids Playfest.

As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles this is designed and manufactured in the UK from strong 100% recycled board. It has really bright colours, modern pictures and chunky pieces that don't bend or come apart during even quite boisterous play. It is built to be played with, and built to last.

Pirate Shapes ~ Age 2 1/2+


The Pirate Shapes game retails at £9.50. It is suitable for 2-4 players and the suggested age range is 2 1/2+. It is perfect for nursery or pre-school aged children who are learning shapes and colours. It teaches turn-taking and basic game play, and the concepts of winning and losing. Because you pick from a selection of upturned shapes the child has to pay attention to which shapes they need to collect, and then when they turn over the cards they need to compare their piece with the 'gaps' they have and see if it is the right colour and part of the picture to match with what they need to complete their board.




Boy no.4, who is just 3, absolutely loves this game and has carried it around with him since we introduced it. He has chicken pox and it's making him feel secure and taking his mind off the itching. He's happy to enjoy it just as a collection of jigsaws, playing the game with someone else is a bonus! He's already become far more confident with his colours and has learnt the names for oval and rectangle, which he wasn't certain of before.

Both my 3 and 4 year olds love this and it gets a definite 'thumbs up' from us. 

We have been lucky enough to review the On the Farm - Giant Jigsaw Playmat by Orchard Toys for Izziwizzi Kids Playfest.

As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles this is designed and manufactured in the UK from strong 100% recycled board. It has really bright colours, modern pictures and chunky pieces that don't bend or come apart during even quite boisterous play. Orchard Toys are built to be played with, and built to last.

On The Farm ~ Giant Jigsaw Playmat ~ Age 3-12


On The Farm retails at £13.95. It is suitable for 1 or more children and the suggested age range is 3-12. It promotes imaginative small worlds play and helps with manual dexterity, comprehension and understanding of the world. It develops language skills and encourages conversation. It is two-fold in that it is a jigsaw  and then a playmat using the characters supplied and any other animals, people and vehicles which the child may have available to them.

Although this works perfectly as a stand alone item, it can be combined with the Giant Road Jigsaw using the included link pieces, to create a far bigger playmat which can be put together in a multitude of different ways to create a landscape suitable for the play area, number of children taking part or just whatever your child wishes.



When they were young my older boys had a 'road' which was comprised of jigsaw pieces in a similar way, but was nothing like as durable or attractive as this one. They loved it and played with it regularly for months until it fell apart. The board that Orchard Toys use is really thick and will last far longer, it also stays together really well even when being 'driven' across with toy cars, ponies, aliens or anything else!
In my experience adding a playmat to pretend play makes it a completely different game. The pictures encourage the children to 'group' like items, consider what happens in real life far more and give visual cues as to how their play can progress. They are more likely to 'feed' their animals and keep their main storyline going for longer rather than shooting off at tangents constantly. It gives a focus for play and keeps the active area contained!

We're so impressed with the Giant Jigsaw Playmat that when we saw the Giant Road Jigsaw for sale at the RRP of £13.95 while on holiday in Wigtown this week, we bought it. On The Farm gets a definite 'thumbs up' from all of us.