The Secret Life of Pets 2 is now available on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Digital Download from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. They've sent us a copy to review and I have a Blu-ray to give away to one of my readers too!

What are your pets doing when you aren't at home?


This heartwarming animated sequel from Illumination, the studio that brought us Despicable Me, Minions and Sing, is also led by a star-studded comedic cast. All of our favorite Pets and their growing families are back in a new chapter which really examines the deep bonds between them and their humans.

The voice cast includes Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio), Kevin Hart (Ride Along Series), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), Jenny Slate (Despicable Me 3), Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip), Lake Bell (Children’s Hospital), Nick Kroll (Sing), Dana Carvey (Wayne’s World), Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Hannibal Buress (Neighbors) and Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live).

Excitingly for me, Harrison Ford takes his first ever role in an animated film as new addition Rooster, the very mature farm dog who they meet later on in the movie.

One Dear World are a company I approached because I love their ethos. They create dolls that genuinely represent a diverse range of children - boys and girls from different backgrounds, with different skin tones and hair colours, and One Dear World are also crowd-funding to extend the range to include dolls with disabilities.

We've been sent a doll for review and one of the Fair Trade handmade outfits, which I'll be passing on to a little girl who I know will really appreciate it...


Our doll is Hearty Hope, and her backstory is that she was born in Accra, Ghana and moved to London with her parents. The packaging is mostly unbleached card and she comes with her own little passport. She's 32cm tall and not heavy to hold.


She has beautiful curly hair and dark skin, and when she arrived was wearing a really pretty embroidered white sundress - with bloomers underneath to protect her modesty! The clothes are removable and it was really easy to change Hope.

One of the best games we've reviewed this year is Bank Attack! and I'm delighted to have a copy to give away to one of my readers.

Bank Attack! is a cooperative game where 2- 4 players aged around 7+ take the roles of a safe-breaking gang. Work together against the clock in order to steal the cash and if you beat the safe, you bag the gold bullion....


You can play almost instantly and there are no tricky rules to learn. Players work as a team with everyone taking a role. Then you all have to correctly and quickly follow the instructions given to you by The Boss.

Bank Attack cooperative family game is a new release from John Adams this Autumn and it really is an excellent game! 2- 4 players take the roles of a safe-breaking gang and have to work together against the clock in order to steal the loot. Suitable for age 7+, but plenty of fun even for us grown ups once the kids are in bed....


There's very little single-use plastic packaging, so I'm pleased from the start. Bank Attack! is packaged in a sturdy box which can be used for safe storage afterwards. You will need just 5 minutes to release parts from the sprue before first play and 3 x AA batteries, but it scores well for packaging and is pretty Christmas morning-friendly.


Inside the box are the Electronic Safe, 8 different tools (goggles, drill, laptop, map, flashlight, headset, explosives and gloves), 12 Plastic Gold Bars, 20 notes and Instructions.

Until now we used Bunch O Balloons for solely outdoor play, but that's all changed with their brand new Bunch O Balloons Self-Sealing Party Balloons. Inflate up to 40 balloons in less than 40 seconds without even breaking sweat! What's more, they don't need to be knotted and they even come with ribbons already attached...


We're working with Zuru Toys and Tesco - who will be stocking Bunch O Balloons Party Balloons from this week. They've sent us the Party Balloon Starter Pack With Pump to review, plus some extra Party Balloon Refills (and I'll also have a giveaway on Facebook so that one reader can go and buy some for themselves!)...


Packaging is mainly card with a large plastic window for the balloons, and it's not ideal to keep for storage. The balloons with their ribbons and rubbery hollow sticks are packaged carefully to avoid tangling without using lots of tape - nicely done. Easy to open and you can use it instantly.

This post is a collaboration to put food on my table, written by Ale Roman. It has some great tips and ideas. I've added some of my own images...

