June Bedtime Stories | Our Favourites

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Disclosure - This post contains affiliate links

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
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
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
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
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 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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TechDen The Home To Healthier Screen Habits | Review

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

Screen time for your children. Is it a problem?  There are clearly some different thoughts out there when you have a look at some of the recent press around screen time. One thing is for certain though, only you the parent can really decide how much screen time you want your child to have.

We limit Little J's screen time to an amount we feel is appropriate depending on what his day has been like. We look at what time he got up, what he has done before and after breakfast and what activities he has done during the day. Some days he is more tired than others and he may have more screen time that day.  For us, that makes sense, but for him, its difficult to understand how it works!

This is where TechDen comes in. TechDen is the first ever combined physical storage and charging device with its own app to give the user the ability to control screen time on each device. Once the device is in the Den, it's locked away with an "out of sight, out of mind" approach to support parents decisions around screen time restrictions.

The TechDen App is what makes the device so unique. TechDen works with the main app being installed on the parents device and the childs versions of the apps being installed on their devices. The parent is able to predetermine the amount of time available to the child and also how many sessions are available throughout the day.  The system works by requiring the devices be returned to the Den before the end of the allocated time.  Before time is up, the child will get countdown reminders so they are ready to return the device rather than have a "2 minute warning", and they can also request extra time through the app. The parent device will receive all notifications of requests, with the ability to approve or deny requests straight away.

At the end of the session, if the device isn't returned to the Den the parental device will receive notification so that intervention can take place if needs be.

The TechDen app also can operate on a rewards system which can support the child with habits and a sense of achievement.

The Den itself is simple enough to use, and a really great feature is that once the device is away and charging, the doors wont open to the childs request for the device unless it's in one of the predetermined sessions of availability. To make it simple for the child, if the light is green they can use the device and if the light is red they can't. The Den was bigger than we expected, however if you think about a unit that would house and charge two tablets then its easy to see why the size is as it is.

I could see that TechDen could be really useful in cutting down on arguments around device time, as often these can be a result of lack of time planning or parameters set to begin with.  TechDen can support by ensuring that everyone knows the rules to start with and offering simple but effective techniques towards device access.

If you want to know more about TechDen then visit their website here for parental views and guides on how it may work for your family.

John

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Max Photo - Photo Book | Review

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Disclosure - I received a discount code towards the purchase of our photo book. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

We have been so lucky over the years to enjoy many adventures together as a family of four. I often look through my hard drive full of photos with a smile on my face remembering all the memories we have shared together so far. I had an idea a few months ago to create a photo book of our adventures from the last six years but never got round to it so when Max Photo offered me the chance to review a photo book I knew exactly what I wanted to create.

Having the idea to create a photo book is the easy part it's actually choosing the photos that you want to put in which is tricky as I love them all. After browsing the website for photo book ideas I chose a hard cover medium landscape book.

The book is approx A4 size and comes with a standard 20 pages. Once you are ready to create your photo book you click personalise and you can then add your photos ready to start your book.

The website lets you save your progress so there is no need to rush and try and get your book created all in one day. Adding the photos took me days as I wanted to make sure I had the right photographs and it was tough to narrow them down.

Once I had all the photos in the album I was then ready to design the book. The front and back cover is a full A4 size landscape photo then each page can have a different layout and there are lots to choose from. One page could be one large photo and the next could be 5 smaller photos, its entirely up to your personal preference. I had a mixture of different layouts as it depended on the photographs.

You can also give your book a title. I chose Our Adventures 2013-2018

After about a week of creating I was ready to checkout. The standard cost for a medium landscape photo book with 20 pages is £25 however you can add more pages at £1.50 per page (2 sides). My total cost for the book was £52 with free delivery to a Max Photo store.

My book was ready to collect within 5 working days. I am so pleased with the finished result, it's beautiful.

I love that I can now browse through my favourite photos without having to trawl through the computer hard drive.

I actually saved the book on the Max Photo website and I was able to duplicate the order within 30 days, which I have done to give as a gift so it saved me having to create it all again.

I'm actually considering creating more photo books as I love how easy it was to create, that I could take my time, personalise each page and the book itself is lovely.

