Young Adult Books Perfect For Halloween - Books2Door

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Disclosure - We where sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. Books2Door referral scheme gives us both £5 off our orders by buying through this link. This post contains affiliate links. 

As you may already know I joined a monthly book club earlier this year which I am loving being a part of. I think the last time I read a book was about 3 years ago whilst on holiday. I love reading but never seem to have the time. Since joining the book club I realised I do have time and I am whizzing through the books. I was asked recently to take a look at the books available from Books2Door. Books2Door were established in 2004 and do exactly as their name states, they deliver books straight to your door. The selection of children's books available is huge and at bargain prices too. 

As little J loves to read too I would usually choose him some books however I decided to take a look for myself. Although Books2Door is aimed at children there is a young adult section which suits me perfectly. Autumn and Halloween are upon us so I browsed for some books that would suit the season. 

What better books to read as we approach Halloween, The Vampire Diaries Complete collection. The boxset is aimed at young adults however The Vampire Diaries is hugely popular with adults due to the success of the TV series The Vampire Diaries.

The boxset consists of 13 books which follow Elena Gilbert who is a young girl attending high school but who soon finds herself torn between two Italian brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. You might think this sounds like any other high school romance or love triangle with twists and turns that young teens face through their teenage years but all is not as it seems. Readers will soon learn that the brothers are centuries old vampires.

Sticking with the vampire theme I also chose True Blood, Charlaine Harries, The Sookie Stackhouse series boxset. 

This boxset also includes 13 books which follows the life of Sookie. Sookie  is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much - not because she's not pretty, she's a very cute bubbly blonde, or not interested in a social life - she really is ... but Sookie's got a bit of a disability. She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable.

Then comes along Bill. He's tall, he's dark and he's handsome - and Sookie can't 'hear' a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting all her life for. But Bill has a disability of his own. He's fussy about his food, he doesn't like suntans and he's never around during the day, Bill's a vampire. Worse than that, he hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, with a reputation for trouble - of the murderous kind.

And then one of Sookie's colleagues at the bar is killed, and it's beginning to look like Sookie might be the next victim.

I cannot wait to start reading the books I chose. They will definitely get me in the mood for the spooky season. 

You will find thousands of books at Books2Door with some up 80% off their RRP plus free shipping on orders over £35. For more information or to browse the books available, visit Books2Door. 

Books2Door referral scheme gives us both £5 off our orders by buying through this link

Michelle

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It Only Happens In The Movies by Holly Bourne Book Review

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This post contains affiliate links.

Audrey isn't like the majority of her friends. Whilst they are gushing over boys, Audrey is over romance. Audrey had been brought up by two parents who were head over heals with each other until one day it was over. So whilst dealing with her parents divorce, a hurtful breakup of her own, and distancing herself from her friends she has every reason to feel cynical. To avoid being at home with her Mum who is clearly not over her Dad, Audrey starts a job at the local cinema. She meets Harry. Harry is her fellow coworker, brash, impulsive, and a major flirt. Audrey isn't interested and tries to resist, however she finds herself falling for his charms. 

In this funny, insightful, and ultimately empowering novel, love and life isn’t what it’s like in the movies. It Only Happens In The Movies by Holly Bourne.

My Book Review

This is the third book I've read since joining the monthly book club in May. It Only Happens In The Movies got the majority of the votes including mine. I am a sucker for a romance books however this really wasn't a romance book, but I loved it. 

The story tells a story about a teenage girl, Audrey who had been brought up by two parents who loved each other. Their proposal was epic in Rome similar to the movie Roman Holiday. Their daughter Audrey was actually named after the actress Audrey Hepburn. Audrey had no idea that one day her Dad would up and leave to be with another woman. He actually starts a new family. 

There is a lot of responsibility on Audrey to look after her Mum who doesn't take the situation very well. Audrey does have an older brother but he is away in college. I really felt for Audrey as she never seems to know what she will come home to so starts staying out later and later at her new job at the cinema. 

Audrey has had a failed relationship herself just recently so the idea of love isn't in her thoughts at all right now until she meets Harry. Harry is a charmer. Harry is funny, cute, says all the right things but has a reputation. I think we all knew this kind of boy in school. Some girls stayed clear and others fell for him, Audrey was a bit of both. 

