£75 Argos Gift Voucher Giveaway

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To celebrate the ending of 2016 and the beginning of 2017 we are offering one lucky Playdays and Runways reader and follower the chance to win a £75 Argos voucher. We were so proud to be asked to be part of the Chad Valley Play Panel and have loved reviewing so many fabulous toys this year.

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Chad Valley Airport Playset Review

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Just before Christmas we got a special delivery from Chad Valley. As we are part of the Chad Valley Play Panel, little J was sent the Chad Valley Airport Playset to try out. It was perfect timing as little J was getting fed up waiting for Santa to bring him new toys. Little J absolutely loves everything that involves cars, planes or trains so the Chad Valley Airport Playset was the perfect choice. 

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Ravensburger Stick Man and The Gruffalo Puzzles Review

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This week we had an early Christmas treat when Stickman and The Gruffalo jigsaw puzzles arrived. We love The Gruffalo and Stickman so we were thrilled. The two jigsaw puzzles are by Ravensburger and are based on the popular books written by Julia Donaldson.

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Win Mr Blooms Talking Veggies

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On The 9th day of December I have teamed up with Little Babas Toys and Costumes to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a full set of Mr Blooms Talking Veggies

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Win a Baylis and Harding Gift Set

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On The 9th day of December I have teamed up with Baylis and Harding to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Baylis and Harding Gift Set

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Win Shuffle Games

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On The 8th day of December I have teamed up with Cartamundi Shuffle Games to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Connect 4 and Game of Life.

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Festive Menu at Beefeater

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A few weeks ago we were treated to a delicious meal from the new Festive Menu at Beefeater. We have never dined at a Beefeater restaurant before so we were all excited. When it comes to eating out we do usually like to try different places but the Beefeater has never popped up and I'm not sure why as we have many close by.

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Win Say Hello Glove Puppet

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On The 7th day of December I have teamed up with East Coast Nursery to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a 'Say Hello ' glove puppet.

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Win Little Tiger Press Christmas Book Bundle

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On The 6th day of December I have teamed up with Little Tiger Press to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Christmas book bundle.

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Hollands Micro 2 Go Pastie Slice Review

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When I was younger Hollands was the only brand of pie I knew. It was the brand my Nana and Grandad bought, My Mum and Dad and whenever you had a pie from the chippy it would always be a Hollands. Growing up I was never a lover of meat based pies but I loved Cheese and Onion. A cheese and onion pie with lots of tomato sauce, yummy.

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Win Nick Jr Ready Steady Dough

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On The 5th day of December I have teamed up with The Entertainer to offer one lucky reader the chance to win Nick Jr Ready Steady Dough - Swirly Whirly Sweets.

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Win Bed Socks from Suttons

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On The 3rd day of December I have teamed up with Suttons to offer one lucky reader the chance to win two pairs of bed socks, perfect for chilly Winter evenings.

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Win Og on the Bog by Drumond Park

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On The 2nd day of December I have teamed up with Drumond Park to offer one lucky reader the chance to win Og on the Bog

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Signed Tigeropolis Books Giveaway

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On The 1st day of December I have teamed up with Tigeropolis to offer one lucky reader the first two Tigeropolis books signed by the author.

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Switch It Up and Drink Smart

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As soon as the Christmas season begins we usually have lots of invites for nights out, get togethers, and meals and to me this means lots of fun but others its an excuse to have lots of alcohol. I am not a big drinker in fact whenever I go out I am usually the driver and would much rather drink water or a glass of diet coke than wine or vodka. To me drinking is a social thing and people use it to have great time but I don't need it. Don't get me wrong when I was younger I would party all weekend but I was younger then and had no responsibilities but I now one night of partying would make me feel ill for a week after and with two kids and a husband to look after I much prefer to to stay alcohol free. Recent research commissioned by AB InBev was done to demonstrate the benefits of smart drinking encouraging Brits to 'Switch It Up' 

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Our 2016 Christmas Gift Guide

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Christmas will soon be here and whilst I love buying presents I often get stuck for ideas on what to buy. So this year I decided to make notes every time something caught my eye on TV or whilst browsing the internet.

