A couple of weeks ago we visited Specsavers Opticians to review. As I couldn't really take my own photos, I let my 8 year old loose with my camera. This is a real 'child's eye-view', and he did a great job.

I was given a £150 budget and this paid for everything I received, including my eye test, Glasses with coated lenses and Sunglasses...


Specsavers is actually our regular family Opticians. The prices, range of glasses and service have always been great, and we've been using this branch for the last 9 years. It's familiar to our 6 and 8 year old boys, who have had their eyes tested regularly since they each started school.


My 8 year old was quite excited when I suggested he take the photos, but it was nothing compared to his 6 year old super-charged sensory-seeking brother, who was meanwhile bouncing off the walls. I have to credit all of the staff for ignoring him to the best of their ability and for not making me feel like a bad Mum. All bribes and even a screen ban threat were not getting him to stand or sit still.

Coconutgrass are a small company who sell interesting and often quirky printed gifts for all the family. Some items can be personalised, and my 6 and 8 year old boys have each been sent a Personalised Children's School Book Bag/Luggage Tag.


Using the website and ordering was really simple, and less than a week later the tags arrived beautifully wrapped, which is excellent if you are giving items as gifts. Obviously it also protects them from damage during their journey, although the finish is a nice high gloss which doesn't seem as if it will scratch or chip easily - ours certainly haven't so far.

Our latest game review is another more grown up game from Asmodee, suitable for 2-6 players aged 10+. Colt Express is a turn-taking battle with a difference, as each round has a set up phase, and then the action is played out - and it never goes exactly as you expected!


Inside the box are 132 game cards, wooden bandit-shaped counters and a Marshall, a press-out cardboard 3D train and scenery, 26 loot tokens and a rulebook.


The train once assembled has a locomotive and 6 carriages. A different number of carriages are used depending on the number of players. We played with 3, so used 3 carriages.

In a stroke of pure genius the Colt Express box is decorated inside and split into compartments to store the entire assembled set safely. It makes a really nice feature from something that is actually incredibly useful.

Minuscule: Valley Of The Lost Ants is one of the latest family DVD releases from Lionsgate. A movie suitable for anyone, it mixes animation and live action backdrops really well, to create a nice tale that has enough adventure to keep my boys watching throughout, and is gentle enough to be perfect for a family movie afternoon.
This is a tale of excitement and peril starring a little ladybird who has become separated from his family. He very quickly finds himself attacked by some rogue insects (flies), and in the battle loses a wing.

Almost defenceless and crippled, he befriends a black ant named Mandible, and joins forces with his colony to defend their nest from an invasion by red fire ants.

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Manchester has transformed into the world of Ninjago to celebrate the brand new LEGO Ninjago adventure Day of the Departed Ninjas. We went down first thing on Saturday morning to be among the first people to take a look for ourselves...and to meet the 6 foot tall Kai minifigure obviously....


All the children can take a ninja headband on entry - which they were all delighted about. During the Ninjago event children arriving at LEGOLAND dressed as a Ninja can have a free poster (while they still have stock). The trip starts with the Factory Tour, this time with added Ninja skills!

We've been reading a few non-fiction books recently, and one of our latest reviews 'This Book Thinks You're A Scientist' has really captured my 6 1/2 year old's attention. He currently wants to be a Scientist, and loves experimenting, especially Chemistry...


This Book Thinks You're A Scientist is by Harriet Russel. Absolutely crammed full of activities and experiments that children can do in their own home, if necessary using everyday items that most children can get hold of.

Well, I must love him because I just paid £181.30 to the nice vet for operating on him this morning. I don't usually shell out that sort of cash for randomers who turn up at my door wailing, but since I let him into the house 6 months ago, Gary has kind of grown on me. I still generally don't like cats though, let me make that one clear...


I'm actually a dog person. Dogs are loyal, they get excited to see you and care about you. It may be superficial, but I'll take it, I'm not proud. They mainly just want to sit as close as possible* to you and be petted.
*Unless there's a fire or other source of heat in the room, then you are history.

Heart monitors are becoming really popular, with fitness fans wanting to know exactly how far they can push themselves, and working out in carefully divided portions to exercise their heart sensibly to the max. They are also useful for people who need to monitor their heart for medical reasons. Beets Blu have recently added an updated Heart Rate Monitor to their range, and sent us one to try out.


I'm not a person who works out, and nor is my partner, but last November he was taken to hospital with a suspected heart attack and his cardiac rate was all over the place for several hours. I pretty much agreed to this review out of sheer curiosity, although we do also have a 16 year old runner in the family who will take charge of the Wireless Heart Rate Monitor afterwards.

I'm a big fan of Michael Rosen, and brand new to Z-Arts in Manchester is the interactive exhibition Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake and Bad Things. We were really lucky to be invited to be among the first people to explore the interactive experience in a preview on Friday night.


Michael Rosen is the children's novelist and poet responsible for We're Going On A Bear Hunt and around other 140 books. He served as Children's Laureate from June 2007 to June 2009 and is a TV presenter and a political columnist who is passionate about the importance of language and arts in the education and development of children.

Our Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake & Bad Things experience started with an introduction for the children from the storyteller, who also acted as our guide once we went through the blue doors and into the exhibit.


The storyteller was great, and incredibly patient and tolerant with our 6 year old sensory-seeking bundle of fun, who turned the volume and excitement up to 11 as soon as we walked into the exhibit....

When is a book not a book? When it's a Spineless Classic. Posters which have the entire text of a book on one sheet, beautifully arranged, incredibly crisply printed, and still large enough to read - even with my tired aging eyes! We have been sent the ever-popular classic Swallows And Amazons by Arthur Ransome for review.


Swallows And Amazons was released in 1930, and tells the tale of a group of children from 2 families and what they get up to over a Summer holiday in the Lake District. They spend most of their time adventuring outdoors on two small dinghies (Swallow and Amazon), and battle it out to take control of a small island on which they have been playing and camping.