Bunch O Balloons have been a huge hit since they arrived in the UK a few years ago and this year they've increased their arsenal for even more garden water fun. We've been sent the new Bunch O Balloons Filler/Soaker for review and as luck would have it, the weather kindly perked up in time for my kids to have a play...


We reviewed Bunch O Balloons last year. They're every bit as good as they look on telly and you really can fill a whole bundle of water balloons in 60 seconds. The balloons are rubber, biodegradable and recyclable. You can find my original Bunch O Balloons review here with our short video - and a couple of errors we made by being too cautious.


The Bunch O Balloons Filler/Soaker is a really great addition to the range and means that you don't even need a tap to fill your balloons. Perfect for anyone who doesn't have an outdoor tap, and it makes Bunch O Balloons portable! You can even fill them on a campsite - but in a pool might well be the best of all.

Ordsall Hall's Summer Outdoor Theatre programme launched last Friday night with Macbeth and we were invited along to review. Last year when we went for the outdoor theatre it was 30 degrees at 9pm and we were melting - it wasn't quite the same this year, and I was reliably informed it would move inside if there was rain, but in the end we did very well with a dry, sunny evening.


Ordsall Hall is a beautiful Tudor building set into gorgeous grounds, and it really is an oasis of calm in amongst all of the modern buildings, homes and businesses. The current Great Hall was built in 1512, so it would have been sparkly new when Shakespeare was alive. The perfect location for Macbeth.


Gates opened at 6pm, which allowed us plenty of time to familiarise ourselves, find a suitable spot and get comfy. You are free to bring your own chairs, and if it's wet you really will want to, as sitting on the grass or a picnic blanket will be cold and/or damp unless the weather is glorious, especially at night.

The gardens are gorgeous - the Gardener does an amazing job and I'm sure she is rightly proud.

The BBC Earth range of soft toys from Posh Paws International is a collaboration with the BBC, and all of the soft toys depict land and sea animals featured in the BBC television documentaries including Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II. We've been sent some of these gorgeous creatures to review and I also have 2 to give away to my readers.


All of our land and sea creatures are suitable for anyone 12 months and over. They are approximately 25cm/10" tall or long (with a smaller 7" size range also available). Super soft and cuddly, they come with their own cardboard display plinth. In fact the display plinth is the only real packaging and there aren't any plastic bags involved.

Today sees the DVD and Blu-ray release of epic family-friendly adventure, The Kid Who Would Be King. We've watched it and it's a great family action movie, and I have a DVD copy to give away to one of my readers, courtesy of 20th Century Fox.


My boys will watch quiet and considered films, but mainly they like a good lively film with plenty of action, so The Kid Who Would Be King was a hit with my boys. It's PG rated and there's no gore, but a strong storyline with plenty of peril and fight scenes. Some characters do not survive to the end of the movie.

Alex thinks he’s just another nobody, getting bullied at school and told what to do by his teachers, until he stumbles upon the mythical Sword in the Stone, Excalibur. Now old school magic meets the modern world and with the help of the legendary wizard Merlin, he must unite his friends and school yard enemies into an allied band of knights to defeat the wicked enchantress Morgana. With the future at stake, Alex must become the great leader he never dreamed he could be and save the world.

As usual there is tons on for families in the North West this Summer, and I've included everything I've been sent here. Theatre, days out, music, workshops and so much more. It's early days yet, so I'll be adding lots more as venues finalise their programmes and event days.

There really is something for everyone, and I've included events that suit families with children of all ages, even when they're taller than you are and have a more impressive beard.



If you have anything you'd like me to add, please email it over with a photo - or beware, I'll use a random one of mine...

Ahead of Manchester's Festa Italiana, which takes place 26th-28th July, we were all invited to a very special Family Pasta Master Class at Salvi's Mozzarella Bar in the Corn Exchange, with Carmela Serano Hayes of Carmela’s Kitchen.


Italian food is very much family orientated and there is a whole programme of events during Manchester's Festa Italiana especially for families with children. One of the highlights will be the FREE Kids Pasta Master Classes with Carmela, where children can learn first hand just how easy it is to make your own pasta and have a go at creating some different shapes and textures to match with different dishes and sauces.


I'm a firm believer in cooking with children from a young age, so we were all excited about our Pasta Master Class. This was taking place downstairs at Salvi's, a restaurant and deli in the Manchester Corn Exchange.

Lily's Just Fine has been sent to us by Sweet Cherry Publishing for review and it released on July 11th. Rather than being a fantasy tale where an exceptional event occurs, Lily's Just Fine goes much deeper and looks at more realistic and chaotic everyday struggles that people can face. It tackles depression. mental breakdown and chronic illness, but it's actually a really positive story and I really enjoyed it.
The first in a series of 4 books by author Gill Stewart, Lily's Just Fine is a really enjoyable tale which is modern and very easy-to-read. The storyline revolves around the lives of Lily and Tom, two 17 year olds living in a Scottish coastal village. Their lives become intertwined because of a mutual friend, Gemma, who is good friends with Tom's sister Sarah.

Lily's mother has depression, her older siblings have moved away and her father spends little time at home. She's left to try and cope, but is busy being a teenager and really unaware of how badly her mother is suffering at first. Tom's sister Sarah has chronic illness and his family life revolves around her health. They both escape by sailing at a local club, and discover they have more in common than they'd have realised.

The format of the book is excellent, and ideal for young adult or teenage readers who don't want to face an epic tome. The book is split into sections of around 2-4 pages each, alternating narration between Lily and Tom. Being able to see their relationship and the outcomes of their actions from both sides adds an understanding that we could definitely benefit from in real life.

It's the middle of the month again and it's a bit different from this time last year! Although we've had a bit of sunshine, it's been short-lived and a big well done to anyone who has the suntan they already had 12 months ago.

Rain has been quite a feature the past couple of days. My thoughts really do go out to anyone who has been flooded. Losing everything you own so suddenly is far more than I think I can appreciate. It's easy to say "at least you got out okay", but the months of sorting, cleaning, rebuilding, fighting with insurers and living in temporary accommodation are no fun for anyone.


You've all made the most of what sun we had - there are loads of outdoor photos this month and a few children riding bikes. My children also finally learned to ride this month. A lot of things went on hold when we lost Elspeth, whether we realised it or not. We are beginning to catch up a bit now - thanks to our big kids for the nudges and the time spent running alongside their brothers.

Matador are the children's division of Troubador Press and they regularly send us books to take a look at. I usually cover books for older children, but these are 3 shorter fiction books which are especially suitable for beginner readers in Early Years and Key Stage 1 infants, aged around 4-8.

This month Carlton Kids have sent us Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Woody's Augmented Reality Adventure Book for review. It's aimed at children of all ages 3+ and my boys still enjoy Toy Story despite being 9 and 10, plus we all wanted a sneak peek of the new characters from Toy Story 4, especially Forky!


The Augmented Reality is created via your phone or tablet camera and a free app. which you'll have to download from Play Store or Apple before you start. It's not huge and only took a few seconds.

The app. is ready to go instantly and very intuitive, with good, clear instructions on screen to get you started. There are very few options, so you can find everything easily and it's even ideal for very young children or technophobes.