Back To School With Smiggle | Review

Back To School With Smiggle | Review

24 March 2021

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Disclosure - We received a gift voucher to spend online at Smiggle for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

Smiggle is our go to place when little J needs new school essentials, stationary, quirky squashies or fidget toys. Little J has been back at school for just a few weeks now but will soon finish for Easter break. When he returns he will be wearing his new Summer uniform and we thought this would be the perfect time to upgrade his lunch box, water bottle and stationary for the last term of the school year.

As the non essential stores are closed we headed online to purchase little J's back to school essentials. The website is really easy to use with labels and categories to make your browsing experience easier. There is usually a sale section too which is perfect to pick up a bargain. 

Little J has a packed lunch for school and he prefers the Smiggle Double Decker lunch bag. If you want a bag with lots of space then I would definitely recommend a double decker. The top can be opened using the zip to reveal a shallow compartment. This is ideal for snacks or even an ice pack if needed. The bottom is spacious and could fit a large lunch in and/or a water bottle.

Little J chose the Gamer double decker lunchbox. The base is designed like a video console controller and has a retro feel to it with the top layer similar to an arcade game. 

It's a hand held lunchbox and doesn't come with an over the shoulder strap. 

We go through so many water bottles with little J. He either loses them or breaks them but we have always found the Smiggle bottles last the longest. Little J chose the Kick drink bottle which has a flip top spout and a classic football design. 

Both the Gamer and Kick design have other items in their ranges including backpacks and pencil cases. 

There is a huge range of pencil cases available at Smiggle but little J really liked a pencil case that he has already had in the past which he uses at home so wanted the same for his desk in school. It is the Dino Character Pocket Pencil Case. He likes this case as it has two compartments which he uses to separate his felt tips and pencils. It has dinosaur spike detail and a squishy feel which little J loves. 

Smiggle will most probably be one of the first stores we visit once they open as little J loves browsing all the squashie toys and will probably pick up another lunch bag and water bottle too. 

Michelle

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Snacks and Lunch Bag Fillers From Jack's | AD

Snacks and Lunch Bag Fillers From Jack's | AD

16 March 2021

2 comments

Disclosure - This is a paid collaboration with Jack's. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

We have successful completed the first week back at school and it went really well. I think we all had the same idea that it was time for our children to get back to some kind of normality and routine. Staying at home for a short period is okay but it is no good for our little ones long term as they need to be with children their own age and little J was ready to be back in his social circle. 

I knew once little J was back to school he would adapt well to being up and out before 9am , however I was worried about how he would cope during the day just having a snack and his lunch. There has been lots of posts on socials from parents joking how will their kids survive during the day without their second breakfast, 52 snacks before lunch and it's true. While at home our children have definitely snacked more. Little J has a packed lunch at school so I need to make sure I provide him with a healthy but filling lunch each day whilst not denting the bank balance too much. 

At Christmas we headed to Jacks to shop festive treats on a budget so we decided to pop to our local Jacks again to stock up on lunch box fillers and snacks.

Jacks Supermarket

Jack's is a supermarket that was founded and named after Jack Cohen who is also the founder of Tesco. As well as Jack's own branded products you can also find a selection of Tesco and Britain's favourite brands in store. It's a go to supermarket that is very popular as you can shop quality products at outstanding value. 

As well as selling food and drink you can also browse the toys, games and homeware. 

Packed Lunch Ideas

Little J is a very fussy eater and is often unsure about trying anything new so his lunches each week are usually a variety of sandwiches, pasta and chicken. 

Sandwich fillers are little J's favourite sandwich choice so we popped a choice of egg and tuna in our trolley. Each pack makes up to 4 sandwiches. I will usually use the Tuna filler on a sandwich one day and then add it to cold pasta the next day so it covers two different lunches. 

Another lunch choice is another of little J's favourite chicken fillet and a small cheese block. I love that as well as Jack's own brand I can also shop brands that we also love too under one roof. 

