Books
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Personalised Books From Wonderbly | Review

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Disclosure - We were gifted the books below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies.

boy reading a book
I love creating personalised gifts from friends and family. Personalised gifts add that something extra and I always think its shows that you have taken the time and effort to create a unique gift just for them. We also love to receive personalised gifts and have received many over the years and one gift that is still a favourite of ours is a personalised book little J received for Christmas from a company called Wonderbly.

Wonderbly offer a wide range of personalised books suitable for all ages from 0-3 years to 3-6 years and then those 6+.

the boy who found his friends book
I had a look online at some choices for little J and decided to choose the sequel to one of his favourite books, The Boy Who Lost His Name.  The Boy Who Lost His Name is a worldwide best seller so I knew the sequel would be just as special, The Little Boy Who Found His Friends.

One night a little boy awoke, 
sat up and looked around. 
His bedroom was pitch dark... 
and he had heard a funny sound!

What had stirred him from his sleep?
A creak? A bump? A groan?
He huddled in his blankets, 
feeling small and all alone.

But look! The letters of his name, 
which should be on his door,
now led him underneath his bed...
what wonders lie in store?

The Little Boy / Girl Who Found Their Friends takes us on an adventure into an incredible land where he follows the letters of his name to where fantastic friends are waiting to be made.

The book is personalised and includes your child's name and you can choose a character to match their skin tone and hair colour.

You can also include a personalised message on the inside cover to add that extra special touch.

boy lying on grass reading a book
Once you have personalised you can then choose from three different covers, hardback, softcover or softcover keepsake which includes a gift box.

Best dad ever book
As well as children books they also have a grown up section offering personalised books for your Mum, Dad, Grandma or Grandad.

You Are The Best Dad Ever gives you the chance to dedicate a whole book just for dad.

All you need to do is add your dads name and his special qualities.

Best dad ever book
Is he...

Hardworking?
Knowledgeable?
Practical?
Loving?
Great At Cooking?
Supportive?
Great With The Kids?
Dependable?
Funny?
or Kind?

Best dad ever book

Choose 8 of the qualities which best describe your dad. Add your names and even his partner or wife name too if required. Then all that's left to do is choose a cover and Wonderbly will work their magic to create a book for dad that is the perfect gift.

Wonderbly Books

Wonderbly have kindly offered me £10 off your next Wonderbly book. All you need to do is click here or visit Wonderbly and enter Playdays and Runways at checkout to receive £10 off. Please note should you take advantage of this offer Wonderbly will kindly give me £10 off my next book purchase too if this is your first purchase with them.

Have you purchased a personalised book from Wonderbly before? Which one did you choose?

Michelle
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What I Am Reading

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Disclosure - We were gifted The Switch Up and Here Lies The Secrets. Any thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post also contains affiliate links. 

pile of books and mug of tea
I thought having more time on my hands I would be able to actually sit down and start reading a book but I haven't read one single page of my new books. I know we have been in lockdown now for 12 weeks but I have been giving most of my time and energy to the boys, making sure they are safe and happy and also thinking of home schooling ideas for little J. Having said that I've decided I will make time in June to read and here is what's first on the list.

Here Lie The Secrets Book
Here Lie The Secrets
Mia's best friend Holly died when they were thirteen. But years later, Holly still hasn't left her. 
Spending the summer in New York, Mia is hoping to escape the visions of Holly that haunt her life at home. There she meets Rav, a parapsychology student, who convinces her to take part in a study into why some people see ghosts. Soon she is caught up in the investigation of Halcyon House, which is reputed to be haunted by a poltergeist. As Mia confronts her fears, what she learns about the house and herself will change her life forever.

I don't usually read 'thriller' books but I am intrigued by this so will give it a try.

Author - Emma Young

Brutally Honest book
Brutally Honest
The tell-all memoir from the loudest, proudest Spice Girl - and the truth behind the headlines

As one-fifth of the iconic Spice Girls and judge on X Factor and America's Got Talent, Melanie Brown, a.k.a Scary Spice, has been an international star since her twenties. Brutally Honest is an expose of the struggles and acute pain that lay behind the glamour and success.