I finished this book within a week or so, I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed watching the relationship build between Audrey and Harry. There is something special about your first love and although it doesn't always ends the way you want it too it's one you will always remember.

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Michelle

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Osmo Coding Starter Kit

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

You may have read a previous post where we have written about Osmo and the various sets and kits you can get to use once you have a starter kit.  We have recently been sent another starter kit - this one based around coding to try out and this is probably going to be our most favourite Osmo set to date. 

Osmo works in conjunction with an iPad or Amazon Fire tablet - so you must already own an iPad or Fire table in order to be able to use Osmo sets. Its a fantastic way of allowing your child to have screen time while learning and enjoying themselves either on their own, with friends or with you to be able so spend some screen time with them.

The Coding starter kit includes everything you need to get started. Included is the Osmo Base for iPad, access to three coding games, 31 coding blocks, storage for the blocks.The games themselves include over 100 coding puzzles and over 300 musical sounds. 

Setup is easy enough - you just need to find each of three games on the apple app store, download them to the iPad and then set the iPad in the base with the connector on top of the iPad. Each game guides you through a guided demonstration of how to use each of the coding blocks and then throughout the games teaches your chid how to include more complex coding instructions in a really simple and enjoyable way. The more you code, the further you get in the game and the more rewards you are given in game to use on unlockables. 

We started with Coding Awbie which is the recommended starting point to learn basic concepts. Little J really loves this game.  You control a character called Awbie who needs to make his way through the outdoors in order to collect items to build a nice big, well decorated campsite. You move Awbie by giving coding instructions using the blocks which the Osmo setup will recognise when you place them under the iPad. You start with a direction, then a number of steps in a direction, followed by more complex strings of instructions with movement in different directions and numbers of steps.  You can even move up to grabs, jumps and bounces as you go.  Little J managed a string of 7 instructions which the Osmo was able to pick up and follow perfectly which gave lots of rewards and really helped Little J understand how to plan a route and set instructions.  The coding blocks are easy to use, well designed and have a quality feel to them too which really supports a good learning and playing environment. 

Next it was time for Coding Jam, this is a more intermediate app which allows you to compose your own music using patterns and loops. This one has a much more detailed practice mode which teaches you how to line up coding blocks to make beats, rhythms and layer these over each other to make songs.  The more you progress the more musical sounds unlock and the more you can overlay your creations.  The app will remember creations and allow you to layer new ones over them to make intricate sounds.  This game felt more 'open' than Coding Awbie and has less of a clear path through the game. You can be more creative with this game and really see how different code strings affect the songs you can make.  Little J preferred Coding Awbie this game, but he did enjoy making his own songs and naming them. 

The final app is Coding Duo which is a more advanced Coding challenge, setting puzzles to be solved using the coding blacks.  This can be played solo or two player and we have decided to save this one until we have all mastered Coding Awbie and Coding Jam.  It looks like the more practice you have had at the previous games, the better this one will be to play. 

All in all, we really loved this new addition to our Osmo collection. It's really clever how the app is able to your coding instructions. It also feels as though the 'reading' capability has been improved from some of the previous games we have played using Osmo. 

You can find out more about  Osmo by visiting Play Osmo online.

Michelle

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Flip Out Trampoline Park, Liverpool

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

We have been trying to keep busy this Summer, getting out and about so the boys don't just sit on their screens all day. As we can't rely on the British weather we have had to plan a few outdoor days out and also some indoors. Luckily we have quite a large selection of indoor play centres in the North West and we recently visited Flip Out, Liverpool.

What To Expect At Flip Out, Liverpool L9 5AT

Flip Out, Liverpool is not just a trampoline park, it is so much more. Flip Out is home to a 65ft donut slide, total wipeout, cyber towers, drop slide, stunt boxes, a huge interconnected trampoline arena and lots more.

The arena is split in to different sections. There are steps down away from the trampolines which lead you in to an area that has a play structure, donut slide, and climbing frame. It's a great addition to the trampolines and the boys spent a lot of time there, climbing and sliding. 

The simple trampolines are a great way to get you used to bouncing and work out where everything is. There are also some high power trampolines that allow you to launch yourself into a foam fit, flipping as you go if you wish.

The 65ft tube slide, which is very similar to an ice slide is lots of fun. You sit in a rubber ring and slide to the bottom. I haven't seen one of these anywhere other than in ice adventure areas, and it was just as much fun.

