I was given the opportunity by the Rainbow Toy Awards 2013 to review the LeapReader from LeapFrog and the Monsters University LeapReader book.

 

The LeapReader from LeapFrog is one of a group of products I've always been a bit dubious about. I thought they were gimmicky and very limited. Now that I've tried it, and my younger 2 sons have tried it, I've changed my mind. It's excellent.



We were sent the LeapReader and the 'Read, Write, Listen' demonstration book, plus the Monsters University book from Disney Pixar. The suggested age range for LeapReader is 4-8 and I was instantly impressed with the supplied books as they are not 'babyish' and suit an 8 year old as much as a 4 year old.


 The way that LeapReader works is genius. The paper is covered with a tiny and unobtrusive pattern that can be 'read' by the LeapReader and directs it to perform without obscuring the pictures or text at all.


The book that comes with the LeapReader is full of a massive variety of sample pages from the huge range of books available. There are 6 different sections 'Getting Ready To Read', 'Early Reading', 'Read On Your Own', 'Read & Write' and 'Learn Through Reading', plus 'Audio Books, Learning Songs and Trivia Fun'. I hadn't realised you can also 'write' with the LeapReader, and the addition of 'writing paper' on which the LeapReader can make marks when it can't make them anywhere else adds a whole other dimension, making the LeapReader at approximately £40 even better value.

Okay, my kids trashed the LeapReader Learning Paper before I could take a photo - but you get the idea

Also included with our package are 1 Audio Book Bundle, 1 Music Album and 1 Trivia Challenge which are downloaded once you set up a LeapReader account online and connect your LeapReader using the very short USB cable supplied. This takes barely moments and is incredibly simple to do. Activities are easily selected from the LeapReader 'pen' itself, using the buttons on the front. The LeapReader talks to you and lights up with a different colour depending on which activity you select.


Because the LeapReader talks to you, it's incredibly simple to use and any child (or parent) can get to grips with it instantly. It has only 4 buttons on the front, plus an on/off button and a socket for headphones! When listening to audio books on the go, or even when using a book, your child doesn't need to be distracted - or interrupt the rest of the family. It is powered by recharging via USB, making it incredibly handy and saving a fortune on batteries. Each charge lasts very well, we haven't yet had to recharge after 5 days use.

My 3 year old completing a game and my 5 year old listening to a story.

The Monsters University LeapReader book retails at £14.99, which is not really cheap, and the cost of the additional items is something that definitely has to be considered when you decide whether to purchase. That said, this 25 page book has absolutely masses inside it. For starters it's 3D! Yes, really! It comes supplied with 1 pair of card 3D glasses and every page just looks like a beautifully illustrated drawing until you put on the 3D glasses - when it comes alive!


Each double page offers more of the story, plus many objects to interact with. Almost anywhere that you place the pen, you will find something else to make a noise, give you information or initiate a puzzle or game. Several of the pages within the book also feature specific games and different levels. My children are nowhere near completing even half of it.


Overall I think the LeapReader Reading and Writing System is a fantastic tool for promoting and encouraging reading and writing, and a love of books. My boys have used it like a book, playing with it for 10-15 minutes, then moving on and coming back to it a while later. My younger son is 3 1/2, but he adores any books, so he thinks this is fantastic. He also sees his brother learning to read and wants to join in, so despite being just below the suggested age range, he's taking as much from this as my 5 year old. They both find it enthralling, and we still only have what came with the LeapReader initially and 1 extra book.

The LeapReader has masses of scope and the range of books features Maths skills and all kinds of General Knowledge and Science, History and Geography amongst many other things. I'm incredibly impressed, my children love it and it's teaching them too. At £40 it would be a main present in my house, but there are deals easily found for the books, so in my opinion it's good value for money and I would recommend it for boys and girls.

Having been pregnant for nearly 4 years of my life and breastfeeding for another 8, I've had plenty of time when I've purposefully limited my alcohol intake to virtually zero for my babies. I've also very often been the 'designated driver' (or the person who has to get up in the morning with the children!) and kept to alcohol free while out, so I've experienced Eisberg Alcohol Free Wine on many occasions.

I like a glass of wine, especially when celebrating or out for a meal, it's a special treat and being able to join in and indulge when you're not drinking alcohol is a great thing.