Lunch box extras are usually one or two pieces of fruit. Jack's fruit is always really fresh with reasonable expiry dates. You can also shop their fresh five with offers on fruit and veg every two weeks. 

I will then add a packet or crisps or crackers, a small treat such as a biscuit and a drink. 

Where Can I Find A Jack's Store?

Jack's has twelve  stores in the UK and they can be found at St Helen's, Sheffield, Edge Hill, Barnsley, Immingham, Wakefield, Liverpool North, Walton, Rubery, Castle Bromwich, Chatteris and Middlewich. A full store locator is available on the Jack's website.

As you may know from previous posts we do like to shop with a budget in mind so we don't get carried away whilst in store. Our break time snacks and lunch box fillers cost less than £20 and lasted us beyond the school week. Having the choice of Jack's and other brands all in one place allows you to add  a variety of items to suit your family tastes and budget. 

Michelle

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Have Parental Control With Star On Disney+ | AD

Have Parental Control With Star On Disney+ | AD

25 February 2021

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Disclosure - This post is in collaboration with Disney+ however we are subscribers of the service already so any thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

We have been subscribers to Disney+ since it was DisneyLife and have watched it grow over the years to include Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic and The Simpsons. Just when we thought it couldn't get any bigger, Disney+ also now includes Star and also new easy to use parental controls.

What Is Disney+

Disney+ is the streaming home for entertainment from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. Disney+ brings you exclusive originals with new feature films, shows, short-form content, including the world's first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian - streaming only on Disney+. You can also watch the new Marvel mini series WandaVision. 

As a Disney+ subscriber you have unlimited access to thousands of the Disney movies and shows that are completely advert free offering you a high-quality viewing experience with unlimited downloads on up to 10 devices.

What's New?

As mentioned Star on Disney+ was launched on 23rd February alongside a new feature for parental controls. 

Parental Controls

Disney+ offers robust parental controls to ensure that Disney+ remains a suitable viewing experience for everyone in the family. We have three adults at home and little J who will be turning 8 soon so I was eager to find out how subscribers can set access limits on mature content and also create PIN-protected profiles to give us parents and guardians peace of mind.

Easy To Use

When opening Disney+ for the first time after the launch of Star on Disney+, subscribers will be asked

if they want to opt in to access mature content. This will change the content rating on their profile from 14+ to 18+. Opting in as an 18+ subscriber will give you the full content catalogue available within Star on Disney+. If you choose 'Not Now' your content will set to a rating of 14+, which gives you limited access to the Star catalogue on Disney+. 

Once you decide to make the change and have full access to the Star catalogue on Disney+ you enter your password to confirm the change.

 

As I said earlier we are a household of 3 adults and 1 child and as every household is different Disney+ allows you to create up to seven profiles per account. This allows each profile to have a viewing experience tailored to their age. 

When you click on the main account avatar there is an option to edit profiles. You can click on each profile to edit the content rating for each member of your family. 

It was really easy to turn on parental controls, however this could not be done on our TV we had to do it from a mobile device or desktop. If you do need any help setting up the parental controls there is a short 1 minute video 

The content rating options are 0+, 6+, 9+, 12+, 14+, 16+ and 18+. Content ratings provide guidance for parents and children on all TV series and movies. Each TV series and movie on Disney+ has been given a specific rating to offer a recommendation on its suitability. 

I thought it would be a good idea to give an example of movies and series for each content rating.

0+ Disney Junior series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Sound oO Music

6+ Disney Pixar movie - Soul

9+ Disney Tim Burton movie Alice in Wonderland, We Bought A Zoo

12+ Marvel Series WandaVision

14+ Star on Disney+ original Big Sky

16+ Comedy movie Borat

18+ Drama Crime Series Sons of Anarchy

Kids Profiles

Kids profiles are also an option that can be selected on Disney+. These profiles are specifically designed to be used by a younger audience and feature a unique design and user experience. All content available in this profile has a content rating of 7 and below, and will not include any content that features a content advisory warning.