The stunt area has higher powered trampolines all around a well padded Lamborghini car that can be jumped on, or over.  This was a really good area to get some height into your bouncing. This area has a minimum height restriction of 1.2m.

There was also an assault course type area, again with minimum height requirement, this was similar to a play area structure with climbing, rolling, and a decent size slide at the end which was very quick.

You are guaranteed lots of laughs on the total wipe out zone. This is an activity where you stand on a spot and have to either jump over or duck under a moving bar. 

Anything Else?

Each standard jump session is 90 minutes which we felt was just the right amount of time. We were able to explore the large arena and enjoyed all the features inside. A 90 minute session costs £15.

You can enjoy some toddler time at Flip Out during off peak times. Monday 1pm then Tuesday to Friday at 10am, 11:30am and 1pm. Costs for the Toddler and Parent session is £12 with one adult free (term time only).

A family bounce is available which saves you money. Each family ticket is for 4 (must include one adult over 18) and costs just £50 anytime on any day.

For those who would like to enjoy a reduced sensory environment with dimmed lights and reduced noise you can enjoy an additional needs session. The sessions run on a Tuesday 5:30-7pm and Sunday 10am-11:30am. Price is £12 and carers go free. We found it very loud and busy when we visited so I would highly recommend these sessions to those who may be overwhelmed.

An after dark session brings a party atmosphere to the arena with light shows and super sound systems. After Dark runs for 2 hours every Friday and Saturday at 6pm. Cost is £16 or you can upgrade to a Flip Feast which includes a 9" pizza and drink for £20.

If you are thinking of a party there are some dedicated party rooms with plenty of space throughout and even free wifi for the parents. We didn't try the cafe although it looked to serve a good selection of food and drinks and there was plenty of seating around too.

It is recommended you book online to guarantee entry. 

Arrive at the venue 30 minutes before your bounce time and sign your waivers before you arrive to save time. 

Flip Out socks can be purchased from reception for £3 per pair. 

There are plenty of parking spaces however near the session times it was very busy to park.

We all really enjoyed our visit. The separate areas, slides and climbing frame really give the trampoline park that extra something. 

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Michelle

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Afternoon Tea On Board The Floating Grace

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John and I are always looking for places to go for date days and nights. Whilst looking online for something to do, John recently came across The Floating Grace. The Floating Grace is Liverpool's only floating restaurant and bar. 

What To Expect On Board The Floating Grace, Salthouse Quay, Liverpool L3 4AE

The Floating Grace is docked in the Salthouse Quay within The Albert Dock. There are a choice of cruises available which will take you on a historical tour of the Albert Dock taking in beautiful views of 8 of Liverpool's Docks. 

We bought an afternoon cruise and boarded the boat just before 2pm. The seating plans were already arranged and we were shown to our table for two. There were tables of two, four and six on our cruise and it was at full capacity. 

Once seated we chatted amongst ourselves, looking at the views whilst the staff came and took our drinks order. There is a bar on board, no draught beers or soft drinks but plenty of choice of bottled beers, wines, Prosecco and soft drinks. A drinks menu is on your table upon arrival for you to glance over. If you don't want to order drinks that is absolutely fine as you will be served tea or coffee with your afternoon tea. 

The captain introduced himself shortly before setting sail at 2:30pm. He did a safety chat letting the passengers know where to find life vests and emergency exit. He was able to give us lots of information about the different docks we sailed in and out of and so much history. It was quite obvious that he loved the docks and his passion really came across. 

Afternoon tea was served shortly after the cruise began. The three tiered afternoon tea had ham and tomato, tuna and mayonnaise, cheese and onion and egg mayonnaise sandwiches. Two scones with clotted cream and jam, two small pieces of lemon drizzle cake, two small cupcakes, two coconut macaroons and two wafer biscuits. It was more than enough for two. 

Your tea and coffee is served to you in large mugs. You do not have your own teapot however we were asked if we wanted a top up of tea. 

The staff on board were very friendly and approachable. The lady serving us was the captains wife and the waiter seemed like a family friend. The cruise had a lovely feel to it and was very enjoyable. 

The captain spoke about the history all the way along the docks and it was so interesting to hear. Once we had reached the end of the docks and we could not go any further the captain switched off his mic and we sailed back to some music. 

