Paw Patrol Grand Prix Video Game Review

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Disclosure - We have featured Paw Patrol Grand Prix in our Christmas gift guide.

Paw Patrol are on a roll on their fastest mission yet – To win the Pup Cup! Where no track is too big, no racer too small! Race around Adventure Bay, Jake’s Snowboarding Resort and the Jungle as the PAW Patrol pups and up-to 4 players at once – but look out for the obstacles left by mischievous Mayor Humdinger! This kart racer includes an easy control option for little ones with auto-acceleration to guide them around the track, as well as a hard mode for experienced track stars. So, buckle up for a PAWsome race around 11 tracks with your best pup pals!

We have teamed up with Outright Games to offer one lucky the winner to win a download code for Paw Patrol Grand Prix on a console of their choice. 

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

The giveaway closes on 11/12/22 and the winner will receive a code to download Paw Patrol Grand Prix for a console of their choice. There is no cash alternative and if the winner does not respond within 28 days a new winner will be chosen. 

The giveaway is now closed

Michelle

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Cocomelon Play With JJ Video Game Plus Giveaway

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Disclosure - We have featured Colomelon Play With JJ in our Christmas gift guide

Come over for a fun CoComelon playdate with JJ at his house. You’ll get to meet JJ’s friends and family, play musical minigames, and have fun with shapes and numbers! There are lots of fun interactive objects to pick up and play with, you can sing along to CoComelon favorites like Yes Yes Vegetables and Wheels on the Bus, and not least – build your very own CoComelon sticker collection along the way!

We have teamed up with Outright Games to offer one lucky the winner to win a download code for Cocomelon Play With JJ on Nintendo Switch.

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

This giveaway is now closed

Michelle

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Ryan's Rescue Squad Video Game Plus Giveaway

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Disclosure - We have featured Ryan's Rescue Squad in our Christmas gift guide.

Ryan’s friends have been kidnapped by evil Dark Titan, Robo Combo, and Packrat – and you are the only hero who can rescue them! Set out on a quest packed with slime, spaceship-flying bosses, and Ryan’s Surprise Eggs. Collect Sun Coins and Surprise Eggs to unlock new shop items and customize your character with fun alien hats, gamer gear, and much more. And use your platforming skills and special moves to save the day. You can’t beat these bad guys alone, so it’s a good job hilarious Ryan’s World characters have got your back. Use Gill’s Barrels, Moe Spaceship, Peck’s Slime, and more to stun and defeat enemies. You can even ride on a giant Shelldon! You’ll find them all as you explore the amazing worlds of Toys, Pirates, Space, and Prehistoric, where Ryan’s friends are waiting for you to rescue them. So, choose which hero to be – Ryan, Combo Panda, Alpha Lexa, or Gus the Gummy Gator – and jump into Ryan’s World. Invite a friend or grown-up to play with you in local two-player mode. And try exciting games like Spaceship Flight and The Floor is Lava. Can you defeat Dark Titan and his fiendish allies?

We have teamed up with Outright Games to offer one lucky the winner to win a download code for Ryan's Rescue Squad on a console of their choice. 

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

This giveaway is now closed

Michelle

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6 Tricks To Get Your Man To Dress Up Smart

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Disclosure - This is a collaborative post.

You don’t want to hurt your partner’s feelings, but you would like it if they dressed a little smarter from time to time. After all, seeing them in the same t-shirt and shorts can get a little samey. You want them to spice things up a little. 

Struggling with ideas? Here’s what to do:

Gift Clothing And Accessories

Telling your partner to wear nice clothes probably won’t work. In fact, it’s likely to lead to conflict.

But gifting them items you’d love to see them in might work. That’s because you're not forcing. Instead, you’re doing something nice for them and biassing their wardrobe in your favour at the same time. It doesn’t mean they’ll start wearing the clothes you buy them immediately, but give it a little time and they will soon come around. 

Go To Events That Force Him To Dress Up

Another option is to invite him to events where he can’t not dress up. Make sure that he knows it's black tie so that there are no excuses or last-minute t-shirts.

Offer To Clear Out His Wardrobe

Another tactic is to offer to clear out his wardrobe and get rid of the old items you don’t like. Chances are, he’s quite indifferent to what he wears, but he might continue donning clothes that you don’t like, just out of sheer convenience. Get rid of them and replace them with more attractive options and see if he notices. 

Buy Him A Tailored Suit

Generic suits look good on rake-thin models, but not on most normal men. That’s why it’s so essential to get your partner a tailored suit. You want him to wear something that looks good and makes him feel comfortable at the same time. 

Remember, tailored suits tend to offer better quality than random suits you buy at high street stores. Therefore, they also last considerably longer, bringing more enjoyment in the long run. 

Keep The Fit In Mind

Men’s body shapes can be all over the place, so you’ll want to focus more on the fit than the brand. Some suit polo shirts while others achieve sartorial splendour wearing t-shirts or similar items. 

