Last Summer we had a fantastic 10 days holiday on the Isle Of Wight, and we took the LEGO Scooby Doo Mystery Machine with us on tour. I posted all of my photos on Instagram and Twitter at the time, but in case you missed them, here's our holiday - the LEGO version....

It's a long way from Manchester to the Isle Of Wight, so an early start, 15 toilet stops, 2 spilt drinks, 1 stalker bee who chased us for miles, and when we boarded the ferry that afternoon Manchester was 10 degrees colder than Portsmouth, and rainy...


We stayed on an amazing eco-friendly campsite, (and I'm not just saying that because it's owned and run by 2 very good friends of ours). I have never had such a fabulous view while I washed the pots, or such sunshine while I ate my breakfast at 6.30am...

The Cut And Colour Playbook: Seasons by Anouk Boisrobert is a completely different style of book to most children's colouring books. Beautifully illustrated and very cleverly designed, it not only challenges your child's precision with a pencil, but it will also help increase their cutting skills. The works of art they end up with will be very different to regular 'flat' pictures, with a real 3D feel.


The pages of the book form layers, which are cut so that part of each page is visible in the end product. Seasons is rather obviously split into 4 sections, and Winter is the first, plus very topical, so we started with that.

Monday 25th January sees the release of Paper Planes on DVD and Digital Download. A bright and funny family movie, Paper Planes is a heartwarming story of friendship and perseverance centering around 12 year old Dylan (played by Ed Oxenbould), a boy obsessed with flying who discovers he has an innate talent for making paper planes.


We were sent a preview copy of Paper Planes to watch and my 5 and 7 year olds absolutely loved it. Full of comedy moments and with a very likeable cast, my young boys laughed out loud regularly at the humour and really related to the characters.

Over Christmas a lot of people I know have made the announcement that they're expecting, and in the last week two of my close friends have announced pregnancies, it seems Spring really has sprung early this year! My oldest child has now reached 22 years old, so it isn't just children that I'm seeing announced by my friends, it's grandchildren....

When I was pregnant with my older children the internet was new and exciting, but quite empty, and I was one of the first people I knew to order anything for my baby online. In 1998 I ordered a step to fasten to the back of my pram for my toddler to stand on. It was very basic, unlike anything anyone in Derby had ever seen, and came all the way from Sweden. I loved my step and it's no surprise they're so commonplace now. The world has changed and become smaller, and if you are looking for baby equipment now you really don't have to struggle to find everything you could ever need in one location.

My Little Pony: The Crystal Empire is the latest release in the Friendship Is Magic series and is available on DVD and Digital Download from today! A very Wintry tale it's perfect for January and is set in the frozen Arctic North of Equestria.


Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle uncover a whole new kingdom when the Crystal Empire reawakens. A curse that was placed over the kingdom has now lifted, and the ponies are able to explore the magical empire. The questions everyone are asking though, will it stay visible? And how long before it disappears again?

Unlike January last year, it really seems an incredibly long time since my last update, and that is a clear measure of how far we've come. December 15th now was such a long time ago, a world away from where we are now in January. Full of anticipation and if I'm brutally honest - dread. I needn't have worried though, Christmas was good.

Christmas meant 2 weeks off work and I didn't turn on my laptop or read a single email, which pleased my family and gave me a proper break. We played games and watched movies and all of my family spent proper time together. We even managed an overnight trip away at New Year to see friends.

There is a really simple answer to the question of what every woman wants for Valentine's Day, and to provide it can cost whatever budget you wish, from zero upwards... Every woman, bar none, (and probably every man too) wants ultimately one thing. They want to feel special.

Valentine's Day is only a month away, and hopefully everyone reading will be made to feel special by someone who loves them.


Another way to feel special is new undies. Trust me guys, any woman of any size and with any body shape will feel 3 inches taller knowing her bra and knickers not only match, but still have all their wire, lace and elastic in full working order. If they fit properly and look good, you are already a winner.

Are you determined to lose that Christmas weight? Do you have the willpower to shift those baby pounds? Will you be beach gorgeous by July? How long have you been on a diet anyway?

If you're like me then the answer to that last question could well be pretty much all of your adult life. One thing that connects most of us is diets. I know this because we mention it - all the time.

On a night out people people joke they'll be hitting the gym tomorrow. Over coffee they tell you how many pounds they've lost or gained and we all stick to a skinny latte. On Facebook there is post after post of the latest Slimming World recipe or organic seaweed breakfast wrap with caramelised roast root veg smoothie (only 75 calories *smile emoticon*). At toddler group we refuse a biscuit with our coffee. And if you take one, you feel a guilt. I'm overweight....I probably shouldn't....

And the weeks, months and years go by, and we continue to diet (on and off), chasing the perfect that we will rarely find, and keeping hold of it is the equivalent of someone other than Harry catching the golden snitch.

And our children watch and they listen, and they learn.

We spent a lot of time over Christmas reviewing some new games, and one of the favourites was UFO Alarm! from University Games. I knew my kids would be interested as soon as I read the description, and after playing I was proven right - it's terrific family fun.

Two evenings ago my partner and I went out on only our 3rd 'date' in 3 years. We were invited to attend a preview screening of Room the movie. We left emotionally drained and utterly exhausted, but thankful we'd accepted because it was really an amazing movie.

Released on 15th January, Studiocanal's latest movie, Room, is directed by Lenny Abrahamson and stars the young actors Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. It's so powerful and well-acted that it really does do justice to the best-selling novel from Emma Donoghue on which it is based.


Room tells the story of a young woman kidnapped and held in a single Room for several years. During that time she has a child, and when he gets older they realise they can't carry on forever, so plot to escape. They succeed, and unlike most stories which end at this point, we follow them and find out what happens next.