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Go Ahead Snacks Review #SnackSmart

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We love reviewing new products as it gives us the chance to try out new stuff we may have missed in the shops. However when we were asked to review some Go Ahead goodies it reminded me of a brand I used to love but just forgot about somehow. We used to eat Go Ahead bars a few years ago but stopped and I'm not sure why as they are so tasty and low in kcals.

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Our Top Five Takeaway Apps

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*collaboration

Its nearly time to decorate our home ready for the Christmas celebrations. We have a tradition that every year on decoration day, we will tidy up, then get the decorations from the loft. After that the usual ornaments and pictures take their turn up in the loft for a month or so, and then the decorating begins. At about the time we are sorting the teddies and ornaments, we will usually order a takeaway meal to be delivered. Now I remember when we first started the tradition of decoration day we would go out for something to eat, but we would find ourselves short of time and rushed. Over the years that we have been ordering in I think that Pizza has been the most popular choice, but then is that because until recently Pizza was one of the only things you could get delivered?

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Annabel Karmel Frozen Meals Review

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When it comes to mealtimes I have mentioned before that I do like to cook from scratch but realistically there are days when this does not happen. Being a parent it's busy, busy, busy and there are days when I just have to throw something together quickly if we are running late and I haven't had time to prepare something. Having said that I still make sure what we eat isn't junk and that it is something that is nutritious and healthy. When we were asked to try out Annabel Karmel Frozen Meals I took a look at the website and the products and I was impressed. Annabel Karmel has turned her best-loved children’s recipes into nutritionally balanced freezer fillers for parents like me that have days when we are just too busy to cook.

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TechSavvyDad Tuesday - S+ by ResMed Review

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Sleep. Does anyone ever get enough these days? I know that being a dad to two boys, one a toddler and one a teen, there is a huge differential in the times that they sleep. Little J is often asleep by 6pm and up again ready for the next day at 5am whereas Big J will be in bed by 10pm on a school night and much later at weekends. I get to sleep in-between these times but generally I have some ‘Dad’ time that means actually I think I average around 6 hours each night. I know that's not enough, but how can we monitor and improve our sleep? I have tried a few apps from the google play store over the years, with mixed results. I have never stuck to one app to try to improve my sleep as I haven’t yet been convinced that any of them actually work. I have been trying the S+ by ResMed to try and improve my sleep.

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The Lion Guard Defend The Pride Lands Play Set Review

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Being huge Disney fans we are quite shocked that we haven't sat down yet and watched The Lion Guard TV series which is based on The Lion King movies. We've heard of it and it has been on our 'to watch' list for a while. When we were asked to review The Lion Guard - Defend The Pride Lands Play Set it gave us the excuse to sit down and watch an episode before it arrived. Little J loved it as did I. It's a lovely series following Kion, Simba's youngest cub.

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Epic Moments From The Middle Earth Collection

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This week I have noticed that Christmas is already everywhere. Shops, adverts on TV, Online ads, you can’t get away from it and its not even 5th November yet. This got me thinking about some of the traditions we have at home for Christmas, one of which is to watch the extended editions of all three Lord Of The Rings movies, we attempt this usually in one epic sitting when Little J and Big J are having their Christmas day out with their grandparents.

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Chad Valley Wooden Fire and Police Station Review

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You may have seen our very exciting post recently about Playdays and Runways being chosen to be part of the Chad Valley Play Panel. We are so excited to be involved with a brand that means so much to us. Chad Valley was a huge part of I and Daddy's childhood and I have fond memories of toys I used to play with. I really must dig out some photographs of me as a child on christmas morning opening lots of Chad Valley toys.