Kid Proof Exit

If your child decides to click to exit their kids profile the kids proof exit feature makes it harder to leave a kids profile with the addition of an exit question. This feature can be found under a new Parental Controls menu, within Settings and account verification will be required to turn this feature on.

Profile Pin

An extra feature to provide parents with peace of mind that their child will not access mature content now available with Star on Disney+ is a profile pin. Account holders can secure profiles set to an 18+ content rating with a profile pin. 

After we had set up our Star on Disney+ access to 18+ it did ask us if we wanted to create a profile pin then however account holders can set a pin at any time under profile settings.

Star On Disney+

Now that you have set up your parental controls you can explore the whole new world of entertainment. Star is now fully integrated in to Disney+ and offers over 75 TV series, 280 movies and four Star Originals plus new content will be uploaded every week too.

Star has its own tile on the Disney+ home page. When you click it, it will bring up a choice of movies and series based on genre, featured or our favourite bingeable series

TV Series

When I saw the list of TV series that will be available my eye instantly went to Grey's Anatomy. Grey's is a favourite of mine and I know how popular the show is so I think this will be a very popular choice with the first 15 full series available to watch. 

John is looking forward to X Files. He has been wanting to binge watch the series for years but never got round to it so that will definitely be on our 'to watch' list. 

Grey's Anatomy and X Files are just 2 of over 75 series available including Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Modern Family, Glee and How I Met Your Mother to name a few. 

Movies

280 new movies are available to with Star on Disney+ so you will never be stuck for something to watch. I have checked the whole list and there are so many to look forward to including Pretty Woman, Shallow Hal, Moulin Rogue, The Devil Wears Prada, Die Hard 2 and 275 more!

Originals

One of my favourite features of Disney+ is the originals available. Originals are exclusive to Disney+ and I am pleased to say that Star has an initial four originals of their own. 

Crime thriller Big Sky

Love, Simon spin-off series Love,Victor 

Adult animated sitcom Solar Opposites

Drama series Helstrom

How Much Does Star On Disney+ Cost?

Star on Disney+ is included in your Disney+ subscription. If you are already a subscriber, the Star on Disney+ content will be available from 23rd February 2021. 

If you do not subscribe to Disney+, UK customers can subscribe for £7.99 per month, or £79.90 annually (annual price available at most retailers). 

Full details on how to subscribe will be available on Disneyplus.com. Current prices for existing subscribers (prior to 23 February) will be honoured for six months, with the price change taking effect on the monthly or annual renewal date following 23rd August 2021.

Disney+ is a service that offers so much entertainment in our home and the addition of Star on Disney+ has given us a whole new range of entertainment to enjoy.

If you found this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

Are you a Disney+ subscriber? Leave us a comment below and let us know what you have been watching recently.

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Michelle

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Trapped Escape Room Game. Perfect For Date Night At Home

Trapped Escape Room Game. Perfect For Date Night At Home

6 January 2021

3 comments

Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are ours unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

Last year was the year of date nights at home. John and I made sure that amongst all the home schooling, late nights in the garden and all the other craziness we got together to have a date night. We would cook for one another, have a movie night, go for a walk or play a game. Playing games is my favourite and last year for the first time we tried out a range of escape room type games that were lots of fun. Just before Christmas we received a lovely bundle of three Trapped games which are family friendly escape room packs. 

Each pack has everything you need to turn any room in to an Escape room. The 3 games we received are from series 1 and included

Room 1 - The Art Heist Trapped Escape Room - Puzzle Level Medium

Room 2 - The Bank Job Trapped Escape Room - Puzzle Level Hard

Room 3 - The Carnival Trapped Escape Room - Puzzle Level Easy

We are no strangers to Escape rooms and have done a few actual games and also played at home but these were new to us so we started at the beginning with easy. Did we escape The Carnival?