With deep personal insight, remarkable frankness and trademark Yorkshire humour, the book removes the mask of fame and reveals the true story behind the Spice Girls, as well as the horror of her most recent marriage and her 10 year struggle to be free.

I will be brutally honest and say I have had this book now for well over a year and I haven't even opened it once. I love the Spice Girls so can't wait to read about their early days and also how brave Melanie was during her controlling marriage.

Author - Melanie Brown 

The switch up book
The Switch Up - L.A Exchange
Alice can't wait to visit Willa in LA - home of Hollywood, where dreams come true. Their plan is to explore the city and see the sights, but then Willa gets the opportunity to work on the film project of her dreams and she can't say no! The only problem is she is absolutely 100% supposed to be taking part in a beach clean-up. Which, now she thinks of it, sounds pretty perfect for Alice... Can the girls really swap lives again? Cue plotting, outfit swapping and award-winning performances. But everyone knows that real life is nothing like the movies.

The Switch Up - L.A Exchange is the second instalment in THE SWITCH UP series.

Although I haven't read the first Switch Up I like the fact this is set in LA and has a nice Summer read feel to it.

Author - Katy Cannon

Open book by Jessica Simpson
Open Book
Jessica reveals for the first time her inner monologue and most intimate struggles. Guided by the journals she's kept since age fifteen, and brimming with her unique humour and down-to-earth humanity, Open Book is as inspiring as it is entertaining.

America's Sweetheart, preacher's daughter, pop phenomenon, reality tv pioneer, and the billion-dollar fashion mogul invites readers on a remarkable journey, examining a life that blessed her with the compassion to help others but also burdened her with an almost crippling need to please. Open Book is Jessica Simpson using her voice, heart, soul, and humour to share things she's never shared before.

I recently got this as a gift for my birthday and I am desperate to get started. I absolutely loved Jessica Simpson not so much for her singing but the TV show Newlyweds. I thought her marriage to Nick Lachey would last forever as they seemed the perfect couple but obviously I was wrong.

Author - Jessica Simpson

I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to these. What are you reading at the moment?

Michelle
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We're Going On A Treasure Hunt

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

a bundle of children's books
We're Going On A Treasure Hunt is the fourth book in the 'We're Going On A ...' collection and we absolutely love these books. The stories follow the adventures of bunnies as they go on an Elf Chase, go on an egg hunt, sing along to Hop Little Bunnies and now we are off on a Treasure Hunt.

inside We're going on a treasure hunt
There are 10 gold coins to find on the pages and we can help the bunnies find them by reading along and lifting the flaps. Finding the coins won't be easy as there are many obstacles along the way including naughty monkeys, scary sharks, colourful parrots and leaping dolphins.

If the bunnies find all 10 golden coins they can head home just in time for a delicious surprise.





We're Going On A Treasure Hunt is a lovely addition to our 'We're Going On A...' books. We have teamed up with Bloomsbury to offer one luck reader the chance to win...

We're Going On A Treasure Hunt
We're Going On An Egg Hunt
We're Going On An Elf Chase
and Hop Little Bunnies

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

This is now closed. You can visit our giveaway page for our latest giveaways

Michelle
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This Months Favourite Bedtime Stories

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own unless stated. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

This month we were sent a lovely selection of books from Bloomsbury. Little J loves a story at bedtime but he also enjoys reading a story to himself and these books were perfect for both.

Selection of bedtime stories


Hop Little Bunnies Book
A brand new board book edition of the bestselling Hop Little Bunnies - from the much-loved illustrator of We're Going on an Egg Hunt. Based on the popular nursery rhyme 'Sleeping Bunnies', this lift-the-flap delight is full of the joys of spring.

Little Owl's Bedtime book
Little Owl doesn't want to go to bed. His pillow is too lumpy, his quilt is too hot and what is that strange snorting noise he can hear? Another irresistible story that is perfect for wakeful little night owls, from the creators of Little Owl's Egg and Little Owl's First Day.

meet the planets book
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . Blast off! Come on an exciting space adventure and say hello to the planets of the solar system in this rhyming picture book that is perfect for sharing with all little astronauts.

