The 6th December is St Nicholas' Day, and my partner decided we don't have enough Christmas traditions in our house, so he borrowed one....

Last night, while everyone was in bed, St Nicholas visited to check up on everyone and filled all of the good children's shoes with chocolate. This morning when they woke up, they were delighted to find they'd been good and hadn't just been left a fallen branch....


The tradition isn't ours, it's widely followed in Germany and other parts of Europe, but it's something we've talked about doing for years, so it's quite nice to actually get ourselves organised. Hopefully it'll be a little hint to our youngest that Santa IS always watching, and they really DO have to be good...

I just hope all the other parents don't hate us though -  they'll have gone to Nursery and School and told everyone about this.....there'll be sighing and tutting, I can tell....

When I was a teenager one of the most distinctive political images was Nelson Mandela. He was on t-shirts and posters everywhere. Everyone knew his name, his face and how long he'd been in prison.

He epitomised the sheer determination to a cause and the strength of self-belief we hoped we all possessed. Not all that he did was good, but the message we all felt was one of equality for all people. He was a symbol for human rights and democracy and freedom of speech for the whole world.

FW de Klerk released him and together they ended Apartheid. They earned the Nobel Prize for Peace and it's rarely found such a perfect home.

In April 1994, when my oldest child was a baby, we watched queues of people on the TV news standing in line for days to be able to vote for the first time in their lives. I felt very glad that my child would be growing up in a better world and I swore that he'd always know why voting is so important, and why you should never be so bold as to assume you are better than anyone else.

Today the world lost Nelson Mandela, but I think he'd already done all he came to do.

He'd never have known it, but he certainly left a mark on my life.

I used to be one of those people with a tiny diary and 4 billion little scraps of paper, post it notes, bits of writing on my hands and scrawled messages on whiteboards and chalkboards. I'm probably still that person, but since I got my Personal Planner in September I am far, far more organised.

Front cover and inside page

Personal-Planner.co.uk are an online company where you design your own planner to suit you. You choose the size and shape, cover text and artwork, the colours used - even for the elastic - and then you choose what you have inside. Which date it should start, how big the line spaces are, what sections you have. You can even edit an 'owner info' page to include whatever you wish, add maps, sheets of music, blank pages - however you like it.





a Rafflecopter giveaway

The aim of the game is to travel around the board collecting a selection of elements which appear in the song - windscreen wipers, wheels, babies etc. When you land on the bus stop then you can take a corresponding card and then everyone sings that bit of the song. The winner is the first person to fill all 5 slots on their bus and get back to the Bus Station!


Round and Round is a fantastic first game for a child who is just learning to play. It teaches all of the very basics of gameplay including rolling dice and moving the right number of spaces, taking turns, collecting specific cards and following instructions for specific squares.

The game is great for promoting colour recognition and is very much about counting and early  maths. There is only one dice, so children can focus on numbers to 6, but it really promotes strategic thinking because they are trying to reach specific squares, so as they progress they will be able to look and work out what they need to roll in total to get to the right place, and what the best route will be!


There are 10 different elements of the bus available to collect in 5 different colours, and you only need one of each colour, so there is a degree of anticipation and surprise when you pick up your card and see what you've taken.


This is a lovely game. My 5 year old was delighted when he saw the little buses and my 3 1/2 year old loves that he knows the song that goes with the game.The addition of actions and singing makes it quite lively at times, and the 3D buses are brilliant for the children to push around the roadway.

Personally I love that the buses don't need to be let down to fit in the box, it all goes in very neatly although the box isn't any bigger than it needs to be. As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles Round And Round is made from 100% sturdy recycled board in the UK and the paint is non-toxic.

Round And Round is available direct from Orchard Toys for £15.95 with postage free for orders over £20 and a free gift for every order before Christmas. Orchard Toys games and puzzles are also available in toy shops, Tesco, John Lewis and other stores.

Orchard Toys offer a free replacement parts service, and if you have any questions their Social Media and Customer Service team will be happy to help you. They also currently have an advent competition running daily on their Facebook page.

We don't always get to review glamorous things, sometimes we look at the useful, everyday stuff. Spots and acne are a constant topic in my house with all of our teenagers and 2 of them have been reviewing Quinoderm Antibacterial Facewash for the last 3 weeks.

Annoyingly the photo's I took when it arrived have vanished, so my apologies for the 'pre-enjoyed' picture.