The Carnival is designed for 2-8 players aged 8+

In the trapped game The Carnival it is our lifelong dream to work alongside the fabled fortune teller and jaw dropping performers of Muggins Carnival. Soon after we apply for a job the ringmaster invited us to an interview we will never forget....

Nothing is what it seems as we perform admission tests including a series of baffling puzzles and mysteries. We soon were racing head to head to see who was crowned king or queen of The Carnival. 

The Carnival was very easy to set up. As I said before you can create your own escape room by popping all the posters and puzzles around the room. You don't have to do this you can just spread them out on a table, the choice is yours. 

When you are ready to start you just dive right in and start solving the puzzles. I won't go in to any detail about the puzzles so not to spoil it. Once you think you have solved a puzzle you can check you have the correct answer by checking the arcade machine. If the answer is there you score the points.

You might not solve all the puzzles so you can get clues. Each puzzle gives you the chance to have clues and you can use the red clue reader to help you on your way. 

Each Escape room is designed to give you 1-2 hours of play. Between us we managed to complete the easy room in 40 minutes. We worked as a team to solve the puzzles and it was lots of fun.

I have teamed up with Trapped Escape Room Games to offer 1 reader the chance to win all 3 games. All you need to do is complete the entry form below and remember to pop back daily for bonus chances to win. 

Our Giveaway is now closed but you can purchase Trapped Escape Room games on Amazon 

Win Trapped Escape Room Games 

Michelle

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Shopping For Festive Food On A Budget at Jack's | AD

Shopping For Festive Food On A Budget at Jack's | AD

10 December 2020

6 comments

Disclosure - This is a paid collaboration with Jack's. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

Christmas is nearly here and I know most of you will be getting ready for the big day. Whilst this Christmas may be different in so many ways we can still make it special. Like most we will be spending most of our time at home and I want to make sure we have lots of festive treats to enjoy. We recently went to Jack's to stock up on goodies perfect for Christmas time and our budget too.

What Is Jack's Supermarket

Jack's is a supermarket that was founded and named after Jack Cohen who is also the founder of Tesco. As well as Jack's own branded products you can also find a selection of Tesco and Britain's favourite brands in store. It's a go to supermarket that is very popular as you can shop quality products at outstanding value. 

As well as selling food and drink you can also browse the toys, games and homeware. 

What Seasonal Treats Can You Look Forward To?

Jack's have special products in their festive range including mince pies, mini toad in the hole and a giant festive sausage roll! They also have a great veggie range of festive nibbles so can guarantee you will find something that the whole family will love!

The festive range can be found both in the chilled and frozen section. 

We were in desperate need of a pick me up after a wet and cold week so enjoyed a festive movie night with a selection of party nibbles. The quality of Jack's own products has always been good and excellent value for money. 

Can I Buy Everything For Christmas Dinner At Jack's?

Absolutely. Jack's has everything you need for the perfect Christmas Dinner with 100% of Jack’s fresh turkey, chicken, beef and lamb being British. You can also find all your trimmings plus some special festive treats including mini toad in the holes and pigs in blankets. 

We all like a nice tipple on Christmas day and you will find a range of festive drinks to to make the day extra special.

Is It Good Value For Money?

Yes. We usually shop on a budget anyway however for this particular shop we had a budget of £40 in mind and we actually didn't spend it all and purchased enough food, treats and drinks for our plans. 

Where Can I Find A Jack's Store?

Jack's has twelve  stores in the UK and they can be found at St Helen's, Sheffield, Edge Hill, Barnsley, Immingham, Wakefield, Liverpool North, Walton, Rubery, Castle Bromwich, Chatteris and Middlewich. 

We have been shopping at Jack's for quite some time now and I knew their festive range would not disappoint. When it comes to Christmas food we usually focus on a typical Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and then spend the rest of the time enjoying snacks and party food. It will mainly just be the four of us but we all have different tastes when it comes to food and I tend to sway towards more vegetarian options so we were pleased to find lots of vegetarian festive treats too. 

