Pigs In Pants is the second of our 3 reviews of brand new Orchard Toys games for this Autumn. It is a cheeky concept whereby you start with a naked pig and your aim is to dress your pig in as many pairs of undies as you can by finding a matching card to one of the 2 you are currently holding. You can take cards from a selection on the table, or from your fellow game players. It really appeals to 4 year olds, who frankly are obsessed with anything regarding pants and think it's hilarious.


Like all Orchard Toys games and puzzles this is designed and manufactured in the UK from thick, high quality 100% recycled board. It's bright and modern, built to be played with and will last to be passed on when your child has finished with it.


This game has a recommended age range of 4+, my 3 1/2 year old had no trouble joining in, but he is used to turn-taking and playing games. It retails at a very reasonable £7.50 and is suitable for 2-4 players.


It is excellent for young children who are learning more complicated rules of game play, although can be adapted to be simpler - for example when playing with our 3 year old we didn't allow the children to take cards from each others hands, as he was frustrated by that rule and felt it wasn't fair.


It teaches turn-taking and basic game play, and the concepts of winning and losing, matching and observation skills. Because you can take a card from several sources you need to be alert and concentrate and remember to look everywhere for a match to 1 of your 2 cards in play. At the end of the game the cards are all counted to see who is the winner, and that was good for both of my boys and their counting skills.

 
I think the age range is right. This is a trickier game for a younger child to win because they don't pay enough attention to where all the cards are.  The subject matter is perfect for the 'infant school' age range and their humour. It's a very quick game to play and keeps the children's interest well, and the addition of the 'pigs and pants' and 'no knickers' which you shout out on your turn is a bit 'cheeky' and so hilarious for them.
 

My 4 year old was very pleased with this game and got the hang of  it instantly. He has chosen to play this more than any other game this last week, so it's definitely a hit. I give it 5/5 because I really can't fault it as a simple game which builds concentration and really appeals to my children.

It's the last Saturday of the holidays and it was actually a lovely dry day and we were given the opportunity to attend a We Are Adventurers woodland activity session with a group of other Bloggers from NorthWest Bloggers and organised by Karen GrumpyishMum.

We met in the Car Park at Chorlton Water Park and were all given a sheet with pictures of different leaves. For our first task we had to look for each of the leaves on the trees as we walked down the pathway. We did quite well, we got 7!

Searching for different leaves

Some impressive toadstools that we passed

 










We Are Adventurers was formed in January 2013 by a Forest School Practitioner Paul Wilcox and his wife Jennifer. The aim is to get young children outside whatever the weather, enjoying and experiencing nature and learning about what is around them outdoors. It was brilliant, my boys had a great morning and they were introduced to a host of great ideas. When the session finished we had the bug, so we carried on exploring for a while and had some more outdoor fun before we went home for lunch.

The boys ran across a 'troll bridge'

And the trolls couldn't catch them!

We looked at a murky pond and wondered who lived there.

We found information about who was living in the big lake

One of us touched some nettles even though he knew he shouldn't, and his brother found him dock leaves to help make it better.

We found a great play area with lots of climbing.

We found some tiny frogs....and a van selling jaffa cakes....

We took part in a special 'Babes In The Wood' session for children under 5, but We Are Adventurers also hold sessions for older children and work with schools and children in Manchester, Trafford and Cheshire. You can even book a themed birthday party! The leaders are really keen and brilliant with the children. They explain everything in clear language that doesn't treat children as if they are daft. I loved their approach and it worked really well with the children. They encourage safe exploration and it really is an adventure. You can find out all the information you need to take part or book a party on their website.

When Britmums asked if anyone wanted to try a new range of pure and natural skincare especially designed with the needs of young skin in mind, I'd have very much disappointed a couple of our girls if I hadn't applied.

We have 5 teenagers, including girls aged 13,14 and 15, and so skincare is a hot topic in our house (lots of things become a hot topic at some point with all the hormones flying about).

All teenagers want clear skin and unfortunately it can be a battle to achieve. I know I went through just about everything on the shelf and I spent a fortune at my local chemist when I was a teenager in search of anything that helped and gave me back some of my confidence, so we're always happy to try something different.


Amie skincare really is different. The first thing I noticed was that the packaging is very subtle and pretty, modern and attractive. It looks great in the bathroom. The second thing that no-one can fail to notice is the smell when you open it. It's gorgeous. It has a slightly sweet and floral smell, but not at all over the top. It's gentle and really lovely. Although it smells clean, it doesn't smell soapy or have a 'chemical' smell at all.

