A Mole Like No Other Exclusive Giveaway

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Disclosure - This is a paid collaboration. This post contains affiliate links. 

A few months ago we found A Mole Like No Other children's book. After just a few pages we had all fell in love with Moley as he begins his journey from an unwanted stuffed toy for sale at an Easter fair to the home of a little boy called Ashley.

A mole like no other book
A Mole Like No Other tells the story of a stuffed mole. All he knows is that for as long as he can remember he has been been pressed up against a bright yellow tractor and has had a smelly old football boot near his over sensitive nose. Moley is in a box of unwanted toys. Moley can only dream that one day he will see the light of day again. 

You can imagine how Moley must have felt when one day he feels the box lift off the ground, Moley is sure his life is about to change and begin again. Moley soon hears a familiar voice, one he hasn't heard for a long time. His owner Lorna. Lorna has taken Moley to an Easter fair to sell him however she is sure no one will want an 'ugly old mole' so even offers him for free. Will Moley find a new owner that will love and care for him?

Luckily Moley is bought by a little boy called Ashley. Ashley decides to call him Moley and takes him home to be with the rest of his stuffed toy animals. 

Moley's new home is a beautiful English cottage surrounded by nature and animals. Follow Moley as he makes lots of new friends thanks to Ashley's stuffed animals and real animals on his adventures. 

Since reading A Mole Like No Other we have followed some of the adventures of Moley through Julia's socials. Julia B. Grantham is a children's author and created A Mole Like No Other. A Mole Like No Other is a lovely bedtime story which we read together. The book touches on emotions and friendships. It's beautiful written, the characters are funny and intriguing, a perfect choice book to read  alone or aloud. 

I have teamed up with Julia to offer one lucky Playdays and Runways follower the chance to win a copy of A Mole Like No Other signed by Julia B Grantham, an exclusive hand-knitted Moley (only 6 have been hand made by a lady from Brazil) and some Moley chocolates.

All you need to do is complete the entry form below and pop back daily for bonus chances to win. 

If you are not lucky enough to win then you can purchase A Mole Like No Other over on Amazon and also head to Julia's twitter for updates on Moley's adventures.

Good Luck

Win A Signed Copy of Mole Like No Other Children's Book, Exclusive hand-knitted Moley and Moley chocolates

Michelle

Terms

Competition closes on Sunday 17th October 2021

Entrants must have a valid UK address. 

Bulk, third party or any other entries using automated software will be disqualified. 

All entrants and entries are checked and verified. 

1 lucky winner will be chosen at random by the Gleam application. 

Playdays and Runways will contact the lucky winners within 7 days of the competition closing. 

The winners will be emailed to the email address given at the time of entering. 

The winners will not be announced on my blog or social media until they have agreed that their name can be displayed. 

The winners must respond within 28 days, if no response a new winner will be chosen. 

This prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative 

The Prize : A Mole Like No Other Children's Book signed by author, a hand knitted Moley and chocolates

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Young Adult Books Perfect For Halloween - Books2Door

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Disclosure - We where sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. Books2Door referral scheme gives us both £5 off our orders by buying through this linkThis post contains affiliate links. 

As you may already know I joined a monthly book club earlier this year which I am loving being a part of. I think the last time I read a book was about 3 years ago whilst on holiday. I love reading but never seem to have the time. Since joining the book club I realised I do have time and I am whizzing through the books. I was asked recently to take a look at the books available from Books2Door. Books2Door were established in 2004 and do exactly as their name states, they deliver books straight to your door. The selection of children's books available is huge and at bargain prices too. 

book boxsets


As little J loves to read too I would usually choose him some books however I decided to take a look for myself. Although Books2Door is aimed at children there is a young adult section which suits me perfectly. Autumn and Halloween are upon us so I browsed for some books that would suit the season. 

the vampire diaries 13 book boxset


What better books to read as we approach Halloween, The Vampire Diaries Complete collection. The boxset is aimed at young adults however The Vampire Diaries is hugely popular with adults due to the success of the TV series The Vampire Diaries.

The vampire diaries book


The boxset consists of 13 books which follow Elena Gilbert who is a young girl attending high school but who soon finds herself torn between two Italian brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. You might think this sounds like any other high school romance or love triangle with twists and turns that young teens face through their teenage years but all is not as it seems. Readers will soon learn that the brothers are centuries old vampires.

Sticking with the vampire theme I also chose True Blood, Charlaine Harries, The Sookie Stackhouse series boxset. 

This boxset also includes 13 books which follows the life of Sookie. Sookie  is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much - not because she's not pretty, she's a very cute bubbly blonde, or not interested in a social life - she really is ... but Sookie's got a bit of a disability. She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable.