Quinoderm Antibacterial Facewash is designed to be used in place of soap, morning and night. It is in an innocuous blue and white bottle and has a 'clean' smell like a fresh shower gel. It isn't fruity or girlie at all, and so it's pretty much suitable for anyone. It's a thick liquid gel and is very much just like hand soap, so it's very familiar and not off-putting.


In their words - It has an antibacterial action and contains 0.15% chlorhexidine digluconate and 1.5% mytrimonium bromide. Its dual action cosmetic formula helps remove any excess facial oil, grease or dirt and leaves the skin clean, healthy and feeling refreshed. It is also antibacterial, targeting P. acnes (the bacteria responsible for the majority of acne cases) and other bacteria which can lead to spots.

As often happens when you start using a new product, at first we had a few breakouts and one of our teenagers wasn't happy, but after 3 weeks continued use they both definitely have clearer skin and less spots. They're both very pleased with the results and I think that Quinoderm is something I'll definitely be buying soon to replace this bottle when it's finished. Happy teenagers means a much happier house!

Quinoderm Antibacterial Facewash is available at your local chemist - including Lloyds Pharmacy and Boots and has an RRP of £4.49 for 150ml bottle.

I have to admit when I got the opportunity to review for The Gobstopper I was a bit pleased with myself. My children have all had plenty of sweets recently, it's definitely my turn...

The Gobstopper is your traditional sweet shop - only it's online. Because they're online they can stock a truly massive range of sweets. They have everything from Retro Sweets and Chocolate to Christmas Hampers and Party Bags. They even have a Chocolate Elk!


I was sent a Small Jar from the Click 'N' Mix, with my choice of 3 different sweets. The Gobstopper has a list of all of their vegetarian sweets, so they were easy to find. Although they stock tons of veggie sweets, I did think the Pick 'N' Mix was quite tricky because I had to keep referring back - a 'V' would have made it a lot quicker.

One of the nicest things about The Gobstopper sweets is the presentation. I'm a big fan of Kilner jars and it shows off the sweets really well, plus somehow makes them very 'grown up'. 


I chose White Mice, Orange & Lemon Fizzballs and Rhubarb & Custard and they're great, just as I remember. The sweets are lovely and the smell when you open the jar takes you right back to being a child. I don't think I've had a Fizzball for about 30 years!

Of course sweets aren't only for grown ups...one small boy who fell over on the way home from nursery....


One small boy who is happy again.....


I think this makes a really excellent gift, especially for a teenager or adult. The nostalgia is a lovely thing and perfect for Christmas. The indulgence is perfect for Christmas. Because they come in a genuine Kilner jar they're really excellent value for money and make a gorgeous gift.

We've had a fairly rubbishy Summer. My partner developed Meningitis in July and is still recovering, and 6 weeks after he first became ill I broke my leg. It's all been a bit unfortunate.

On 13th September (3 weeks after my accident) I was finally told my leg was broken, and 3 days later I was put into a leg brace. On 26th September when my break was healing nicely I was told I needed an MRI as my hugely swollen knee clearly had another issue.

I had to wait until 6th November for my MRI as none of my local hospitals have the equipment, and then another 3 weeks until I was given my results. All the time swollen and in pain and with a leg brace that had stretched beyond being any use some weeks ago.


I've got a tear to my Meniscus - the cushiony pad between the top and bottom bones, and if it's going to heal itself then it does so usually within 6 weeks. At 14 weeks we're clearly well past that point.

So the wait for the surgery began. After waiting 8 weeks to have an MRI and get the results I wasn't exactly holding my breath, but today I got a call and my operation would be March, but they have a cancellation on 18th December. As I can't drive without really suffering afterwards, I can't walk far, I'm not sleeping very well and I'm in pain pretty much all of the time I don't care that it's so close to Christmas. In fact, I'm hopeful that I might even be able to sit on the floor and join my children playing with their toys for the first time since August.

I just have the pre-op to pass....fingers well and truly crossed! Bring it on...

Back in 2000 David Blunkett announced the introduction of 'Academies'. Schools which were deemed to be failing would be removed from Local Education Authority control and although still publicly funded could be sponsored by local businesses or individuals. The theory was that, in areas where the schools were doing badly, appropriate funding and support could be given and the school would improve. Businesses and companies would support the school, share information and technology and some great co-operations would be forged. The theory sounded really promising.


Up to half of the academies currently in operation are run by religious groups or affiliates - for example the Emmanual Schools Foundation which now runs 4 schools in Middlesborough, Gateshead, Doncaster and Northumberland. If you chose to send your child to a specifically denominational school then that's fine, but to see it suddenly change overnight?

