Review | What's That Smell?

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We recently received a game to review called What's That Smell? We have never played anything quite like this game before. Basically it's a scratch and sniff game but honestly some of the smells are so disgusting it will make your eyes water.

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Review | Slime and Gelli Baff and SnoBall Play

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Although little J seemed quite excited by the idea of having a bath full of slime, I wasn't sure what he would make of it. We have seen Gelli Baff in the stores and on TV but I've never thought of buying it for little J. His older brother didn't like anything like this when he was younger so I just thought little J would be the same, I was wrong. 

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Review | Paw Patrol On a Roll Xbox One Game

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Little J has watched Paw Patrol for a few years now, and the release of a Paw Patrol On A Roll video game for the major consoles isn't a surprise given how its popularity has increased in recent times. It's an interesting release as it surprises me that there are enough children old enough to play console games, but still young enough to enjoy Paw Patrol, to warrant a major game release. Having said that Little J loves his Xbox time, so maybe gaming is more popular with small children than I would have thought.

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Review | Beaker Creatures Liquid Reactor Super Lab

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For the past few months little J has absolutely loved creating potions in the shower and bath. He mixes all the shower gels, bath bombs and bubble baths in to old shampoo containers. It's made bath time fun again for him since he outgrew his old bath toys. He loves watching the colours of the different gels mix together, different textures and watching the bath bombs fizz. I actually said to John that we should look into getting him a little science set because he finds it fascinating. I recently was introduced to a new range of toys that would be perfect, Beaker Creatures from Learning Resources.

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Review | Carpet Cleaning From Fantastic Services

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It has been almost a year since we had our new carpets put in, and I thought it would be a good idea to get them cleaned to keep them looking fresh and new just before Christmas. You may have read recently that Fantastic Services cleaned our oven and they did a 'fantastic' job so I was confident the carpet clean would be great too.

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Review | InfaCare Bath Time Products

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When we had a bathroom makeover I thought little J would prefer the new walk in shower instead of the bath. He loves showers when we stay in hotels or after going the pool but I was wrong. He still loves his bath and it's a big part of his bedtime routine. We have been using Infacare Bath Products now for well over a year and little J loves them.

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Dining Out | The Ring O Bells, Warrington

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Have you ever walked in somewhere and got a good feeling about it straight away? I have a few times and one of those times was recently when we went for a pub lunch at Ring O Bells in Warrington. We were invited along to sample the menu and take a look at the pub which is soon to celebrate it's 1 year anniversary under new ownership. 

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Review | Pull My Finger

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To a five year old there's probably nothing funnier than toilet humour. Being the only girl in a house with 3 boys I have heard all the poo and fart jokes and whilst I may find them funny, they find them hilarious. When we were sent Pull My Finger game to review I knew instantly little J would love it. 

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Review | Tesco Photo Canvas Print

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Since I became a Mum I am obsessed with taking photos of the boys. I always have my camera or phone to hand to capture memories. I'm lucky that they like having their photo taken although sometimes little J will pull funny faces or stick his tongue out but thats okay, because that's just the way he is. When Tesco Photo asked us if we would like to review their services I instantly thought 'A new canvas for the wall'. I love my canvases and have lots that we rotate through the year keeping the walls fresh every few months.

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Review | Oregon Scientific Smart Globe Myth

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Just over a year ago we reviewed the Oregon Scientific Adventure Smart Globe. Little J absolutely loves the globe and over the past year has learnt so much about different countries and his knowledge of capitals is amazing. Over the past few weeks we have been trying out Smart Globe Myth and we are really impressed.

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Review | Oven Cleaning With Fantastic Services

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 I know we all like to do a spot of Spring cleaning but I also like to do a big clear out and clean in Autumn, getting ready for Christmas. I think the Summer months are so busy for us that we tend to be on the lazy side when it comes to cleaning so I really feel it this time of year. I have been browsing Fantastic Services looking to see what they could help me with and I found a job that I knew would be perfect for us.

