I've got a great review and giveaway today courtesy of Drumond Park. LOGO: Best Of British is a real 'you know it or you don't' kind of board game. General knowledge rules and you'll find you are kicking yourself all night about answers that were on the tip of your tongue.



Best Of British is from the LOGO family of games and can be played as individuals or teams. It has some very tricky general knowledge questions, so is recommended for young people and adults aged 12+. The regular LOGO board game and question card style is very familiar to us because we've played and reviewed several LOGO games over the past couple of years.

A year ago today, a lady I barely knew lost her little boy, and I cried for her and her family. Georgie wasn't even here for a full 6 months before he lost his fight with Leukaemia.

Today I post this Dragonfly for my friend Oana and for her family, who have never stopped keeping going. You can follow their story at Mama's Haven.

Keep finding the smiles and never waste a minute. #liveitforGeorgie


xxx

Here, for those of you who wish to see it, is the video of me reading Dear Elspeth at the Britmums Live Bloggers Keynote. I wrote about the experience in my Britmums Live post, so I won't repeat myself. If you haven't already read Dear Elspeth then I apologise in advance....


Huge thanks to Nigel Camp who filmed the Bloggers Keynote, and to Britmums for asking me to take part, but most of all to everyone who nominated my post to be read, those who supported me beforehand and on the day, and all of the hundreds of people who were in that room. It was a huge honour.

Apparently everyone with a Manchester accent sounds like a Scouser when they're crying....

A Rabitat is the name we've affectionately given to our home made rabbit habitat. Virtually 100% free and recycled, it gives your bunnies loads to do, private space to hang out, and they can even remodel until they're happy with it. And when you're finished, flatten it and recycle it.


We have 2 Dwarf Lop-Eared house rabbits. They live inside, but play out when it's sunny. I don't mention them often, but they regularly appear in the background of my photos. We never intended to have rabbits, but they found themselves homeless at around 12 months old, so we gave them a roof over their head on condition they always use the litter tray. They've complied, so we like to try and keep them happy without letting them eat all our cables, and that's why we first developed The Rabitat.

The Rabitat......

If your children are incredibly good, and sweet, and soft, have never picked their nose or hidden their peas, and would never ever do anything cheeky ever, they might not like this book. If your children are really like that, then you might not like this book either. 

Cheeky Charlie is actually a quite cheeky book! It's not like most of the books we've read, it's more like a regular afternoon in our house. The author, Mat Waugh, is brilliant at description and scene-setting, so that even with no pictures at all, both my 5 and 6 year old boys are completely immersed into the story.
 

The main characters in the book are the 6 year old Harry, and their younger sibling, Cheeky Charlie, and part of why my boys like this book so much is because they identify so much with the characters. My 6 year old is generally quite sensible, and my 5 year old can be incredibly cheeky and mischevious. By the time (on page 2) it was pointed out that Harry was in fact a girl, my 6 (very nearly 7) year old had already decided it was probably written about him...

I'm really a big fan of Interplay craft sets, and the latest one we've tried has been a massive hit with my 6 year old. The Wood Worx T-Rex will allow any child to make a fabulous looking wooden T-Rex model which has an articulated jaw and a neck, and a really fierce looking roar!


Inside the box is absolutely everything you will need to create your model - including a really nice double-ended paint brush and some good quality quick-drying glue. The model itself is entirely made from 23 wooden pieces.

Despite our whole family love of the plastic brick, and our vast array of LEGO sets, reviewing Aira's Pegasus Sleigh set 41077 is the first time we've played with LEGO Elves. LEGO Elves has larger LEGO Friends style figures, a huge backstory full of magic, and plenty to fire any child's imagination.


Inside the box we have 3 numbered bags, 2 horses, sticker sheet and rods, plus 1 instruction booklet. This is a 319 piece set retailing at £34.99. That's quite pricey per brick and there's no franchise like Simpsons or Star Wars, however you are paying for some really quite tricky design, and lovely rare or unique elements.

Picnics are a great thing. A family or friends coming together to eat and play and talk. The food tastes gorgeous, the surroundings are unfamiliar and usually beautiful, and everyone sits at the same level, eye-to-eye, so talk is easy and everyone is equal - be they adult or child. There's little or no washing up, and the preparation is so much more fun than the usual standing over the oven cooking a meal for an hour or two.


Last week was National Picnic Week. This is Manchester, it rains here. It rains ALL the time. Picnics are a rare and pleasant treat, and as soon as we have a dry day the parks are full of people making the most of being able to enjoy the outdoors. Warburtons sent us a few bits and pieces to celebrate National Picnic Week, and try out their brand new shaped Bread Thins. 

After 21 years of buying gifts for my own children, it can get a bit difficult to find toys that are exciting and new. It's also very difficult to choose gifts for other people's children when you aren't sure of their interests - or what they already have! Wicked Uncle is brilliant for exactly this.


Wicked Uncle calls itself The World's Best E-Toy Shop. I can't be certain of that, but what I can be sure of is that I actually think it's excellent. Not only can it be used as a regular independent toy shop, it can also help you choose what to buy. Fill in the age and gender of the child and it will select you a range of toys that should suit that child.