October is almost upon us, and that can only mean one thing… Christmas is just around the corner. Already you might start to see the familiar flashes of red and white on the high street as stores start to show their Christmas wares nice and early for excited consumers that are looking for the best gifts for this beautiful season.

While you may not even be thinking of Christmas just yet, rest assured that it’ll be here before you know it! And with just a little planning, you can ensure that you and your family have an amazing time around the tree, by the fire, at the dinner table and wherever else the festive season takes you.


Whether you’re the kind of early bird that likes to plan well in advance, or whether you just want to start feeling Christmassy to brighten up the gloomy Autumn days, we hope you’ll find some inspiration in our ideas.

Here are some suggestions to help make sure that you get the very best out of Christmas 2019...

As usual there is loads to do in Manchester and the North West this Autumn - here are just a few events and activities which are suitable for families with children of all ages, possibly even when they're taller than you and have a full beard...


I will add to this post as more comes in. If you have anything you'd like me to add, please email it to me, with a photo! Please don't send me anything which isn't in the North West UK...


Sunday 13 October - an accessible day of interactivity, including dance, music, and arts activities. This day is designed especially for families where one or more members may have additional accessibility requirements.




A World Inside A Book: Gruffalos, Dragons and Other Creatures
Until December 2019
Immersive Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler inspired world to explore. 0-8 years old and their families : £6 - £7

The Board Game Family: Reclaim Your Children From The Screen is a fantastic 'how-to' for parents wanting to bring their kids back into the living room, away from their phones and back into family life together. Anyone who reads my blog will know that board games are a huge thing here, we play most weekends year round and usually everyone in the house joins in...


As soon as I opened The Board Game Family I knew we were on the same wavelength. The writing style is chatty and full of sarcasm and witty quips. It's friendly, accessible and perfect for parents of today's teenagers.


Ellie Dix starts by explaining why you need board games as part of your family life. The benefits of board gaming are massive. Playing games develops confidence, memory, co-ordination, logic skills, problem-solving and decision-making. It teaches you patience, tolerance and an understanding that everyone thinks differently. Ellie also explains how a healthy culture of competition and good gamesmanship can strengthen relationships.

Gaming helps us reconnect with our children. It is quality relaxation time where you aren't all doing the same thing separately or silently, you are working together as a unit, chatting, laughing and socialising. I personally see it as very important time spent, and I know my 10 year old likes absolutely nothing better than playing a game together with his family.


The examples of games included in the book really caught my excitement. Ellie rates a good few of the games which we really like to play. Carcasonne is my 9 year old's favourite game and a lot of the really good independent games we've reviewed for Asmodee are mentioned in this book. 


There is a great toolkit for getting started, even if you haven't been a game player yourself. Ellie suggests ways to bring games into your family's life, and which games will be a good starting point.

This post is written by Emma Stewart, and I'm sharing it to put some food on my table, but checking your tyres at this time of year is really an essential part of car maintenance and she has some good advice.

Foggy and wet conditions need good grip, and the ice and Wintry weather will be back with us before we know it...

Tips on how to care for your tyres

Whether you are a car driver or not, it always comes in handy to know about the basics of how to care for your tyres because all of us either drive or get driven to one place or another. Keeping your tyres in good condition is extremely important not just for a smooth and comfortable drive but also for the safety of the passengers. Below are mentioned some top tips to keep in mind for maintaining your tyres in spick and span condition:

What Came First? is a light-hearted game where opponents wager tokens on their ability to correctly identify when things happened. If you are also someone who struggles to remember what you had for tea 2 days ago, believe me, it's trickier than you'd think..


As ever with Big Potato games, it is beautifully presented in a modern looking box which is useful for storage for the lifetime of the game, and you can play instantly. No tricky rules and everything is fairly obvious.

Inside the box are the Game Board, Question Cards and plastic Chips, and cardboard Playing Pieces, Time Tokens and a Starter Token.


You'll need 2 minutes before first play to press them out and then you're good to go.