Disney Pixar Cars Are Back In Town

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The movie Disney Cars has a special place in our hearts as it was the first movie big J ever watched at the cinema. It wasn't the first movie we went to see, that was Happy Feet. We didn't actually get in to screening for that one as he was too scared but that's another story. So Disney Cars was a part of our lives for a long time until big J grew out of the toys and the movies. It was a 'Toy Story 3' moment, you know when Woody and Buzz are preparing themselves for the attic, we packed up the cars and playsets and off to the loft they went. It's was so sad when they went up and I honestly didn't think they would see the light of day again.

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Sensse Deep Pore Suction Cleaner and Blackhead Remover Review and Giveaway

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A few weeks ago we received the Sensse Deep Pore Suction Cleaner and Blackhead Remover to try out. I have never really suffered from blackheads but recently I have noticed a few which did shock me a little. Obviously when we were asked to give this a try I jumped at the chance as my skin isn't getting any younger. My skin has always been on the dry side and as I've got older I do find myself wearing make up more now than I ever did and it has had a big effect on my skin.
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Board Game Club Review - Cortex Challenge

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A few weeks ago we were asked to join Blogger Board Game Club. As we are huge fans of board games we were excited to say yes. We are amongst a group of 50 bloggers who will receive a board game each month to try and review. This months first game arrived and it is Cortex Challenge by Esdevium Games. 

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The Gruffalo and Organix Giveaway

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You may have read my earlier post about us being a Merlin Annual Pass holder, which means we get to visit attractions across the UK throughout the year. One for our Summer Bucket List this year is to visit Chessington World Of Adventures for two reasons. Firstly we have never been and secondly because little J absolutely loves the Gruffalo and Chessington World of Adventures now have a new Gruffalo River Ride. Celebrating its partnership with the new Gruffalo River Ride Adventure at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Organix are giving one lucky Playdays and Runways winner the chance to win a Gruffalo DVD and a £10 bundle of its top selling Goodies healthy snacks. 
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Sea Stars At Sea Life, Blackpool

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Having a Merlin pass is probably one of the best purchases we make each year. Being a Merlin pass holder entitles us to free entry to 32 attractions across the UK after paying a one off fee at the beginning of your membership. Over the past few weeks we have visited Alton Towers, Legoland Discovery Centre and last weekend we Sea Life in Blackpool to check out Sea Stars which is new for 2017.
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Travelling To Majorca With The Kids

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Majorca was the first holiday we went to as a family of 3 way back in 2003. As we had never had to plan a holiday with a baby before we relied heavily on recommendations from our family and friends and whoever we spoke to Majorca always came up as a possible destination. If you are a parent, when it comes to booking a holiday to Majorca you want to know that it is suitable for your children and what we have found over the years is Majorca ticks every box.
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Our Top Tips For Staying Safe In The Sun

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You may have read our recent post about our favourite places to go on holiday, one of the things that we always plan very well for when going abroad is the heat.  Whether it be Florida, Majorca, or even at home in the UK, its always important to stay safe when the sun is out.  The last thing you want to happen on holiday to either yourself or your little ones is Sunburn.  You can lose a good few days from your holiday to the effects of sunburn and it can be easily avoided.  

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Casdon Minimarket Till Review

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Little J absolutely loves playing shop and cafe. Out of all the role play activities he has they are his two favourites. He has always loved numbers so anything that involves numbers of any sort is always a winner. When we were sent the Casdon Minimarket Till to review I knew he would love it as soon as I read it has a built in calculator. 
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Charlie Bigham's Meals Review

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It's always nice to find out about brands that you haven't heard of before so when we received some vouchers to exchange for a few Charlie Bigham's meals we were very excited. We headed to Tesco that morning and found the meals in the fridge section. We have never seen them before but if I am being honest they look very posh and we have probably just walked past them. There was a small choice in our local Tesco but we decided that we would try the Chicken Tikka Masala and Lasagne.