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Disney Princess Colours of the Sea Ariel Toddler Doll Review

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Both little J and I were excited when Colours of the Sea Ariel from JAKKS Pacific arrived this week. I knew she was on her way but I didn't tell little J so when he opened the box his little face lit up. He loves Disney and Disney Princesses and is always trying to play with my collector Disney dolls so at first he wasn't sure whether he could touch her or not. When I told him Ariel was for him and she could go in the bath he instantly pulled her out of the cardboard box and wanted me to open her.

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Schleich Large Farm, Animals and Accessories Review

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Recently when we were shopping in Hamley's we noticed the Schleich range of figures and play sets. I spent a couple of minutes looking at the animals especially the horses and I was so impressed with the quality of them. Little J was actually looking for a dinosaur so we decided to buy him a Schleich one. It's really lovely and the detail is amazing. Shortly after we actually received the Large Schleich Farm to review and I was so excited. I knew instantly that it would be a hit with the whole family.

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Teletubbies Magazine Review

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When big J was growing up Teletubbies dominated our TV and also big J's toy box. He absolutely loved Teletubbies and had lots of Teletubbies toys including talking ones, a phone, books, even a Noo Noo that moved along the floor. Teletubbies were so popular, they were everywhere and you just had to love them. When the Teletubbies made a comeback I was so excited because little J is the perfect age and I knew he would love Teletubbies just like his big brother did. I wasn't wrong. Our house has been filled with various Teletubbies toys over the past 9 months and now little J has just received the Teletubbies magazine.

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Our Top Five Netflix Halloween Movies #StreamTeam

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 We love Halloween and for us Halloween is the beginning of the countdown to Christmas. We have started getting in to the Halloween spirit by browsing through Netflix for some movies to watch. I don't like being scared so adult horrors are not for me so we have chosen our top five Family Halloween Picks on Netflix.

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TechSavvyDad Tuesday - August Multiroom Wireless Airplay Speakers Review

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Recently we got the chance to review some wireless airplay speakers from August. We have purchased August products before including headphones and a TV box and they were both really good so we were very excited to test out the speakers. As I am useless with technology I asked Daddy and he has kindly reviewed them so I will hand you over to Daddy now.

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Win An Organix Goodies Bundle Giveaway

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To celebrate the launch of its tasty new snacks Organix Goodies is giving away a hamper for your little one to munch, crunch and nibble away at the new foods.  There’s also a lunch bag, a hat and water bottle for your little explorer’s adventures.

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Chillfactor Frozen Milkshake Maker Review

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We recently received the ChillFactor Milkshake Maker to review. The boys really enjoy milkshakes so they were excited to try it out. The ChillFactor Milkshake Maker makes delicious, frozen, foamy milkshakes in minutes. You just freeze the special milkshake maker, then pour in your flavoured milk and watch the magic begin. So easy to do and in minutes you'll have thick, foamy, frozen milks. 

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Signed Copy Of The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher Giveaway

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Anyone who reads my blog or follows me on social media will know that I am a huge fan of McFly and have been since the beginning. Big J grew up listening to their music and now little J does too. Over the years I have followed them outside of McFly too. Whether it is watching Tom's You Tube videos, reading The Dinosaur That Pooped books to little J, McBusted and now Tom's latest venture The Christmasaurus.

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Pampers-UNICEF #1Photo1Vaccine Campaign

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All babies are amazing and they bring their own special form of magical happiness to everyone around them, and they always know how to somehow put a smile on your face or make you laugh. But did you know – babies can even help save lives by doing nothing more than wearing Pampers. Pampers donates 1 vaccine against maternal and newborn tetanus for every pack of Pampers nappies and wipes sold through the “1 Pack = 1 Vaccine” Pampers-UNICEF campaign.