We catch the bus book
Choose your favourite vehicle and LET'S GO! Join all the busy animals as they zoom around in every kind of vehicle you can imagine, vibrantly illustrated by the talented Katie Abey.

Selection of bedtime stories
Although the giveaway may be closed you can still enjoy the Bloomsbury bedtime stories and more by purchasing over on Amazon

Michelle
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Hannah The Spanner and the Polar Bears | Giveaway

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

Hannah The Spanner and The Polar Bears Book
This year we have been doing a Christmas book advent calendar and little J is loving opening up a Christmas story each night before bedtime. Today he will be opening Hannah the Spanner and The Polar Bear which I know he is going to love! Hannah the Spanner and the Polar Bears is the latest addition to the hugely successful Hannah the Spanner series of children’s books and I am giving you the chance to win a copy in my latest giveaway.

Our giveaway may be closed but you can still enjoy Hannah The Spanner and the Polar Bears which is available to purchase on Amazon.


Michelle



Competition closes on Thursday 19th December 2019
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 : Hannah the Spanner and the Polar Bears Book
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June Bedtime Stories | Our Favourites

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Disclosure - This post contains affiliate links

A selection of books
This month we headed to the library so that little J could choose some new books to read at bedtime. There were so many to choose from however he did manage to narrow it down to just 12 and these are a few of his favourite bedtime stories.

Animal ABC Book
Animal ABC
Learn the alphabet and meet amazing animals along the way using the lift and flap.

Little J really enjoyed this and it introduced him to animals he had not heard of before such as Quokka, Uakari, Ibis and a Yak.

Lunchtime book
Lunchtime
It's lunchtime for one little girl, but she's just not hungry. A visiting crocodile, bear and wolf however are starving. It's just as well that children taste revolting.

We love this story all about food, friendships and fun.

Mixed book
Mixed
In the beginning there were three colours, Reds, Yellows and Blues. All living together in harmony until one day Red says he is the best. No longer happy with living together, the colours decide to divide but just as it seems there's no turning back, cool blue and bright yellow save the day.

This is a really lovely story about understanding, love, acceptance and also shows what happens when colours mix. 

Something Fishy
Something Fishy
There is something fishy going on, but not in a good way. When a cat wants fish, nothing else will do and bringing home a new baby really doesn't help. Who saw that coming?... not the jealous cat.

Little J loves this story and insists that John reads it to him with funny voices. I love listening to him chuckle. 

You Choose Book
You Choose in Space
Zoom into Space for an adventure where you choose what happens next. Which alien would you most like to be friends with? What fantastically freaky food will you munch for lunch?

After reading You Choose in Space little J also wants to try and find You Choose and You Choose your Dreams too.

What stories have you been reading this month?

Michelle
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May Bedtime Stories

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Disclosure - We were sent the books below however we were not asked to write about them or share them on socials. This post contains affiliate links.

a selection of children's books
This month we have been reading lots of bedtime stories after having a huge clear out of little J's books. Here are a few of our favourites this month.

Harris finds his feet book
Harris Finds His Feet
Harris is very small with huge feet. Grandad shows Harris how to hop high in to the sky, climb to the tops of mountains and how important it is for him to find his own feet.

A lovely story about the relationship of a small hare and his grandad.

The story fo rock and rap books
The Story of Rap and The Story of Rock
From Elvis Presley to Beatlemania, rock has transformed through generations, this book introduces the rockers that started it all.

The Story of Rap has rap artists from Grandmaster Flash to Jay Z and will have your little one bopping along. 

As these books are designed for babies I thought little J wouldn't be interested however he loves them. He is a huge music fan so these books were perfect for him.

Goodnight World Book
Goodnight World
When the day's at an end, up to bed we go, The Sky becomes dusky and so the night grows. When the bright golden sun sheds the last of its light, we turn to each other and we say, Goodnight.

Goodnight World teaches you how to say goodnight in a variety of world languages as you share this gentle rhyming bedtime story with your little one. 

Little J has always been interested in languages and is the French councillor in school so he was really interested in this book. I love how it breaks down the 'goodnight' in other languages so you can try and say it properly.