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Disney On Ice, Dream Big

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Disclosure - We were gifted Disney on Ice tickets for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

Last week we headed to Manchester to the Manchester Arena to see Disney On Ice Dream Big. We have seen Disney On Ice many times over the years but each show is completely different and we couldn't wait to see what magic was in store for us this time.

When we first arranged the tickets I wasn't sure whether little J would want to see this show or not. I have seen many trailers and adverts and it is all about the princesses but we decided to book him a ticket too and I am so glad we did. He was mesmerised from start to finish.

Our seats were rink side so we were so close to the characters and you could feel the cold breeze from the ice as they whizzed past. I would definitely recommend rink side as it made our whole experience so much more magical.

Mickey and Minnie introduced the show and continued to pop out after every segment to introduce the next princess.

Aladdin opened the show as he weaved in and out of the market stands on the ice stealing bread to eat for him and Abu only to be caught. Luckily Princess Jasmine was close by and saved Aladdin from a gloomy fate.

Watching Aladdin and Jasmine dance around the ice to A Whole New World was beautiful and was one of my personal highlights of the show.

Next up was the tale of Beauty and the Beast. Little J likes the songs from the film and I caught him a few times singing along.

Belle danced around the ice with Lumiere but unfortunately there was no sign of the Beast or Gaston.

My favourite moment was watching Rapunzel dance with Flynn to 'I See The Light'. Tangled is my favourite Disney movie ever and Rapunzel is my favourite princess so this was a special moment for me.

Moana caused a buzz in the air as most of the little ones got all excited as she skated on to the ice. Moana was probably the strongest skater we had seen so far as we watched her dance around to 'How  Far I'll Go'

It was nice to see demigod Maui make an appearance too.

We had seen The Little Mermaid on ice before but it's so colourful and the songs are great that it felt like the first time we had seen it. 

There was a 20 minute interval and the seating areas where soon flooded with staff selling popcorn, ice creams and candy floss. An actual merchandise stand was quickly erected just behind us for people to grab any souvenirs.

The one thing that I feel lets Disney On Ice down is the costs of the snacks and the merchandise. We have bought stuff in the past but now I just refuse. £22 for a spinning wand or £30 for a princess teddy. It's so costly especially when you are buying for 2 or 3 children.

We actually took our own light up toy that we bought in Florida last year and little J was just as happy waving that in the air. We did let him choose a snack in the interval. He wanted an ice cream which was £3 and John chose popcorn which was very over priced at £8.

The second half saw a very brief visit from Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and then it was on to Frozen.

We have seen the Frozen part of the show a few times now and I guess because its so popular they want to include it in every new production. I love this part of the show it lasts about 20/25 minutes and it will have you singing along guaranteed.

Anna and Elsa do more skating than all of the other Princesses and Characters and they really do put on a performance and it's the perfect ending to a wonderful show.

I would highly recommend Disney On Ice to any fans of Disney as the whole production is so magical and children and adults of all ages will enjoy it. For me personally this was the best Disney On Ice. We definitely got to see more characters than we have before.

There are usually a few opportunities to see a Disney on Ice show throughout the year as it tours arenas up and down the country. Keep checking Disney on Ice for up to date information.

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Michelle

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Updating Your Autumn Wardrobe

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Disclosure - this is a collaborative post

Autumn is here and I have been removing all my Summer clothes from my wardrobe and replacing them with lots of Autumn / Winter clothes.

I love choosing an outfit that is perfect for our Autumn Walks.

First is the Soft Touch Friday Slogan Jumper. I'm always a little cautious about ordering clothes online because obviously you can't try before you buy but the fitting on this jumper was perfect.

It isn't a heavy knit jumper it's quite thin but it's just what I wanted. I usually have trouble with the sleeves being too long on long sleeved tops I buy, but this jumper has elasticated cuffs so fits perfectly on my wrists.