For more information you can view the personalised photo books available by visiting Max Photo

Michelle

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Photowall Canvas Print | Review

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

We love our family pictures around the house and have a number of canvas and framed large pictures that we like to  keep up to date as much as possible. Choosing a provider to bring your digital photographs to life on a large scale can be daunting as there are so many different services offered these days. For our latest canvas we wanted something a little bigger than we have had previously, and Photowall had exactly what we wanted.

The online process was simple enough. As you would expect we needed to upload our photo, in the highest quality possible. The higher the quality of the picture, the better the final version of your canvas is likely to be. After uploading its time to choose the size of your canvas. Finally you can choose whether you want the canvas to stretch over the sides of the frame, or to leave the frame on view. We always choose the stretch option, as we like the photo to go all the way around.

Our canvas was printed within 24 hours and dispatched really quickly. It arrived less than 48 hours after ordering which was a really impressive turnaround.  When the canvas arrived it was not the shape we expected!  Instead of a large rectangular parcel, we had a long, but small parcel that would be more at home when posting an umbrella or something of that nature.

We quickly realised that the canvas needed to be self built from the included rolled up canvas, frame pieces and screws.  Every other canvas we have delivered has been ready made, however this was a bigger size than we have had before.  Instructions are provided and overall it isn't difficult to put the canvas together, although I was a little nervous as the canvas itself is delicate.

Once you attach the four frame sides to the canvas and push them together, there are pre drilled holes for you to put brackets over and fasten with the screws that are provided.  Honestly, it took me two goes to actually get the canvas on to the frame properly as I always seem to miss an instruction somewhere along the way with anything involving construction.  However once completed, the canvas looks fantastic, with the quality of the finished product evident when it is up on the wall.

So, if you don't mind a small amount of DIY, and are looking for a quality canvas then you should give Photowall a try, you won't be disappointed with the final outcome.

John

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EasyRead Time Teacher Watch | Review

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Disclosure - We were sent the EasyRead Time Teacher Watch for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post also contains affiliate links.

Most kids will be excited to just have 6 weeks left in school before the Summer, however little J is really looking forward to learning all about their new topic at school this term, learning to tell the time. Time is something we have tried to teach little J in the past but he wasn't ready. We were recently sent the EasyRead Time Teacher watch and we are hoping combining the watch and learning about time in school he will soon be a whizz at telling the time.

The EasyRead Time Teacher Watch comes in two different versions, minutes past and minutes to the hour or 12 and 24 hour. We tell the time using minutes past and minutes to so we chose this watch for little J.

We ordered the EasyRead Time Teacher minutes past and to watch with a red and blue face and a blue strap however there are lots of colour choices available.

How the watch works is very simple to understand. To read the time in minutes-past and minutes-to the hour we have taught little J the three simple steps that make up the 3-step teaching system.

Step 1. Read the number at the end of the long hand

Step 2. Say which side the long hand is pointing to (past or to)

Step 3. Read the number at the end of the short hand

Put it together and say it like it is. 10 minutes past 10.

The watch has a 33mm diameter and the large clear dial shows every detail little J needs. The hands tell him which numbers to read.

I was so pleased to read that the watch strap is washable as little J being a typical boy gets very muddy I know the watch strap won't stay a nice shade of blue for very long.

Little J is really enjoying telling the time and has picked it up quite quickly thanks to the watch. I am hoping it has given him a little head start when he begins his 'time' topic in school this month.

Michelle

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Celebrating 35 Years Of Tetris | Review

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Disclosure - We were gifted the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post contains affiliate links.

I only found out about two weeks ago that the 6th June is World Tetris Day. It's a day to celebrate one of the most recognised video games of all time. This year World Tetris Day is also a time to celebrate the 35th birthday of Tetris. To join in with the Tetris fun we have been sent Tetris Dual and Tetris Speed games to play and also a set to giveaway.

Little J loves games so when he saw the duo he was quick to open them and hand me the instructions. I am always the one to read the rules and then teach everyone how to play.