For example in Spanish, Buenas Noches is Goodnight and you can say it like this. 'Bwen-oss no-chez'

What stories have you been reading this month?

Michelle
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Days Out | The Very Hungry Caterpillar Live

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Disclosure - We were gifted tickets to the show for the purpose of this post. Thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.  

A few weeks ago we took little J to the theatre for the first time to see The Twirlywoos live. He loved it so much so last weekend we headed back to The Theatre Royale to see The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. 
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Our Favourites | April Bedtime Stories

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Disclosure - We were gifted the products however we were not asked to feature these on our blog. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

We were away for most of April however just before we left we were sent some lovely books by Little Tiger. As you will know if you read our blog we love reading a story at bedtime and it's a huge part of little J's routine. Here are our favourite bedtime stories this month.
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Our Favourites | March Bedtime Stories

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Here's a look at our top five favourite bedtime stories this month.
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Parenting | The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities

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It is World Book Day today and although little J's school isn't offering the chance for him to dress up, we have been making The Very Hungry Caterpillar activities for him to enjoy at home.
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Christmas 2018 | Gift Guide - The Book Lovers

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As a family we love books. Whether it's a bedtime story for little J, A rom com for me or a game guide for John we love reading. Here's a few of our favourites this November.
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Our Favourites | Bedtime Stories - Autumn 2018

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Ever since I can remember little J has had a story before bed. It's part of his bedtime routine and no matter how tired he is or how late he's gone to bed he has to choose a book for us to read.At the moment he does have quite a few favourites so I thought I would share with you what we have been reading as it is Libraries Week.
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Our Favourite Bedtime Stories

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Story time is a huge part of our bedtime routine. It was something we used to do together with big J and now little J too. Once little J has had his bath and is in his PJ's we climb into bed with him, snuggle under the duvet and read a book. Over the years we have collected so many great stories and our favourites do change all the time, but here is our top 6 stories we are reading at the moment. 
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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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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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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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Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan Giveaway

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I made a promise to myself that I will read more this year and so far I'm doing quite well. Being a Mummy I don't get lots of spare time but when I do I've been reading Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan.

sleepless in manhattan by Sarah Morgan

 The title appealed to me straight away as my favourite movie is Sleepless in Seattle so I imagined lots of love and romance and so far it hasn't disappointed.
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Thomas & Friends Personalised Christmas Book Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the product below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. 

I have mentioned before that I love personalised gift. I always find that personalisation adds 'that little bit more' to a gift idea. When I was younger I had a Snow White book and I was in it. My name, date of birth, friends etc had all been added to create a story. I loved that book so much and I still have it somewhere. When we were offered the chance to review a Thomas & Friends personalised book from Egmont I knew straight away that little J would love it. He loves books and starring in one makes it so much more fun.

Thomas the tank engine book


Ordering was simple. We chose the book we wanted and added little J's name. We could also add a friend so decided to add big J. There is also an option to customise the character. We could change the hair, skin and eye colour to match little J. Finally you can change the colour of the coat. We chose blue.

Thomas the tank engine book

Although little J looks at books throughout the day at home and nursery, books are usually for bedtime. This book is a perfect bedtime story. It's just the right length to be enjoyed before little J starts losing interest. Usually once we have finished our bedtime story he will usually choose a book to look at before falling asleep. The illustrations in the book are bold, colourful and interesting so lovely to look at too.

Personalised books are always great fun and I find the child is always more engaged when they are the centre of the story. We will definitely be adding to our personalised book collection from Egmont very soon. I love the birthday book too.

If you would like to order the Thomas and Friends Christmas title use discount code pblogger20 for a 20% discount.

Michelle

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Roald Dahl Storytime At McDonald's

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Disclosure - We were invited to the event at McDonalds for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

To celebrate McDonald's teaming up with Roald Dahl for their Happy Readers Campaign we were invited to a very special Roald Dahl story time at McDonald's in Liverpool. Over the six weeks McDonald's will include a book featuring extracts from Roald Dahl books in every happy meal. An estimated 14 million books will be given away.

arm chair in McDonalds
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