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TechSavvyDad Tuesday - Stranger Things on Netflix

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You may have seen that we have been tweeting about the latest Netflix original series ‘Stranger Things’.  We have now finished watching series 1, and absolutely cannot wait for the second series. For those who haven’t read anything about the series, I will attempt to explain how good it is, without any spoilers, so feel free to read on if you haven’t yet seen it.  Throughout the series I was convinced it must have something to with Stephen King. The way the story is written, the characters, the feel of the series.  It appears I am wrong as the series has been written by the Duffer brothers, although there is a cursory nod to King in one of the episodes where one of the leads likens the events to a Stephen King novel, so maybe a little thanks for the inspiration. Or is there a pseudonym at work here?

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Planning Our Next Holiday To Cyprus

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You may already know that we visited Cyprus in August for the 2nd time and it was amazing. Cyprus was never on my destination list until I won a holiday back in 2014. There was a huge list of places we could choose from and after months of deliberating we chose Cyprus - best decision ever. We stayed at the Malama Beach Holiday Village and it is perfect.

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Crazy Claw by Drumond Park Review

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I'm guessing we are not the only ones to spend endless amounts of money and time trying to win teddies in the arcade grab machines. Most of the time we don't even want the teddy it's just the thrill of seeing the 'claw' pick it up, move it towards the opening and drop it down to make us a winner. The Crazy Claw from Drumond Park brings the excitement and thrill of trying to win to your home without spending lots of money. 

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What Kind Of Sleeper Is Your Baby?

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I remember when I was having little J all I could think about was whether he would be a good sleeper or not. It sounds bad but after big J being awake 22 hours of the day when he was young, I had a feeling that little J would be the same. As parents looking after a newborn, toddler or a child sleep is so important and when you don't get any it is all you can think about. Luckily for us little J loves his sleep so we haven't really had any sleepless nights in the whole 3 years, really hope he never changes.

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Frontline Plus - Protection For Your Pets

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You may already know from previous posts that when I was younger we had two dogs. They were so much fun and I helped out when it came to looking after them. I would feed them, take them for walks and I would give them a bath. The only thing I didn't get involved with was keeping them healthy, that was my parents’ job. They would make sure they had their vaccinations done, their nails cut and took them to the vets for regular checkups. I remember one time my Mum sat me down and told me that one of our dogs had fleas and needed a treatment. I could see something black on her beautiful white coat, it was a flea. She was scratching and looked quite distressed and so uncomfortable. It's important as a pet owner to know that there are preventive treatments out there to help protect your dog or cat, including new FRONTLINE® Plus. When it comes to fleas, prevention is definitely better than cure!

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Cartamundi Disney's Finding Dory Card Games Review

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We are big fans of Cartamundi games so when we were sent two Finding Dory card games I knew little J would love them. He is still playing with his Disney Cars games and he loves Nemo and Dory so I knew these would be a hit.

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Disney Tsum Tsums Vinyl Stack Pack Review

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As a family we are huge Disney fans, we love to collect all things Disney. I mentioned in a previous post that the last time we were in Disneyland Paris, Disney Tsum Tsum plushes were everywhere. In every shop there were huge displays of the little cuties. Back then I had no idea what they were but I couldn't wait to find out.  Shortly after our visit I started to collect the plush versions of the Tsum Tsum characters. If you are new to the world of Tsum Tsum check out my first post here. Tsum Tsum (which means stack stack in Japanese) sit on top of each other. Recently a vinyl version of Tsum Tsum were released and we were so lucky to receive some.

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Gross Magic by Drumond Park Review

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Halloween will soon be here and we have been getting in the mischievous mood by trying out Gross Magic. I have to say that this is the most disgusting magic set ever so obviously the boys loved it. I took a step back and let Daddy and the boys get stuck in.

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Riverford Fruit and Vegetable Box Giveaway

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As farmers, veg box deliverers and self-confessed ‘veg nerds’, Riverford Organic Farmers know a thing or two about healthy, seasonal eating. What’s more, their new ‘Veg Fund’ allows families to raise money for their school while introducing children to healthy eating and teaching them where their food comes from.