Tetris Dual is a quick thinking head-to-head, tabletop strategy game based on the original Tetris. Set up was easy and play is very similar to Tetris in that your aim is to drop the Tetrimino shapes displayed on the LCD screen into the play grid. You score points by placing a shape next to one of your own colour, completing a full row and cleverly blocking your opponent.

Little J got the hang of this really quickly and after a few games he beat me, which shocked me as I had always thought of myself as the Tetris Queen.

It's a really quick game in that you have to think and act fast as the more shapes you can fit in to the grid in the time limit the more points you will score.

Tetris Speed is a fast card game where a card is placed down in the middle and the remaining cards are divided amongst the players. The card in the middle shows the next Tetrimino shape to be played, so players must race to play a matching card from their hand but if you take your eyes off the cards for a second someone else may have played that card and already moved on to the next shape.

I thought little J would really like Tetris Speed as he loves card games such as snap and top trumps but I think it may just be slightly too old for him as he got quite frustrated when he could hold all his cards in one hand and again its very fast paced so while he was still looking for the correct shape we had already moved on to the next. I do think though this will be one for him to enjoy in the future.

Our giveaway may be closed but you can still enjoy Tetris games by purchasing them on Amazon.

Win Tetris Dual an Tetris Speed Games

Michelle

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Our Guide To Visiting Liverpool

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Disclosure - This post is a collaboration. We recently enjoyed exploring Liverpool over two weeks and the spending money we used to enter attractions was gifted by Hotels.com. Any thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

I still find it strange when I hear people say they are going on holiday to Liverpool. With it being my home town I just see it as a place I grew up in, but visitors can enjoy a huge range of attractions, restaurants, shopping centres and hotels in Liverpool that I probably take for granted.

Obviously when you head to Liverpool you will want to see all the tourist attractions however there are quite a few hidden gems that you may not know about unless you live here.

When I visit the city I head straight for the Waterfront. It's so pretty and although it can get busy at times it's just my favourite place to be. The Albert Dock was once home to This Morning but is now filled with lots of things to see and do.

5 Things To Enjoy On The Waterfront. 

The Wheel Of Liverpool

We usually take a trip on the The Wheel of Liverpool once a year on New Years Eve and has become quite a family tradition. The wheel stands 60m tall and is open every day giving you the chance to enjoy views of the city and the river.

River Explorer Cruise with Mersey Ferries

We have just recently been on a river cruise on the River Mersey and it was so much fun. The cruise lasts approximately 50 minutes as a round trip. This excludes any time you spend at the attractions as you can leave the ferry at Seacombe and Woodside to enjoy Spaceport and the U Boat Story.

The Beatles Story

Such a huge part of Liverpool's Musical History. The Beatles are everywhere in and around the city. The Beatles Story is a great place to visit even if you're not a fan. It's so interesting and tells you everything you need to know. You can also jump on the Magical Mystery Tour to see childhood homes and famous places such as Penny Lane.

The British Music Experience

The British Music Experience is situated in Cunard Building in Liverpool on the Waterfront. The idea behind the experience is to tell the history of British music through costumes, props , instruments and  lots of other interactive features. Suitable for all ages and those who enjoy music.

Liverpool also has an amazing shopping centre, Liverpool One, which is packed with shops but also restaurants, bars and a cinema.

5 Things To Do At Liverpool ONE

Chavasse Park

There is usually something going on in Chavasse Park which sits above the shopping centre. In Summer there are pop up bars so you can sit back and enjoy a drink in the sun. At the moment the dinosaurs have been unleashed and are popping up all around Liverpool One. Our favourite is Christmas time at Liverpool One, it turns in to a mini fairground with rides and stalls.

Shopping

Liverpool One is the perfect shopping destination. Filled with lots of shops, all under one roof. You will find John Lewis, Pandora, Zara, Debenhams, Victoria Secrets, Build a Bear and many more. My favourite is obviously the Disney Store and that's usually were I head to first.

The Terrace

The Terrace sits on top of the shopping centre and next to Chavasse park. It's filled with lots of different restaurants and you will be sure to find something that takes your fancy. Yo Sushi, Ed's Easy Diner, Pizza Hut, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, TGI Fridays and the very popular and very busy Nando's to name a few. Most of the restaurants have the option to dine outside too which is lovely on a sunny day.