We boarded at 2pm and we got back to the Salthouse Quay at just before 4pm. The price for the cruise is £20 per person. 

Anything Else?

The afternoon tea cruise runs Wednesday to Saturday

There is an evening dinner cruise which again runs Wednesday to Saturday. Enjoy a three course meal on board with a glass of bubbly on arrival. Boarding at 7pm, set sail at 7:30pm and return at 9pm. The price for the evening dinner cruise is £35.

You can also enjoy a Sunday lunch cruise on board The Floating Grace. The 2 hour cruise offers a 2 course lunch with a glass of bubbly on arrival. You can choose to board at 12pm or 3pm. The price for the Sunday lunch is £25 per person. 

If you have any allergies or specific dietary requirements you can let them know beforehand via email or in the comments when booking. 

We really enjoyed our cruise on The Floating Grace. It was a lovely relaxed atmosphere, great food and lots of historical information. We would definitely like to book another cruise to experience the Sunday Lunch or Evening Dinner.

To find out more about the cruises, menus and booking information visit The Floating Grace.

I am always so grateful for any support I receive on my blog and social channels. If you did find this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

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Michelle

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Brickosaurs Brick Trail, Blackburn

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Disclosure - We were invited to complete the Brickosaurs Brick Trail for the purpose of this post. We have been compensated for our time. 

Brickosaurs Brick Trail comes to Blackburn this Summer from 20th August - 1st September. It's the perfect day out for dinosaur fans as you roam around the town centre in search of 15 large Brickosaur models. 

What To Expect At The Brickosaurs Brick Trail, The Mall, Blackburn BB1 5AF

If you want to take part in this years Brickosaurs Brick Trail then all you need to do is head to The Mall Ask Me Point to pick up a trail map and quiz. From here you can then follow the trail to find all 15 models. If you would prefer to be more interactive, you can download the free experience Blackburn app to join in with the QR code trail. Both trails will give you the chance to win a prize too. 

If you would like an sneak peak of where you can expect to see the dinosaurs this year here are some confirmed locations 

Trespass, The Mall

Rhode Island Coffee, The Mall

Victoria Court, The Mall

New Look, The Mall

Blackburn Market – mini trail

Ainsworth Street (rear of Boots), The Mall

Primark, The Mall

Grays Outfitters, Northgate

Morrisons, Salford

Blackburn Cathedral, Darwen Street / Cathedral Square

Hobkirks Sewing Machines, Darwen Street

King George’s Hall, Northgate

Blackburn Library, Town Hall Street

The highlights this year include a whopping 2m tall Velociraptor and a Parasaurolophus measuring over 3m in length, made of over 113,600 bricks!

It's such a family friendly fun event and we completed a similar trail a few years ago when Paw Patrol took over the town centre and we went on a Paw Patrol trail. It was a great day out and one we still talk about now as we saw some parts of Blackburn we hadn't seen before. I know this trail will be just as fun and to make it even better it's free to join in. 

The Brickburn Brickosaurs trail is led by Blackburn BID (Business improvement district) and focuses on 'Summer being what you MAKE of it'

If you do join in the trail I would love to know please do tag us in your social media posts @playdaysrunways and also include @experiencebbn #brickburn and #brickosaurs.

I am always so grateful for any support I receive on my blog and social channels. If you did find this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

Leave us a comment below and let us know what you thought. 

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Michelle

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Breakout Liverpool, The Detective Office

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One of the things we have really missed over the last year and a half is date nights. John and I love heading out but not for the usual trip to a restaurant or cinema, we love doing something different. One of our favourite things to do is an escape room. We have visited quite a few escape rooms and also played lots of escape room games at home. We recently played our first Breakout room in a long while, The Detective Office. 

The Detective Office

Oh no! A dear detective friend of ours has been murdered. As we were the last people to see him alive there is a warrant for our arrest. We are definitely not the killers but we must prove our innocence and find out the real killer. We have managed to sneak in to the building where the detectives office is and we know that all the officers will leave for a one hour lunch. We have an idea that our friend the detective would have left clues to help us solve the mystery of his murder, who the killer is and prove our innocence.  We manage to sneak in to the detectives office, shut the door and we have just 60 minutes to find out who the killer is and escape arrest. 