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Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow Review

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A few weeks ago we received the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow to review. It's a kids pillow so ideal for little J. When it arrived it was very thin and when I actually looked on the website although the packaging says kids the website has toddler in brackets so possibly not the right size for little J although we did give it a go. 
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Favourite Holiday Destinations

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Disclosure - This is a collaborative post

Summer is almost upon us and for most people that means they will be heading off on their Summer holidays. Whether it's in the UK, Europe or further afield, getting away is something we all love to do. It's nice to know that we can 'switch off' for a week or two and forget about the real world and just float about in our holiday bubble. When it comes to choosing where to go we all have different ideas of the perfect holiday. Whether it's somewhere you've visited before, a recommendation from a friend or through browsing sites online.

city skyline

We tend to visit places we have already been to before. We like the familiarity and also the no stress worrying whether it is okay, as we've been before. I recently asked a few blogger friends what their favourite holiday destination is and why? The results are fab and it has actually given me a few new places to take a look at.

Long Haul Destinations

We have been over to America twice now, first we went to New York and earlier this year we went to Walt Disney World. They are 2 of our favourite destinations and I'm glad to see that others think so too.

Carrie from Flying With a Baby loves Cape Town. " outdoor fun, stunning beaches, amazing food, penguins, sharks, whales all in the wild. There is just so much to see and do. It's (only 12 hours away - I say only as we are used to 24 hours as hubby is Australian) hardly any time difference and perfect for Winter sun too "

Angela from The Life Of Spicers chose Walt Disney World. " there is something for everyone. Our once in a lifetime trip three years ago sees us revisiting for the third time this year. It's truly magical "

Ann from Rainbows Are Too Beautiful also chose Florida. " especially in the Spring . . because it's good weather and has the best Disney park "

I have to agree with Laura from Mama Eden & Me about New York.  " It's magical. The energy, the people, the theatres. I love the place. Hopefully going back next year "

Lynne from New Mummy Blog loves holidaying in the UK however . . . " my favourite holidays (other than honeymoon) were always the American road trips hubby and I did pre-kids, we can't wait for the little ones to be a bit older so we can go back and do more, including Disneyland " 

Michelle from Mummy2Monkeys loves America. " Everything is just so big and better. We went to see our first ever basketball game and I absolutely loved it seeing all the cheerleaders doing their half time dance routines in their cheerleading uniform."

the canaries

The Canaries

I have visited Lanzarote and Gran Canaria and both are stunning. The weather is always lovely, people are friendly and they are real family friendly resorts.

Suzy from Our Bucket List Lives also loved her holiday this year to Gran Canaria.  " The weather was lovely in January/February. There's lots to do there as a family and we loved the hotels that we stayed in. We'd not been there before and we would love to go back "

Becky from Mummy Est 2014 has visited Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands  " It was amazing. We took our little man when he was 20 months and he loved the beach, the pool, and the lights and fun of the evening entertainment. I loved the fact it was hot, all inclusive (so nice not to have to worry about food and drink) and family friendly. Travel time was only about 4 hours which wasn't as horrendous as I thought it would be "

Africa

Not a place I have visited yet but somewhere I would love to try. 

Naomi from Not A Perfect Parent tells us why she loves Tunisia. " There are so many amazing places I've been to including Florida, Lanzarote and other places but Tunisia has totally stolen my heart "

" I've been twice and the culture and history is so interesting. Both times I was given tours of the markets and that was a whole new experience. It is so rich in history and culture that many people don't know about and I loved learning all about it! We were taken around Mosques and a Mausoleum and the Tunisian People showed us so much respect for being interested in it all "

 " Tunisia has such a bad reputation and is a country that many either love or hate "

" Added bonus is that it's only about a 3 hour flight but it's North Africa so amazing temperatures "

harbour

The Balearics

I have to agree with both Laura and Kerry on their choices. Both beautiful and lots to see and do. We have stayed in Alcudia, C'an Picafort and Sa Coma in Majorca. Sa Coma is by far our favourite and hopefully we will visit again next year.