Ultimately, a good fit is the key to success. If clothes fit poorly, the whole outfit will lack style and cohesion. 

If your man is particularly muscular, make sure that you make the right choices for him. Bulging biceps and shoulders look odd when combined with the regular type of clothes you can buy from the store. Ideally, you want stretch-fit options that hug the shoulders and draw in the waist. Don’t get clothes that add too much volume as these just make bulky men look top-heavy (even if they never skip leg day). 

Choose Clothes That Complement Your Partner’s

Lastly, you can try choosing clothes that complement those of your partner. Look for options that complement their style so that you can both strut your stuff with confidence. If your partner feels like choosing better clothes helps you identify as a couple, they will be more likely to do so. 

Michelle

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Adding Christmas To Our Living Room With Poster Store

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Disclosure  - We were given a voucher to spend on Poster Store for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

Throughout the year we change our colour scheme to match the seasons. It's a lovely way to keep the house looking fresh and it really does make you embrace the season more. As Christmas will soon be here I have started packing away my Autumnal colours of orange and brown. I have been introducing some red which is the perfect colour for Christmas time. One thing I have struggled with in the past is finding prints for the living room. One of our walls has two frames and above the fireplace has one. All we do throughout the year is change the poster inside to match the season. I was on the lookout for posters that are perfect for Christmas and match the tone of the rest of my decorations. As the boys are getting older I have toned down our decorations however I still want there to be references to Santa within our decor. Whilst browsing Poster Store I found some posters that were a perfect match and when they arrived they were even better than I imagined. 

Snowy Town Poster

Illustration of a town with blue, green and red houses surrounded by snow on a winter night. The print has a white margin that gives the motif more depth.

Santa's Sleigh Poster 

Illustration of Santa's sleigh with his reindeers flying away to the sky in the moonlight. It is a snowy full moon night and you can see two other reindeers in the snow. The print has a white margin that gives the motif more depth.

Holiday Ornament Poster

Cosy illustration of a Christmas ornament, a glass ball and inside you can find a house in green with a red door. The house is surrounded by snow and trees. The print has a white margin that gives the motif more depth.

Each poster can be shipped to you in a variety of sizes including

13x18cm

21x30cm (A4)

30x40cm

50x70cm

Prices vary depending on size and you can choose to receive your poster with or without a frame (at an additional cost). There are a variety of of frames to suit your interior design and colour scheme.

More above Poster Store

At Poster Store you will find Scandinavian designed posters and frames and all posters are printed on sustainably produced high-quality paper.

They have a large poster selection of different themes & categories for all tastes and release a new poster collection every Tuesday. I found the search function very easy and was able to find Christmas themed posters within seconds of searching. 

You will also find lots of inspiration when browsing as the images on the website will help you create your own gallery wall tailor-made for your home. 

If you would like to update your poster collection you can receive 35% off your order. All you need to do is type in the code PLAYDAYS at checkout. You will receive a discount of 35% on posters (except Selection Posters). The offer is not combinable with other discount campaigns. Valid from 9th to 13th November.

We are really pleased with our choices and they've made a great addition to our Christmas decor. 

Michelle

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Tips To Help You Prepare For Christmas

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Disclosure - This is a collaborative post. The idea for this post, thoughts and opinions are our own. 

Christmas is the most wonderful time of year. Everything builds up to Christmas day and if you are not prepared it can make Christmas the most stressful time of year too. There is plenty you can do to help you prepare for Christmas day and make it as stress free and enjoyable as possible. Here are our tips to help you prepare for Christmas. 

Decide Who Is Hosting

If you have a family Christmas it is wise to decide who is hosting as soon as possible. Making Christmas dinner is a big task and if it falls on you to host you will want to know sooner rather than later. 

Buy Christmas Food Early And Book A Home Delivery Shop Just Before Christmas

In December we start adding a few food items and treats to our weekly shops. It helps spread the cost of Christmas and it saves panic buying a few days before when all the shops are running low on stock levels. We always make sure we book a supermarket home delivery a few days before Christmas too as supermarkets are always so busy stressful on the days before Christmas. A home delivery takes the stress away all you need to do is order online and wait for it to arrive. 

Christmas Present Shopping Early

Hopefully by now you will have started your Christmas shopping but if you still have some Christmas gifts to buy start browsing online now. It's so much easier to shop online as you can find lots of gift ideas and inspiration from the comfort of your sofa. A great way to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the high street shops. 

Watch and Wrap

I actually like wrapping presents but when you have a lot of wrapping to do it can become a huge chore. We always pop on a Christmas movie that we have seen many times before and have it playing while we wrap. It makes the time go so much quicker.

Fill In Your Calendar, Planner Or Diary

December is a busy month and you may be out an about more than usual. Make sure you use a planner or calendar to fill in your social events, school activities, days out and get togethers. There is nothing worse than double booking.