Once inside the room you can expect to find lots of locks which need to be opened by key, numbers or codes. The idea is you search high and low to try and find clues which might help to solve the puzzles and escape. 

There is a large TV on the wall which will show the clock. This will count down from 60:00 to the time you escape or to 0:00 if you don't manage to break out.

The screen will also offer you clues if you are stuck. It will get your attention by playing a sound. While we were inside we found a key which we were certain opened a specific lock but it didn't. We got a message on the screen to let us know it was the right lock and to keep trying giving it a little wiggle. 

The Detective Office is rated 3 out of 5 for difficulty. We haven't tried a 4 out of 5 yet...maybe next time. 

Each Breakout room is suitable for 2-5 people. Detective Office actually have two identical rooms so would be ideal if you were a larger group and maybe wanted to race. 

Prices vary depending on the number of players and also the day of the week. 

For more information visit Breakout

Both John and I were nervous upon entering The Detectives Office as we have a 100% escape record and we would like to try and keep it. Did we escape - Yes we did, just! We had about 1 minute and 45 seconds to go but we made it. We found out who the killer was and proved our innocence. 

This was my favourite of the Break Out rooms we have done so far. It took us the longest but I really enjoyed the story and the puzzles were good. 

To view the range of rooms available and for more information visit Breakout

I am always so grateful for any support I receive on my blog and social channels. If you did find this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

Leave us a comment below and let us know what you thought. 

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Buy Us A Virtual Coffee

Share This Post With Friends Who May Also Find It Useful. 

Michelle

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Visiting Goin Golf, Stoke on Trent

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Disclosure - We were invited to Goin' Golf for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

Goin' Golf is a new virtual golf experience that has recently opened in Stoke On Trent. It is the biggest golf simulator experience in the UK with seven individual bays that you can book for the length of time that suits you.

When you play on a simulator at Goin' Golf you can choose to bring your own clubs, or borrow a set to use for your round. Goin' Golf supply the balls, which are all good quality brands that you may use yourself. If you have a spare hour you can actually get a full round of 18 holes in, on a course of your choice from over 190 available.  There are many reasons why you might want to play golf indoors - No need to walk the length of the course and you wont get stuck behind a group of slower players. There is also no adverse weather conditions to worry about either which means you will always get your full round in no matter how bad the rain outside may be. 

We chose to borrow a set of clubs from the centre as we didn't have my clubs with us at the time we visited. All clubs looked new and all had been cleaned before use. For the three of us playing we actually were given 3 sets - one mans, one ladies and one children's set which I didn't expect at all. 

We had the choice to play on one of the many courses, or play some of the arcade games available. We started with the arcade games and played both block breaker and darts. These are brilliant games for younger players and although Little J hasn't played golf before he loved the games and didn't want to come off them! While we played we got drinks, the menu lists everything available. We got a Latte, Pepsi Max and a Skittles Milkshake which went down very well!  Each simulator has its own sitting area where you can relax whilst waiting your turn or just take some time out for a drink. 

After we played the arcade games it was on to Pebble Beach to try the course out. You could choose your tee height, and use a large controller on the floor to move your angle of aim before taking your shot.  The simulator is intelligent and knows when the ball should be on the tee and when it should be on the floor. Once you have set your shot up you just need to pick your club and away you go.  

Initially I found the fact that I was indoors a bit different.  My swing was shortened and a little rushed as I thought I might hit the ceiling or maybe hit the ball too hard at the screen in front. After a few shots I was able to relax and play as I would outside. You soon get used to the space you have available - which is plenty and the ball always drops down from the screen once hit to be returned into the machine. 

The accuracy of the simulator seemed spot on. I have a natural slice to my driving which was unfortunately replicated on the simulator! Putting was a little difficult to get used to but again after a few holes you get the hang of it. 

Once we finished we went to have a look around the building which is really impressive. The owner really loves his golf and that is evident from the decoration and the time that has gone into setting Goin' Golf up. There are some lovely pictures of golfing greats, an enormous upstairs putting green, and 2 VIP rooms where the simulator will actually replicate the lie of the ball as on a real course, whether that be on an angle or in sand or rough. The toilets where very clean and easy to access. 

We really enjoyed our time at Goin' Golf and it was fun for us all. You can join up as a member to receive discounts on future visits which we have done.  

For more information and to book visit Goin' Golf

John

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