A Good Nights Sleep

After many great nights out in Liverpool we have headed to bed at one of the hotels close to Liverpool One. The Hilton is situated opposite Chavasse Park and also the Premier Inn and Novotel are close by too.

A Trip To The Cinema

The Odeon at Liverpool One is our favourite place to go to if we are looking to watch a movie. Even though we have cinemas closer to home, The Odeon at Liverpool has the gallery which really does make it a little bit special. There are also other cinemas in the city offering luxury seating such as Cineworld and Showcase.

Liverpool also has some great places to visit out of the town centre.

 5 Things To Do Around The City

Knowsley Safari Park

Knowsley Safari Park is only a short drive from the busy city centre which makes the park so special. It's hard to understand when you see all the amazing animals up close that you are not in the African Savannah.

Crosby Beach and The Iron Men

A great day out with the family no matter what the weather. Crosby Beach has become very popular of the past few years especially after the Iron Men arrived. There are 100 Iron Men in total situated on the beach. There is also a water sports centre, cafe and children's play area.

Acorn Farm

The award winning family friendly farm is just 15 minutes from the city centre and has a wide range of animals to see. You can purchase food to feed the sheep, goats, chickens and hens. Attend a small animal petting session and you can even go horse riding. There are two children play areas, a woodland walk and also a cafe offering homemade meals.

Otterspool Prom

We have been visiting Otterspool prom for years. It's a great day out with lots to do and see. The arrival of Otterspool Adventure Park last year has made the prom very popular.

Croxteth Park

The park is beautiful with Croxteth Hall and Gardens, a cafe and children's play area. It was announced that Croxteth Park would be used for events across the year and we were very lucky to visit one of the very first 'big' events it hosted last year,  CBBC Summer Social

If you are planning a trip to Liverpool soon I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

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.

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

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 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

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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Play Expo Manchester

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Play Expo returned to Manchester last week to a new location at the Central Exhibition Centre. This was Little J's first visit to the gaming exhibition and he loved it more than I expected!

We arrived at the event early to make the most of the day. Programmes of events where handed out as we entered through the now familiar bag check process. This also included a map of the venue with each of the sections clearly marked.

We headed first to the Antstream setup. Antstream advertises itself as a Netflix for retro gaming, with the ability to play on Xbox One, Pc, Android devices and support to come for PS4 and iOS in future. Its currently in kickstarter but they had live stations set up with a selection of games to play.  The speed of games loading was really impressive and I loved having a go of Speedball 2 having not played it for about 20 years.  Little J loved the fact that they had bowls of sweets to pick from too!

Playstation VR was available for try outs just next to this section and both Little J and I had a go on Driveclub VR.  I really thought the experience was amazing, and have been considering buying the VR set, however I did find that it made me feel a bit ill, so it was good to have the chance to try it to make the decision for me!

Next it was over to the Fortnite section. This was already busy, but we didnt have to wait long to sit at a station and Little J played a few games next to around 40 other gamers. He was really enjoying the experience even though he could have played at home.

We headed over to the arcade section next, with a large selection of original arcade machines, all set as free to play. We spent to time on Pac Man and Ms. Pac Man,  Operation Wolf and waited for a turn on the original sit in cabinet for Out Run. I also played some of the original star wars games and had a few goes of Galaga.  It's always great fun to play the originals all over again, and even more so to see Little J playing and enjoying them too.

Next to the Arcade section was the Pinball section.  We all had a go on 'The Adams Family' which is my favourite machine. I was surprised at how out of practice I had become!

Next it was time for some Fifa. We could only find two machines running Fifa so had to wait a little for a chance to play.  We played three matches at different times throughout the day and this was Little J's favourite part of the day. When I asked him why, when he could play it at home, he just said 'Its better playing it here'

Then it was onto the tombola, where we won sweets and a teddy bear, and then to the market stalls. Usually I find something catches my eye in amongst the gaming merchandise but nothing did this year.

We didn't have time to go to visit any of the presentations on the main stage, or other areas, and we didn't try out Knightmare Live or the Breakout Rooms, however we still really enjoyed the day playing games, and will definitely be returning next year!

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John

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