The Girl In The Abbey is the story of 10 year old Violet, sent away from everything she knows to live with strangers in a strange land and help work for her keep. There are no other children where she is sent, and she is left with nothing to do but explore... Then she meets Sarah...


Violet is a refugee in the second world war, which is an unusual time period for a modern book, but it all feels very natural and nothing about the history or setting seems out of place, despite the fact that the author is very young (clearly neither of us were there ourselves). I even learned a couple of new WW2 facts (and I will never cook with paraffin).

Over the next few months the gardens at Ordsall Hall will play host to a unique season of open air performances for theatre-goers of all ages, performed by a host of theatre companies and in conjunction with Salford Community Leisure. The majestic Tudor manor house is a fabulous backdrop for the shows. Bring a chair or a blanket, something to eat and drink, and hope this weather continues!


We'll be attending for our first visit to review and we'll be enjoying a pre-booked picnic and a night off from the children. The performers have already begun dress rehearsals and tickets are available, so here is a little look at what's in store:

I really like Petit Fernand's personalised products for children. Attractive and long-lasting, they have great illustrations and some nice touches. My 8 year old has used one of their lunchboxes for the last year and we are incredibly happy with it, so when I was offered the opportunity to review, my 9 year old especially was very keen I accept...


We were given a budget and chose a personalised lunchbox for my 9 year old and personalised stick-on name labels for both children. It took less than 5 minutes to create my entire order, and even though delivery is from France, we had our products within 5 days.

Big Potato Games are a relatively new discovery for me and I'm delighted to be working with them. Over the next few months we'll be reviewing a good few of their games for older children, teenagers and adults, and the first is one which I was given at BlogOn Conference - OK Play. A tile game for 2-4 players that anyone can play, anywhere...


OK Play is well packaged in plastic, which is discarded once opened. My kids trashed ours. This is a bad re-enactment of  'in the original packaging'.

Splash Out kids multicoloured water bomb is a ball with a timer and a pin, and the rest is pretty obvious. Throw the ball back and forth until the timer goes off - and hope it isn't you who is splashed by the water!


Inside the box you have the ball, which is good-old clockwork rather than battery-operated, a clear instruction leaflet and 12 x size 4 balloons - or 'water balloons' as we tend to call them.

At BlogOn Conference last month I picked up a Dream Tent to review for Re:Creation. They are a brand who specialise in some really affordable, quirky and interesting products, including Floof and LEGO Lights light up keychains, and the brilliant Magic Tracks which we reviewed a little while back.


The Dream Tent is exactly that - something every child dreams of having. A pop up canopy to go over the head end of your bed. It folds in the same way as other pop-up items such as beach tents, and arrives packaged inside a handy zip up storage bag.

Cobra Paw is a really quick game for 2-6 players that demands ninja-like reflexes and will really sort the quick-thinkers from the more sedentary game players. From the manufacturers of Bananagrams and played with beautiful domino-style printed stones, it takes moments to learn and anyone aged 6+ can play.


Called Cobra, yet mysteriously cat-themed, inside the box are your 21 Clawfuku Stones, 2 Catnippon Dice and a rulebook. The box is really small, so it's great for shelf storage. It's also pretty attractive and a nice quality item, and makes a great gift. The style of the whole set is modern yet classic, so suits most tastes. Full marks for no plastic packaging.

I've written about Swizzels before and I've expressed my adoration for their sweeties plenty of times. This year the Derbyshire confectioners are celebrating a staggering 90 years in the business and they have a very special Sweetest Invention competition to celebrate.


Swizzels want members of the public to design a new sweet for their factory at New Mills to make. The four most inventive, interesting and delicious ideas submitted by entrants will be judged by a panel of experts.

It's that time of the month again and crikey it's come around quickly! I haven't had time to comment on everyone's #TBCSmiles photos on Instagram, but I will do as many as I can. Thanks to everyone who shared their grins, chuckles and laughter with us - they brighten any month.


This month we had weather!! Loads of glorious sunshine for much of the country and so much colour! Up here in Manchester the lack of grey has brightened everyone's mood. Bright blue skies, amber evenings, lush green grass and a rainbow of flowers. It's been very nice to escape the gloom for a while and I hope it lasts a little longer.

We really escaped by making a trip to Scotland to see the children's Grandparents. It's ridiculous how hard things are now, and we aren't in a position to cope with failure, so naturally avoid anything with potential to go wrong. Taking a 400 mile round trip has seemed like an expedition to the moon for the last 4 years, and we couldn't plan it too far in advance as it gave us time to talk ourselves out of it.

BubbleBum have been around for a good few years now. Their inflatable children's booster seats are perfect for taxis, if you need to fit 3 car seats or booster seats in one row, great extra car seats when you have an extra child with you, and ideal for any child who regularly changes vehicles or is going abroad on holiday. I'd never seen one in person before, so I was really intrigued to find out exactly how they work...


The BubbleBum is designed for children aged 4 to 11, who weigh between 15-36kg (height restrictions apply, see the ROSPA site for more information). Much more than simply a comfy cushion to sit on, the design holds your child in the correct, safe position for travel. In the event of a crash it is important your child isn't slumped forward, and belts are guided into the correct position over the lap and shoulder, so that injury to internal organs and the chances of your child 'slipping out' of their harness are minimised.

BubbleBum is crash test approved and meets and exceeds the EU ECE R44.04 and the US FMVSS 213 safety regulations for both Groups 2 and 3 and is a totally safe option for your family. These tests cover both crash testing and materials testing. The components used to make BubbleBum are similar to those in life rafts and air bags.