Then comes along Bill. He's tall, he's dark and he's handsome - and Sookie can't 'hear' a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting all her life for. But Bill has a disability of his own. He's fussy about his food, he doesn't like suntans and he's never around during the day, Bill's a vampire. Worse than that, he hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, with a reputation for trouble - of the murderous kind.

Sookie Stackhouse book


And then one of Sookie's colleagues at the bar is killed, and it's beginning to look like Sookie might be the next victim.

I cannot wait to start reading the books I chose. They will definitely get me in the mood for the spooky season. 

You will find thousands of books at Books2Door with some up 80% off their RRP plus free shipping on orders over £35. For more information or to browse the books available, visit Books2Door

Books2Door referral scheme gives us both £5 off our orders by buying through this link

Michelle
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Neon Effect Message Frame Giveaway

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The Neon Effect Message Frame allows you to create your own message by writing on the glass of the light up neon effect frame.

Neon effect message frame



The frame is 23cm square, made of plastic and features a glass panel in the centre of the frame which is perfect for writing your messages. All you need to do is use the bright, vibrant neon pens to create your messages. There are three colours to choose from, pink, green and orange. 

You can choose how you wish to display your frame. It can be hung on the wall or can be free standing on any flat surface. 

Once you have created your message all you need to do is turn on the frame and watch your message illuminate with a bright neon effect glow. 

Once you have finished all you need to do is simply wipe clean using a dry cloth and start all over again. 

Neon Effect Message Frame


I've teamed up with Wicked Uncle to give one our readers the chance to win a Neon Effect Message Frame. 

Wicked Uncle offer a range of gifts for all ages and occasions.

All you need to do is complete the entry form below and remember to pop back daily for bonus chances to win. 

Good Luck


Michelle

Terms

Competition closes on Sunday 3rd Oct 2021

Entrants must have a valid UK address. 

Bulk, third party or any other entries using automated software will be disqualified. 

All entrants and entries are checked and verified. 

1 lucky winner will be chosen at random by the Gleam application. 

Playdays and Runways will contact the lucky winners within 7 days of the competition closing. 

The winners will be emailed to the email address given at the time of entering. 

The winners will not be announced on my blog or social media until they have agreed that their name can be displayed. 

The winners must respond within 28 days, if no response a new winner will be chosen. 

This prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative 

The Prize : A Neon Effect Message Frame

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Roald Dahl Day - Ten Interesting Facts You May Not Know About The Author

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The 13th September is recognised around the world as Roald Dahl Day. Roald Dahl was born in Wales on the 13th September 1916 and would have celebrated his 105th birthday this year. We all know Roald Dahl for his children's books. Whether you are a fan or not you will have heard of his stories or seen the movie versions of the children's classics. Roald Dahl wasn't just a children's author, in fact he didn't start writing until much later on in his life after having children of his own. 

a selection of Roald Dahl books


There is much more to Roald Dahl and I have gathered ten very interesting facts that you may not know. 

1. Dahl was a young RAF pilot in World War 2. He almost died after his plane crashed suffering from skull, nose and spine injuries. He went on to have six surgeries and two hip replacements. 

2. He became a spy for William Stephenson during the War. 

3. Dahl worked alongside Ian Fleming as well as many others. It is said that due to his friendship with Fleming, Roald Dahl went on to write the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice and then co wrote the screenplay for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Roald Dahl created one of the scariest children's villains of all time, The child catcher.

4. When Roald Dahls daughter was seven she died from measles complications. The virus entered Olivias brain and caused inflammation. 

5. Roald Dahl reached a height of 6ft 6 when he became an adult. 

roald dahl book


6. Roald Dahls first children's book, James and The Giant Peach appeared in the US in 1961. It was banned in several states as people claimed it encouraged disobedience, there were flirtatious characters and it referenced drugs and alcohol. 

7. It was 1967 before a British publisher decided to publish James and The Giant peach in the UK. Roald Dahl had to front up half the costs of publishing or the deal was off. 

roald dahl book


8. Gobblefunk language was created by Roald Dahl and features hundreds of words including ringbeller, trogglehumper, whizzpopping, biffsquiggled and gizzardgulping. An Oxford Roald Dahl dictionary was created in 2016 to mark his 100th birthday.

9. Roald Dahl had a dislike for beards. It was because of his dislike he created The Twits as a campaign against them.

10. At the time of his death, Roald Dahl was planning a 3rd instalment to his popular classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The book was to be called Charlie and The White House. 

How many of these facts did you already know? Do you have any others you can share? 

roald dahl books


We are huge fans of Roald Dahl, both his books and the their movie versions. We first introduced little J to his stories way back in 2015 when McDonalds featured Roald Dahl books in their Happy Meals. I think everyone has their own favourite and for me it's Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory movie. The original starring Gene Wilder just reminds me of when I was little and I just loved it. I would watch it all the time. 