Michelle

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Holly's Festive Feast Christmas Trail, Tatton Park

Holly's Festive Feast Christmas Trail, Tatton Park

1 December 2020

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We have begun our Christmas Festivities with a trip to Tatton Park to enjoy the Christmas Garden Trail, Holly's Festive Feast. 

What To Expect At A Christmas Trail: Holly's Festive Feast, Tatton Park, WA16 6QN (Sat Nav WA16 6SG)

Holly the Hare needs your help, she’s been invited to a festive garden feast with Tatton Park’s other woodland friends, but she’s mislaid her invitation! Journey through the Gardens and help solve the puzzles to find her friends at their Christmas party.

The trail begins at The Gardens entrance where you can pick up your party pack. Inside you will find an animal mask, candy cane, pencils, pencil, sticker, tag for the wish tree and a question sheet and map. 

Next you need to follow the arrows to find the clues to help Holly The Hare get to the party in time. 

There are 6 clues in total which take you all around the gardens. You can also head off on different paths to explore if you wish but make sure you get back on track as you don't want to miss the party.

Each clue is easy to solve although younger ones may need a little help from a grown up. Just below each clue is a beautiful stature of Holly The Hare. 

Once you have worked out the clues, pop your answer on the sheet and then head off to find the next clue. 

When you find clue number 6 you then have to find Holly's invitation which will then tell you where the party is. 

Once you have found the party venue join the queue and wait your turn to head inside and see the animals enjoying their party. 

Although Holly The Hare made it to her party in time there is still more to do. Next head to the wish tree to put on your own wish.

Last but not least follow your nose to find Pat the jolly Gardener whose job it is to care for the gardens and wildlife. Pat’s keeping warm by the fire roasting chestnuts.You can even enjoy a chestnut or roast your own marshmallow before heading to the exit as your trail comes to an end.

Anything Else?

Holly's Festive Feast Christmas Trail is available on selected dates

Sat 28th - Sun 29th November

Tues 1st  - Sun 6th December

Tues 8th - Sun 13th December

Tues 15th - Thurs 24th December (including 21 Monday Dec)

Sat 26th December - Sun 3rd January (including 28 Monday Dec)

The trail opens at 10am - 4pm (with the last entry being 3pm). The trail took us well over 2 hours as we explored around the gardens and woodlands so entering at 3pm may cut your time short as it closes at 4pm.

Entry to the mid-winter gardens this festive season is £8 an adult, £6 a child and free for National Trust members.

To experience the full trail experience you may want to the purchase the party pack mentioned above. This costs an extra £2.

There are no toilets inside the garden area so make sure you head to the toilets before you enter which are just outside the gardens entrance. 

Refreshments are available for take away only at Stable Restaurant plus there are snacks, ice creams and drinks available in the gift shop. 

There are lots of picnic benches and tables available to enjoy a picnic for takeaway at with some being under a marquee. 

Head to the Stables Restaurant for festive food and drink and browse pop up Christmas stalls in the stableyard - a mini market of local traders selling homeware, Christmas gifts and more.  This is available to enjoy 11am-4pm

Fri 4, Sat 5 and Sun 6 December

Fri  11, Sat 12 and Sun 13 December 

The cosy Gardener's Cottage this Christmas is inviting you to experience the delights of a Festive Afternoon Tea – and great news for little ones -  they can feel special too with their own limited edition mini festive tea with choice of sandwiches, crisps, hot chocolate or juice and a Christmas tree cookie. Available to enjoy Tuesday - Sunday from 2 Dec until 3 Jan 2021 

Parkland is closed Mondays and open Tuesdays - Sundays 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)

Farm and Mansion are currently closed. 

All vehicles will be charged £7 parking fee, this is half price for blue badge holders, cyclists and pedestrians are free to enter.

Please ensure you follow social distancing rules & Government guidelines and if somewhere is busy on arrival, please consider leaving and returning at a later date. 

Face coverings are required in the cafe, gift shop and also the toilets for those aged 11+ (usual exemptions apply)  

Check for local lockdowns / travel restrictions before visiting anywhere. 