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#AirFryerTakeIn - Making Chocolate Brownies with Philips AirFryer

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Since I joined Slimming World I have been noticing calories and fat content more than I ever have in the past. I am conscious all the time especially when eating out. When Philips asked us to take the #AirFryerTakeIn challenge I was quite excited as I love using our Airfryer. For those that are not familiar with the Airfryer you can visit our Airfryer Review. We were sent a selection of different recipes to make that have less calories than if you were eating out.

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Brio World Fire Station and Firefighter Helicopter Review

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I can honestly say that I have never seen little J's eye light up before as much as they did when he saw the huge box that arrived last week. Inside was the Brio World Fire Station and he couldn't wait to get stuck in. I had to quickly get the scissors to open the box because he looked liked he was going to explode. He kept saying as I was pulling the pieces out of the box 'Is this for me?' I love how much he love's toys it just make me smile.

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The Musical

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A few weeks ago John and I travelled to Birmingham to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Birmingham Hippodrome. I absolutely loved the film when I was younger, I would watch it everyday after school. I knew all the words and would sing along at the top of my voice. We went to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang years ago and loved it but the actual reason for our visit this time was that I am a huge Carrie Hope Fletcher fan.

John booked tickets as a surprise for my birthday and I couldn't wait. The date couldn't come soon enough. When we arrived at the theatre it reminded me of the theatres that you see in New York or London. It was off the beaten track and didn't look much from the outside but inside it was a lovely, fresh and modern.

Our seats were in the stalls and we had a great view of the stage. The Saturday Matinee performance was full with people of all ages. It was so nice to see so many young children there too.

Photo Credit - Chitty The Musical

Playing the role of Caractacus Potts was Lee Mead. For those that don't know him he won the BBC talent search for Joseph in the show Any Dream Will Do. I have to say stepping in the shoes of Dick Van Dyke is hard and I am so thrilled I got to see Lee take on this role. For me he was the star of the show. His acting was flawless, his singing was effortless and there is a lovely warmth about him that made me smile every time he came on the stage. I had a tear in my eye and lump in my throat as he sang Hushabye Mountain to Jeremy and Jemima. It was so beautiful and not one person in the audience made a sound.

Photo Credit - Chitty The Musical

I have waited months and months to see Carrie as Truly Scrumptious. I follow her over on her You Tube channel and have seen sneak peeks on her costumes and her fellow cast mates. She really does the role justice. She brings an edge to Truly that is quite feisty and just like Lee her vocals are just effortless. She doesn't even look like she needs to try. The chemistry between Lee and Carrie is so real and I know he has since left the show so I wonder just how magical it is now starring Jason Manford.

The other highlights for me were Claire Sweeney and Phil Jupitus as the Bombursts. We have not seen Phil in anything before so didn't know what to expect. He plays the character so well, he had the audience in stitches and he suited the role perfectly. Claire Sweeney is from my home town and I love watching her live on stage. We saw her in Hairspray and now Chitty and she always excels in the roles. The Chu Chi Face song was fabulous.

Photo Credit - Chitty The Musical

A special mention to Scott Paige who is just hilarious as Goran (The Bombursts spy) he really got the audience laughing. Also the chilling and quite scary Childcatcher was amazing.

The actual production was so more advanced than last time we saw it. There were projections of scenery on the stage and the way the Chitty car flew through the night was so much better than last time.

It was clear a lot of effort has gone in to this production and for us we saw the perfect cast.

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Michelle

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Daddy Goes Shopping On Wicked Uncle

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When it comes to buying toys I am a little more open minded than Daddy. Daddy obviously enjoys choosing toys for little J but they are always the same type either cars or lego. So when Wicked Uncle gave us a challenge of browsing their website and choosing some toys for little J, I gave Daddy the job.

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