Laura from Mum On A Mission favourite holiday is Mallorca. " Anywhere on the island. Many reasons but primarily because it is beautiful. It's also only 2 hours away and there are plenty of cheap flights. I lived there for 5 years and it still feels like my second home. I'd recommend it to anyone "

Kerry from Kerry Shaw Mummy Of Four loves Ibiza " One of the most beautiful Islands I have ever been to, especially when you fly in just after the sunrise, on a really quick and very cheap flight "

Europe

Proving to be quite popular for the perfect holiday destination.

mickey, minnie, donald and goofy

France

Beth from Twinderelmo and Jade from Mummies Waiting both agree that Disneyland Paris is the perfect getaway. 

Beth " not too far to travel and pure magic from start to end "

Jade I love to get away, but completely away from everything with so many distractions to take in. It makes our whole family so happy and the experiences always bring a tear to my eye"

Italy

Kate from Five Little Stars likes to get away to Lake Garda (specifically Desenzano and up around the west of the lake). " It's beautiful, so easy with children, and the food is immense. We have been several times, pre and post babies, and always have a lovely time. And we are off to Corsica in September and I have high hopes that it will be a top holiday location contender for us too "

Louise from Pink Pear Bear also is a fan of Northern Italy " Amazing food, stunning scenery, lush weather, some of the most breathtaking art and architecture on the planet, less then 2 hours flight AND super duper child friendly! We love it "

Joy from The Sensory Seeker is also a fan of Italy " We loved our trip to Italy - Gelato and culture what's not to love. It was a place where the whole family loved with our various ages and the public transport system is fantastic "

Denmark

Nadia from Scandi Mummy loves Copenhagen " especially in the summer months. There is so much to do whether you are going for a childfree romantic getaway or for a family trip. Some of the best restaurants in the world, fantastic attractions and it's close to the sea and great beaches "

beach

UK

We love visiting different parts of the UK. It is a beautiful country and if you get the right weather it is definitely a perfect holiday destination. 

Katy from Katy Kicker enjoys a visit to CenterParcs " One hour from home, lots of activities and lovely facilities "

Hollie from Thrifty Mum chose The Isle of Scilly " Amazing. Only off the coast of Cornwall by small plane or ferry, they're beautiful islands, some are free of traffic and that low in crime no-one locks their doors. Perfect for an Enid Blyton friendly childhood. They have the best weather in the British Isles so you're guaranteed a nice tan too "

Emma from Me and B Make Tea would have to say good old Blighty. " Specifically Devon. We holidayed abroad with the little one but i've found I had a better time at Center Parcs and places like Ladram Bay and Cofton Holiday Park. We love Haven too. They are so geared for kids and there is so much to do even in rainy weather. Often when we go abroad the pools are freezing even though the heat is 30. So the UK - don't underestimate what you have on your doorstep "

*****

I have absolutely loved reading everyones 'perfect holiday' destinations and it doesn't seem to matter whether its a long haul trip to America, a villa in the Canaries, or a weekend in the UK we all love to get away and we all have our own favourite destination. 

Michelle


*collaborative post - all images thanks to Clickstay*

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The App Map Of Britain

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We all use apps every day.  Lots of apps, on lots of different devices doing lots of different things. Carphone Warehouse have compiled an app map of Great Britain, shortlisting the most used apps in 2016 with lots of different variables from location, age, sex, earnings and lots of others including the top used apps in the entire British Isles. 

The map really does give an interesting insight into the usage of apps and shows how many of the 2 million plus apps that are available on the App Store and for Android are actually used. I wasn't hugely surprised by the top 10 overall, but once you add the extra dimension of location or age the results really did surprise me. 
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Little J's First Tennis Coaching Session #ParkLives

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This weekend we wanted to try something new with little J. We are always looking for new activities to keep him entertained, especially with the summer holidays close by. We recently heard about  Coca Cola GB ParkLives and it looked great. Coca Cola ParkLives offers a wide range of free activities at your local park. There are all types of activities to get involved in, all you need to do is pop your postcode in to the website and a list of sessions popped up. We did just that on Sunday and the closest session for us was Tennis in Birkenhead Park. It was a very wet Sunday but we still popped along and lucky for us the rain stayed off. 

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