Always check with the venue direct as things may have changed after this post was published. 

What Is Close By?

Dunham Massey, WA14 4SJ - 15 Minute Drive

Dunham Massey is a green oasis nestled between the urban sprawl of Manchester and rural tranquillity of Cheshire.

Arley Hall and Gardens, CW9 6NA - 15 Minute Drive

Arley Hall & Gardens is a place of enormous character, charm and interest. Visitors are frequently struck by the warm and intimate atmosphere and the feeling that Arley is a much-cherished family home.

Further Away.

Dream, WA9 4BB - 30 Minute Drive

Dream is a huge sculpture of a child's face situated in the middle of Sutton Manor. You may have read our post recently about our visit to Dream. It's just a 30 Minute Drive from Tatton Park and nice easy walk to enjoy.

Speke Hall Estate and Gardens, L24 1XD - 40 Minute Drive

Speke Hall Gardens and Estate is a National Trust property just outside Liverpool with lots of walking trails, adventure playground and beautiful views of the River Mersey.

Holly's Festive Feast Christmas Trail at Tatton Park will definitely put you in a festive mood and ready for the big day. 

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Michelle

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Family Fun With Spin Master Games

Family Fun With Spin Master Games

17 November 2020

12 comments

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. 

One thing we have loved this year is playing board games together as a family. Little J is at the age were he has the concentration to sit for longer without being distracted and enjoys the competitiveness of playing a board game. We have had a lot more free time than usual this year so it's been nice finding something that we all enjoy and we can all do together. Our pile of games has grown over the year and the newest games we added to our collection are Grouch Couch, Headbanz and Beat The Parents. 

Grouch Couch

Ever wonder what happens to those little items that go missing? Now’s your chance to find out and maybe get some things back when Grouch Couch spits out Lost Goodies! 

Grouch Couch is a fast paced game that's easy to play and fun for all the family.

Set up is easy. All you need to is pop in the batteries (3x AAA not included) then lift up the middle cushion on the couch to place the counters in. That's it you are ready to play.

To play all you need to do is take turns feeding Grouch Couch tasty treats.On your turn roll the dice. The number on the die is the number of treats you need to feed the couch. You place the treats on his cushions and then press the remote-control and see what happens. He might grumble, chomp, burp and (hopefully) eat your treats.

When he does eat your treats, he’ll spit out Lost Goodies (counters you placed in the under the sofa cushion earlier). 

If you roll the vacuum you collect lost goodies from other players and you’ll want to collect these because the player with the most Lost Goodies when Grouch Couch plays his victory song, wins!

Headbanz

A fun spin on the traditional game 'What Am I?'. Headbanz is a family friendly game that is perfect for games night. 

Each player pops one of the adjustable headbands on their head. When it is your turn you need to ask questions to try and identify what you are. The other players can only respond yes or no so make sure you ask a good question. 

The three 'What Am I?' cards are Animals, Food or Things. There is a quick guide to glance at if you are stuck and unsure what to ask. It gives you questions to ask for the specific categories. 

If you guess right before the timer runs out you win a token and the first player to win 3 tokens will be crowned the winner of the game.

Beat The Parents

The head to head family game of questions and challenges. Beat The Parents is a game of adults v kids. Adults need to answer questions correctly to move up the board however the kids have the chance to answer kids questions too so it's anyones game. 

It isn't just about questions though as there are challenge spots on the board when the game stops and a challenge needs to be done. 

If you land on a challenge spot you must read the card aloud. It could be 1 player from each team or it could be an all play so everyone joins in. 

Once at the top of the board you will reach final challenge you can only advance to the win space by winning the challenge first. 

The first team to enter the win space is crowned the winner of Beat The Parents. 

If you are looking for some gift inspiration this Christmas you can read more about Grouch Couch, Headbanz and Beat The Parents over on our Christmas Gift Guide - For The Kids as well as lots of other ideas. 

Michelle

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