What's your favourite book or movie?

Michelle
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Pennington Flash, Leigh

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A few friends have told us about visiting Pennington Flash recently so during the Summer holidays we decided to put on our walking shoes and head to the flash for an afternoon walk. As we had never visited before and couldn't really find much online we didn't know what to expect, other than the flash is a very large body of water. 

pennington flash



What To Expect At Pennington Flash, Leigh WN7 3PA
When looking at the map of the flash both online and upon arrival it's quite difficult to see which path leads where so we started out at the car park and took it from there.  There are maps dotted around the car park to show the different paths so we took a photo of the map to help us navigate . 

The car park is chargeable at £1.50 per day. There were plenty of spaces even though some of the car park was taken up by travellers.

boy walking alongside a lake



When looking at the flash we headed right towards a toilet block which was closed. These were the only toilets on site which made it a little tricky as we were expecting to be at Pennington Flash for at least a few hours. Someone did tell me that there is a Morrisons about a 15 minute walk away if the toilets are closed on your visit. 

boy on a swing


Just behind the toilets is a children's playground. It had the usual play equipment, swings, see-saws, climbing frame. 

We then followed a path which led us alongside the flash, in towards the woods and up alongside the Liverpool Leeds canal. 

bird watching hideout


There were hideouts alongside the paths which are great for bird watchers and were very popular. Some of the seats where marked as belonging to people, which I assume is just their way of saying they spend a lot of time here watching the wildlife over the year. 

bridge over the liverpool leeds canal

the liverpool leeds canal


After we had walked alongside the Liverpool Leeds canal we had to find our way back on the path which was a little tricky and very steep so we did double back. Luckily we were able to watch a canal boat going past, the man on board looked like he was enjoying himself waving to the kids as he went past.  There is a large bridge which takes you over the canal just here and its a great place for taking photos and looking out onto the canal. 

We then joined the path but somewhere on that path we should have turned and followed a path back to the car park which is approx a 1-2 mile walk if we wanted a short walk that wouldn't have covered the entire flash. 

mum and son walking

dad and son walking


We continued on a path which took is right around the flash. The path was mostly defined however it was wet and muddy in places so we did have to go in to the bushes a few times and climb over a fence. We managed to get really close to the waters edge at times too which meant we could stop to throw stones and have a little break watching the birds and swans.  

We then ended up on a main road but managed to get back in to the country park again on clear paths that took us through some private land with public footpaths through. There are signs to let you know where you need to go and which areas are private.

boy sat by the water


This walk wasn't what we expected and took us around 3 hours and was approx 7-8km. However it was enjoyable and there was plenty to see along the way including the boats on the flash from the nearby sailing club. 

Walking shoes or boots are definitely essential as even though there are defined paths they are rocky and proper walking boats will protect your ankles. 

There is an ice cream man at the car park until close each day. Luckily we had £10 cash with us as the ice cream man wasn't taking cards when we visited. 

Pennington flash



We really enjoyed our walk around Pennington Flash and although we only expected to walk 1-2 miles it was a nice walk and was easy on the legs for most of it. The hideouts are great if you want to spot birds and the walk along the canal was really calm and peaceful. 

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- If you enjoyed this post leave us a comment.

-  Like us on FacebookTwitter or Instagram and follow us on our adventures.

- If you have visited any of the attractions mentioned in this post share photos with us on our socials. 

- If this post has helped you in anyway you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

- If you would like to work with us please visit on Work With Us page for more details

Michelle
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It Only Happens In The Movies by Holly Bourne Book Review

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This post contains affiliate links.

Audrey isn't like the majority of her friends. Whilst they are gushing over boys, Audrey is over romance. Audrey had been brought up by two parents who were head over heals with each other until one day it was over. So whilst dealing with her parents divorce, a hurtful breakup of her own, and distancing herself from her friends she has every reason to feel cynical. To avoid being at home with her Mum who is clearly not over her Dad, Audrey starts a job at the local cinema. She meets Harry. Harry is her fellow coworker, brash, impulsive, and a major flirt. Audrey isn't interested and tries to resist, however she finds herself falling for his charms. 

In this funny, insightful, and ultimately empowering novel, love and life isn’t what it’s like in the movies. It Only Happens In The Movies by Holly Bourne.

It only happens in the movies book



My Book Review
This is the third book I've read since joining the monthly book club in May. It Only Happens In The Movies got the majority of the votes including mine. I am a sucker for a romance books however this really wasn't a romance book, but I loved it. 