Academies do not have to abide by the curriculum except for the core subjects of English, Maths and Science. They are free to teach whatever else they feel appropriate - this includes creationism as long as they teach it alongside Science.

Academies can employ pretty much whoever they like and pay pretty much whatever they like. This can be peanuts - with your children taught by the proverbial monkeys - or astronomical 6 figure sums for some new heads put into position by the Government.


The Government have continually moved the goalposts for what is considered satisfactory by OFSTED, and schools which would previously have been seen as 'Improving' are being forced to change to academies.

Even when schools are deemed 'Satisfactory' or 'Good' , they are being forced to become academies.

Even when the local population, parents, pupils, staff, Heads and Teachers don't want to become an academy, schools are being forced to change.

Academies can pick and choose their pupils, they do not have to accept someone who lives next door or has siblings at the school. They do not have to accept students with additional needs.

When a school faces enforced academisation, if the Head and/or Governing body refuse to accept they can be removed and replaced by a Government-appointed board.

Despite no proof whatsoever that they are succeeding in what they were invented to do, the Government has pressed ahead with converting and in 2012 the scheme was extended to primary schools.

My 3 and 5 year olds are now in this position. Their school was deemed 'unsatisfactory' by OFSTED last year and although next years SAT's are expected to be the highest results ever, they are being forced into academisation. 3 of our teenagers went to that school and did exceedingly well, my 2 little boys are doing exceedingly well. All 5 have been very happy at that school. I've worked in nursery, school and college with students of all ages, I have no problem with that school.

There are several schools in this position in North Manchester alone, so there must be hundreds in the UK. It's frustrating to say the least and I worry about where we will be in a couple of years time when my children are still young and fragile and learning the very basics for their entire academic path.

If a school wishes to change to an academy and the deal they've been offered by the individual or company involved suits them and will benefit the pupils then I would accept graciously, but when no-one wants it and the school is doing really well, why?


National Union Of Teachers ~ Forced Academisation
AntiAcademies Alliance
Red Pepper ~ Academies Mythbuster
The Guardian ~ Enforced Academisation Case Studies

Ultimate Minion Dave is fantastic. He's much more lively than our Lego Carl. He sings and talks and dances, his eyes move and his mouth and face are full of expression. I got a taste of what he was like before I even opened the box...



It took a good 10 minutes to take him carefully out of his box, he's really securely packaged. If you're expecting Santa to bring him then I suggest you pre-prepare before you wrap.

He comes with a certificate of authenticity and some instructions, but he's very straightforward and easy to get the hang of. You can press his chin to 'wake him up', and double press to get him to sing - don't teach any little brothers or sisters that one, after the 15th time in 6 minutes the Banana Song does get a bit samey.





He's very well detailed and has lots of moving parts, although with his rubber skin he's incredibly sturdy and hard-wearing. Ours has been dropped more times than I'd care to mention, taken to bed, hugged and fallen off the table, and he's still fine. Although they're a collectible, they're also a real toy for real children. 





I think Dave is excellent. At £69.99 it's a very expensive toy, and a great adult collectible. He's very much like a Furby, although cooler and less annoying. He's much more hardwearing and user-friendly than I'd ever have expected and hasn't come to any harm despite being played with. They develop language over time, ours says Hiya, Hello, Banana, Back To Work and a few other little words and phrases. When 'awake' they give the impression that they react well to being cuddled and moved about, they clearly respond to being talked to and they even look like they look directly at whoever is talking....

Ultimate Minion Dave is suitable for children aged 4+ and exclusive to Toys R Us. You can buy him in store or online...

This is the last of my 4 posts with Duerr's Preserves, and I'm sad to see them end. I've really enjoyed the easy and fun recipes - and so have my family! They're all definitely going to feature in the future. The short, clear 'how-to' videos are excellent, don't use any fancy language or equipment, so they're genuinely achievable.

Todays recipe was Chocolate Orange Cake, the most complicated of the 4 recipes, yet still very easy to do and containing everyday ingredients that you can pick up in any small supermarket.



The trickiest part of this dish is spreading the chocolate sauce evenly down the sides of the cake - and that's not hard. I whipped up the remainder of my pot of double cream with a tablespoon of icing sugar and spread it in the middle of the cake with the Duerr's marmalade instead of using apricot jam, as the cake was for a special person and they're not a fan of apricots.