Stock Up On Batteries

Buy extra batteries so you have spares in case any friends or family members give your children battery powered toys. Most small to medium children’s toys will require AA or AAA batteries. Larger toys may require C or D batteries. Having spares to hand will also mean that there are no tears if batteries do end up running dry before the end of the day. There are some toys can drain batteries very quickly too if played with continuously.

Enjoy The Day 

We all spend so much time preparing, planning and waiting for the big day to arrive that its easy to get to the point where you actually miss the entire day through trying to make sure that everything runs perfectly. Remember that Christmas is about spending time with family and friends so make sure that is what you do. If you have children then these will be the days they remember the most. They will remember the time you spent with them more than the present they forgot about years ago. 

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Michelle

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7 Must Have Toys This Christmas From Very

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Disclosure - This is a collaborative post. The idea for this post, thoughts, opinions and photographs are my own. 

The boys have been talking about Christmas and have already started to talk about what they would like for Christmas. I usually try and make little J wait until at least the middle of November before he can write his list to Father Christmas but it has been getting earlier and earlier each year. His list is already on it's way to Santa and he's got everything crossed that he gets everything on his list and a few surprises too. I  like to browse the internet and catalogues myself to see what this years must have toys and games are. I always like to see what the new crazes are and also what classics make it into the must have toys list for Christmas. Whilst browsing I came across Very and they have a huge selection of toys and games perfect for Christmas. Here are 7 of our favourite must have toys and games this year.

LEARN

I do like toys that are not only bright, colourful and fun but are educational too. Leapfrog Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart encourages the child to use their creativity as they use 8 flavoured scoops of ice cream and 3 different toppings to feed 1 of the 6 hungry character cards. The ice cream cart is a great addition to role play as the child can use their imagination either playing alone or with their family or friends.  With sounds and speech, the cart talks to the child and thanks them for their work!

The ice cream cart also encourages children to learn and discover colours, counting, flavours and numbers.  Children also need to match the ice cream they make to the character card and stacking the ice cream helps develop hand eye co-ordination.

IMAGINE

Fortnite has been making it on to Christmas wish lists for the last few years with its popularity growing each year. You can now take Fortnite from the screen in to your play with their range of toys and figures. Children can play with their favourite characters using their imagination to bring Fortnite adventures to life. 

Each 6 inch scale model has posable legs and arms so you can bend them in to any poses and have them ready for battle with harvesting tools, back bling and weapons. 

COMPETE

A little friendly competition and turn taking is healthy for children's development and Operation is a great way to spend time with family and friends. We have owned many versions of Operation over the years but the original is a classic and definitely our favourite. 

When it is your turn to be the doctor all you need to do is turn over the next surgery card, pick up the tweezers and operate on cavity Sam removing the pieces without setting the buzzer off. 

It takes a lot of skill and patience but it is so much fun and Operation is the perfect choice for a family games night. 

COLLECT

Gotta catch them all! Pokémon has been so popular even since I was little and it looks like it will continue to be a 'must have' for years to come with new collections being released every year. This year is the year of Pokémon GO and the Pokémon GO TCG Elite Trainer Box is the perfect choice to start your collection. 

The box comes complete with a variety of booster packs, foil promo card, 65 card sleeves, 45 energy cards, player guide, 6 counter damage dice, 1 competition legal coin flip die, markers and box. 

All that is left to do is assemble a deck and develop your strategy!

IMMERSE

Virtual Reality is definitely the future of gaming with VR experiences opening up in cities across the UK. You can have the excitement of Virtual Reality in your own home with the Meta Quest 2. We use our Meta Quest 2 all the time and the one thing that still shocks me is that it does not need a PC or console to connect to. 

You have access to purchase hundreds of games with a small selection of free games too. It will change the way you 'game' as you are leave reality behind and become part of the game. 

The games range from the ever popular Beat Saber rhythm game to the up and coming Among Us. 

As well as gaming you can also use your Meta Quest 2 to have front row views of concerts, movies and entertainment events. 

PLAY

Another timeless classic is Hot Wheels. Hot Wheels have been selling cars since 1968 so there will always be someone in your family or friends who have owned a Hot Wheels car or play set. As time has gone on the cars have evolved and play sets have got bigger and better with interactive features allowing endless hours of play. 

Our favourite is the Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage which allows children to use their imagination to race cars, beat the challenges and avoid the hungry Robo T-Rex. 

With space for over 100 cars, elevators and the chance to connect to other play sets, the Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage is definitely a must have for any fan. 

LOVE

Christmas in our house wouldn't be the same without a teddy bear or soft toy on the boys Christmas lists. This year we are collecting the Among Us Huggable Buddies from the popular mobile, console and VR game. 

Standing 25-30cm tall they are perfect for bedtime cuddles. 

I really do enjoy browsing all the must have toys and I do like to see a variety of toys and games suitable for all ages and budgets. 

Have your children made their Christmas list yet? I would love to know if any of our choices are on their list.

Michelle

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