My teens were keen to give it a go, and along with 2 of them I have used it every day for the past 3 weeks. All 3 of us are very happy with the results. The moisturiser soaks very well into your skin instantly and doesn't leave a nasty film. The cleanser is gentle on my aging skin, but really effective on the girls teenage skin. One of the girls was even brave enough to let me take and post a close up photo make up and concealer free.


Both girl's skin is really noticeably clearer and brighter, their teenage spots are greatly reduced and they're incredibly pleased with the results. They're also delighted with how smooth their skin is, as am I with mine.

The Amie skincare range is subtitled 'Pure And Natural Beauty' and I think that's a perfect description. In their own words -

Amie is the natural skin care and beauty range for sensitive skin, created by top beauty expert, Fiona Parkhouse.
Bursting with natural plant and botanical extracts and free from harsh chemicals, Amie products are gentle yet super-effective. 
Ideal for sensitive skin that can be oily and prone to breakouts or dryness, they have been especially designed to work in complete harmony with your skin to help keep it clear, soft and radiant.
Amie’s high-quality products are completely free from parabens, sulphates, mineral oils, petrochemicals, animal extracts and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Frankly we couldn't be more delighted. It's done everything we hoped it would and more. It's a real find as far as I'm concerned, it works perfectly for my family's skin and I will be buying it in future. We don't need to look for anything else.

The Amie skincare range is available to buy in Waitrose and John Lewis or online. The Moisturiser and Facial wash we were sent retail at £4.95 per tube, which is mid-range pricing. It lasts well and works and is comparable to medicated over-the-counter products for teenage skin and cheaper than many products designed for older skin.

We've just reviewed the Anagranimals Children's book featuring a group of 6 friendly animals who exchange body parts with each other and my 5 year old loves it and finds it very funny.

For a chance to win a copy of the book for yourself signed by the author please enter using the Rafflecopter form below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

The story is a bit abstract, but it introduces the ideas very well and is easily understood by both the 3 and 5 year olds. The 5 year old isn't able to read any of this book himself yet, but the way the anagranimal 'names' are written is broken down and will be very easy for him to pick up in only a couple of months time e.g Hippo-Croco-Puss. 


This is an almost A4 book with an impressive 32 pages, and it is the initial book in a proposed series with an accompanying website (which isn't quite completed as I type) www.Anagranimals.com.

I think this book is ideal for it's suggested age range of 5+. It promotes discussion about the world and the animals within it. It introduces a few animals your child might not have come across and my 5 year old finds it very humourous and loves looking at the back/front inside covers where there are a host of mix and match animals to discover. 7/10

Anagranimals is available as a Kindle download from Amazon for only £1.29 and will be released in paperback on 1st September 2013 for £7.99 (current prices).

It's just a normal day in BrickCastle Land.

Because of this amazing Summer we've had, and the fact we've been somewhat otherwise occupied this year, our garden is full of brambles. The brambles are absolutely laden with gorgeous fruit that is incredibly sweet, so I decided to make some use of it today. You can't really get better than free food.

I made a Blackberry Sponge Tart using pretty much the same method as I did for my Bakewell Style Tart, but substituting fresh blackberries for the jam.

Grease your pie dish and and line with pastry if you wish, or don't, it makes just as good a sponge without, it's just different to serve.

Use a double layer of blackberries. If they are very tart then add some chopped apple or other sweeter fruit.

Cover the berries with a handful of sugar

Weigh 2 eggs. Cream together approximately the same weight in butter and sugar, add the eggs, then add the same weight of self-raising flour and stir in. For a nice Autumnal flavour add a pinch of Nutmeg and a couple of teaspoons of Cinnamon to the cake mix before baking.

Cover the fruit entirely with the cake mix and then bake in a medium oven (180degrees, gas mark 4, 170degrees fan assisted) for around 45 minutes. It takes a while to cook through because of all the liquid in the berries. Don't let the top burn, but be careful not to take it out of the oven too early. If it starts to get too brown on top too quickly then turn down the oven.


When you try to cut the tart it will bring out juice and damp cake, but you shouldn't see raw cake mix. If you completely mess up and find the cake is raw after all, fear not. Put it back in the oven for a few minutes or really cheat and microwave a slice for around a minute. Best served warm with ice cream, cream or custard. Enjoy...