Sizes start at 12/14 and go up to 32/34. Currently priced at £28

I teamed the jumper with a pair of Indigo Bella Slim Leg Jeggings. Again I usually have problems when buying leggings or jeggings because I am quite short so they tend to go a little baggy on my knees but these were a good fit. They are slim leg so a little tight on me in other areas but very comfortable. 

Sizes range from 10-32 and come in short, regular or long length. Currently priced £20

Depending on your style and what type of activities you do in Autumn you could always opt for women's tactical pants.

To finish off my outfit I treated myself to the Bow Detail Warm Lined Boots. They are from the wide fit range. I love them and they are my favourite purchase. They are so easy to slip on and once my feet are in they are so warm and cosy. It's like wearing slippers. They are not big and chunky, in fact they are quite lightweight compared to similar boots I have owned in the past. 

Available in Black or Tan, sizes 4-9 and come in two width sizes E and EEE. Currently priced at £30

Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love my pyjamas so I ordered myself Pretty Secrets Long Sleeved Christmas Pyjama set. I'm saving them for closer to Christmas but I have had a look at them and they are great quality and again sizing seems good. 

Available in sizes 8-10 unto 32/34 and currently priced at £12.

To finish off I ordered the Bunny Rabbit Ballerina Slipper. 

Available in sizes Small 3/4, Medium 5/6 or Large 7/8 and currently priced at £10

I found the whole ordering process very simple and I would definitely order again. The sizing was perfect for me and everything was really good quality. My favourite is the Bow Detail Boots. I cannot tell you enough how comfortable and warm they are. I am actually thinking about buying them in black too. 

If you would like to check out the range of clothing available head over to Fashion World

Michelle

We received the clothes for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

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Parenting | Preparing For Year One

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It only seems like yesterday that little J was starting Reception but fast forward a year and we are almost at the beginning of his second half term of year one. For me this is when school really starts. I think it's been a big shock for him as in Reception it is mostly learning through play, however his classroom is very different now. There are almost no toys but lots of desks. He still seems so young and although he has lots of energy he does get tired quite easily as I've mentioned before. He's usually in bed before 7pm and needs his 12/13 hours sleep. John and I have discussed whether he may need to take a multivitamin as he is quite fussy when it comes to eating foods that are good for him. We were delighted when Bassetts vitamins sent over their Omega-3 + Multivitamins Orange Pastilles. They were just what we needed.

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Review | Cozmo by Anki

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Meet Cozmo.  Cozmo is the cutest little robot that we have ever seen.  Anki offered us the chance to review Cozmo, meaning we could get to know him and he could get to know us.

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Closed Giveaway | Dessineo Learn To Paint Bundle

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We have teamed up with Jumbo Games to offer one lucky Playdays and Runways reader the chance to win a Dessineo Bundle worth £100. Dessineo Learn to Paint and Draw range is perfect for any budding artist.

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Review | Drumond Park Foxy Pants

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Autumn in our house means board game season. We love playing games all year round but just play more when the darker nights creep in. Little J is at the age now were he loves playing games and a few weeks ago we were sent a new addition to our collection, Foxy Pants by Drumond Park. You will be able to tell from our blog that we love Drumond Park games as they never disappoint.

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Review | Thunderbirds Are Go International Rescue

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Thunderbirds Are Go - International Rescue is a new free game from Kuato games, who you may have heard of with their range of Dino Tales Storytelling and literacy skills apps for children. Thunderbirds has been around for ever, however is still really popular with children and with this game, you can become the hero and stop a disaster from destroying the arctic.

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Days Out | Knowsley Safari Park

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We live under 20 minutes away from Knowsley Safari Park yet we haven't been for years which is such a shame. Last week we visited and I instantly remembered all the things I loved about the park and how much fun we have missed out on.

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Review | Zuru Smashers Series 2

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When I was asked if little J would like to try and test Zuru Smashers Series 2 I obviously said yes. He loves blind bag type toys and these are advertised as Gross so I knew he would love them. I wasn't wrong. The Smashers are actually quite fun because instead of opening a bag to find out what's inside, you have to smash an eye ball!!!

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