Eisberg is the UK's biggest selling alcohol-free wine, and I'm not surprised to learn this because it is rather delicious and not at all lacking in taste, even though it has none of the alcohol and only 1/3 of the calories (34 per 125ml glass) of standard wine! Eisberg say:

Made in the same way as your favourite wine, the alcohol is then gently removed using one of the world’s most advanced techniques to ensure that as much of the original character and flavours of the wine are kept intact.

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I've had the busiest weekend, which included a Christening, a birthday party, a few drinks with friends, 2 train journeys, 100 miles of passengering, 100 miles of driving and the Tots 100 Blog Summit in Manchester.

With a broken leg.

Even I'm quite impressed with my own dedication, but we've missed out on so much this summer because of my partner's Meningitis that I'll be damned if I was letting my knee stop me doing anything.

There were some great speakers at the conference, and the day started with the very funny Ben Wakeling of Goodbye, Pert Breasts, who looked very nervous stood up there, but did an excellent job of telling us it's okay to not please everyone, as long as we please ourselves. He also gave advice about how to get your work noticed, and it's probably best not to start by tweeting Stephen Fry...

The amazing Sarah McIntyre made me want to start drawing, even though I'm completely crap at it, explained the story behind her latest book and generally just enthralled us all with her loveliness and excitement about life.

We had advice about the technical side of our blog from Ruth Arnold aka Geek Mummy, and lots of brilliant food blogging advice from two of my personal favourites Emily Leary of A Mummy Too and Helen from Fuss Free Flavours. We also got a lot of tips and hints from the Tots 100 representatives Sally Whittle and Lindy DeMelo.

My favourite part of the day though, was seeing bloggy mates and coming face-to-face with so many more amazing bloggers who I have spoken to and never before met. It was great to meet Tas from Not My Year Off and Clare the Ninja Cat Killer and a few others who's work I've read and wondered if they're the same people in real life! Sadly I didn't have chance to have Reiki on my knee from Katie at Chaos and Calm, but I'll be ready next time!

It was especially lovely though to meet 3 more of the amazing bunch of bloggers who I've now known online for over a year through our involvement with Izziwizzi Kids, but never managed to meet, as well as getting back together with 2 of those who I've been to places with a couple of times before. These ladies were there for me at 3am when I was sobbing over my laptop with my partner in hospital with Meningitis and 6 of our children sleeping in the rooms next to me unaware how seriously ill their Dad/Step-Dad was. They were also there for me when I started my blog and didn't have a clue what Tots 100 even was, and at every point in between. When I want to vent or ask "Did they really just say that?", when I am posting a competition and can't get the tweet right, when I've written a post and want to make sure I didn't miss anything obvious - this lot won't hesitate to tell me how crap I am.


L to R - Kel from Writings, Ramblings and Reviews, Me, Eileen from ET Speaks From Home, Anna from In The Playroom, Tami from Mummyoftwo and Pippa from Red Rose Mummy.

I have a few more of that group that I've yet to meet - it's on my bucket list.

It was a great event, I learned a lot, and it was populated by a fantastic bunch of people, every single one of whom I have a lot of respect for. Roll on next year!

 When is a sprained knee not a sprained knee? When it's a broken bone.


You may or may not have seen this post last month, where I vaguely described 'jumping' from the back of the Great Stone Of Fourstones and how I'd injured my knee. Well actually it's been agony. I'd rather have given birth a few times than had the pain and lack of sleep I've had the last 3 1/2 weeks.

I didn't complain, because you don't, you just get on with it and I did feel a bit stupid and responsible for my own injury, but I was concerned when I realised I was getting poor circulation in my leg at times and my 'sprain' wasn't really getting better as quickly as anyone expected it to. I still can't bend my leg enough to walk up steps like a grown up, and it's waking me in the night hurting.

I went to A&E at the time, then to my Doctor after a week for a check up, and I was comtemplating returning to my Doctor to see if everything is okay when yesterday I got a letter from the hospital asking me to go back.

A Senior Consultant had looked at my x-rays and my 'sprained knee' was in doubt due to a little shadow on the x ray. After more x rays today I've had it confirmed that I have in fact chipped a slice off the top of one of the lower bones, and it's sitting right inside my knee joint.