The story tells a story about a teenage girl, Audrey who had been brought up by two parents who loved each other. Their proposal was epic in Rome similar to the movie Roman Holiday. Their daughter Audrey was actually named after the actress Audrey Hepburn. Audrey had no idea that one day her Dad would up and leave to be with another woman. He actually starts a new family. 

There is a lot of responsibility on Audrey to look after her Mum who doesn't take the situation very well. Audrey does have an older brother but he is away in college. I really felt for Audrey as she never seems to know what she will come home to so starts staying out later and later at her new job at the cinema. 

Audrey has had a failed relationship herself just recently so the idea of love isn't in her thoughts at all right now until she meets Harry. Harry is a charmer. Harry is funny, cute, says all the right things but has a reputation. I think we all knew this kind of boy in school. Some girls stayed clear and others fell for him, Audrey was a bit of both. 

I finished this book within a week or so, I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed watching the relationship build between Audrey and Harry. There is something special about your first love and although it doesn't always ends the way you want it too it's one you will always remember.


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- If you enjoyed this post leave us a comment.

-  Like us on FacebookTwitter or Instagram and follow us on our adventures.

- If you have visited any of the attractions mentioned in this post share photos with us on our socials. 

- If this post has helped you in anyway you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

- If you would like to work with us please visit on Work With Us page for more details

Michelle
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August 2021 | Looking Back

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I said last month that August will fly by and before we know it the kids will be back at school and yes, I was right. Days, weeks and even months can drag sometimes when you are in work however as soon as you are off they whizz past. I really can't complain as we had an absolutely brilliant Summer and it has probably been my favourite Summer for a long time. 

standing in front of the disneyland paris castle



toy story land disneyland paris

One of my favourite memories from this Summer was booking a very last minute to Disneyland Paris. It had been about 18 months since we visited a Disney park and as soon as they announced that France had been removed from amber plus we booked. It was the best Disneyland Paris holiday I think we have ever had. Everything went so smoothly and although we had to wear masks and the castle is under refurbishment it was every bit as magical as I remembered

hotel cheyenne


We tend to visit Disneyland Paris around Christmas time so it was nice to enjoy the parks in just t-shirts rather than jumpers, coats, hats and scarves. We stayed in Hotel Cheyenne which is the only Disney hotel we hadn't stayed in before so it was a nice experience.

hyper space mountain


This visit was the first time that little J went on every ride we did except for Indiana Jones. He was so brave and went on Hyper Space Mountain and The Tower of Terror.

We had a truly amazing time and it was just what we needed. 

jumping in to a foam pit

We visited quite a few indoor play centres this month including Flip Out, Kick Air and our local soft play. We love visiting indoor play centres, they are perfect for wet days, to burn off any extra energy and to spend time with friends. 

legoland discovery centre



legoland discovery centre

John and big J were in and out of work all month so I had planned a few days out just for little J and I. We went to the Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester followed by a visit to Sealife which is just next door.

sealife centre


As Merlin Pass holders we can visit the attractions throughout the year as and when we want however I still prebook our tickets as they can sell out very quickly. 

John and I enjoyed just one date day this month but it was a good one. We headed to Breakout which is our favourite escape room. We chose Detectives Office and we did manage to escape with just over a minute to go. 

salthouse dock

albert dock

afternoon tea


We then hopped aboard The Floating Grace for afternoon tea and a cruise around the docks in Liverpool. I love afternoon tea and John had found this unique experience and it was a lovely way to spend a few hours. The food was delicious and the sights were stunning. 

dinosaur trail


A few years ago we did a trail around Blackburn looking for Lego Paw Patrol models and it was one of our favourite days out that Summer. This year it was back so we headed back to Blackburn but this time we enjoyed the Brickosaurs Brick Trail looking for huge dinosaurs. It was lots of fun. 

pennington flash

pennington flash

pennington flash

pennington flash


We headed outside quite a few times this month however a highlight was Pennington Flash. It's advertised as a 2 mile walk around the flash (like a large lake) however it was about 7km for us but I think we may have took a few wrong turns. We reached the Liverpool Leeds Canal which was lovely to walk along. We actually saw a boat going past which little J loved as the captain waved at him. 

The walk itself wasn't tough however there were parts were we had to improvise as the path was muddy or blocked off completely but it all adds to the fun I suppose. 

In Other News

I was really stressing about back to school shopping however it went really well and we got everything in just one trip. 

I've started planning our days out for Halloween and Christmas. Things sell out so fast so you have to be very early. 

Big J headed to Creamfields for the weekend. It's his first festival but he was very excited as well as nervous but had an amazing time. 

Our paddling pool didn't really get much use this year compared to last year. It's not been that warm at all however we managed to get it out over the bank holiday weekend which was fun. 

How was your Summer?

Michelle
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