All that pain and quiet suffering - and actually I could (and probably should) have been taking it very easy and getting everyone to run around after me for once....

Fracture clinic Monday...and Physiotherapy - and keep your fingers crossed that I'm not unlucky enough to need the piece of bone removed surgically....

I'd like Autumn to be quiet and uneventful please - if anyone can arrange that, it'd be great....and if you're going to the Tots 100 Blog Summit tomorrow - I'm the one with a limp!

My oldest is 19, and I know there are a million little daft things he did that made me laugh and smile for months on end, but they aren't etched into your brain in the same way as the 'IMPORTANT' events.

Today my youngest did something exactly as his brother used to do all of the time, but I'd forgotten until I saw him do it....so I filmed it before it disappears...and now, even if I lose the video, I'll never forget it....

I've delayed posting this. I had intended to post last week and be full of the news that my partner was back at work full time finally, but he's found it incredibly hard. I'd hope it would get better this week, but it hasn't.

Last week on Monday (7 1/2 weeks after becoming ill) he had no sick note and wanted to work full time all week. He came home early on Thursday, but otherwise he managed it. He slept a few times after work, but he was awake again for tea. On Thursday he was fast asleep at 8pm before the little boys even. We then spent a full day out at the Little Fun Fest on Saturday. Although I drove and we sat down as much as we could, he was already shattered and it completely wore him out.


Sunday was spent mainly sleeping, lying on the bed and watching drivel. He did have to pop into work for an hour, but that was the only time he didn't show how tired he was. Or how much he is in pain.

It's Your Story have a fabulous range of personalised products with names and photographs of your choice. They specialise in books. We previously reviewed two of their excellent personalised story books, so it's lovely to get the chance to look at another of their new products. 

The Personalised Water Bottle comes with 2 different lids for different occasions. It is a 500ml aluminium bottle personalised with your own photo and name in a scene of your choice from the 15 available. We chose 'Pirate'... 










It's Your Story Personalised Water Bottles cost £14 each and are available with a choice of 15 different themes, in either white or silver, with a name and photo of your choice. The dye sinks into the aluminium, making it scratch and chip resistant, and it certainly does not seem at all delicate. 

If you're undecided as to whether it's worth going, and you have children under 8 - go.

We really didn't know what to expect and because it was a 150 mile round trip we even built in a visit to see friends, saying that we might be there early. It simply wasn't the case. This festival was fantastic. I'd have happily driven back there again today to try and catch up with everything we didn't manage to do on the first day.










We meant to get money on the way, but forgot, so we found ourselves without lunch or cash and our only option was the Kernel's Coffee Shop which takes payment by card. Usually we'd avoid eating out like this as it's so expensive for our large family, but luckily we only had 4 children with us.

Our bill for 6 came to just under £40, which was a lot, but reasonable as it included drinks and cakes for the grown ups. The quality of the food though was absolutely stupendous. I had a £3.60 ploughman's sandwich which was so fresh and delicious the salad must have been picked that day.

The children's meal was a box meal and you could select 5 items for £3.99. Again, everything was really fresh and healthy, with a much wider than usual selection of items including sliced cucumber, carrot batons, red or green grapes, pom bears, sandwiches, gingerbread men and several different fruit juice drinks. Even the children's sandwiches were made with 'proper' ham and cheese. I'd heartily recommend it (even though the crisps were £1.10 a bag!). 


 




 

Alex Winters, Mister Maker, Mr Bloom, Snow White

Alex Winters opened the show - in disguise!

The Dance-Off - boys v's girls

The gorgeous weather

Mister Maker makes a slice of Watermelon

We didn't have time to see half of the shows, or go on fairground rides, play in the Construction Zone or tons of other stuff, there was so much to do it was incredible. The little boys had the best day ever. The fact that everything is included in the price of your entry ticket is brilliant. My little boys are 3 and 4 and it was lovely to just be able to say "of course you can" all day long.

At £68 for a family of four, plus £18 for each additional person this full day out offers excellent value and I'd definitely go again next year. I recommend it to anyone with children between the ages of 2 and 8, although our 13 and 14 year olds also clearly had a brilliant day out!