We're Going On A Treasure Hunt

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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 - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

We're Going On A Treasure Hunt is the fourth book in the 'We're Going On A ...' collection and we absolutely love these books. The stories follow the adventures of bunnies as they go on an Elf Chase, go on an egg hunt, sing along to Hop Little Bunnies and now we are off on a Treasure Hunt.

There are 10 gold coins to find on the pages and we can help the bunnies find them by reading along and lifting the flaps. Finding the coins won't be easy as there are many obstacles along the way including naughty monkeys, scary sharks, colourful parrots and leaping dolphins.

If the bunnies find all 10 golden coins they can head home just in time for a delicious surprise.

We're Going On A Treasure Hunt is a lovely addition to our 'We're Going On A...' books. We have teamed up with Bloomsbury to offer one luck reader the chance to win...

We're Going On A Treasure Hunt

We're Going On An Egg Hunt

We're Going On An Elf Chase

and Hop Little Bunnies

All you need to do to be in with a chance to win is complete the entry form below and pop back daily for bonus chances to win.

This is now closed. You can visit our giveaway page for our latest giveaways

Michelle

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Social Distance Visit To The Park

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We had a lovely visit to the park this week and it wasn't as busy as I thought it would be so it was easy keeping our distance from others. This was only our second time we had ventured away from home and it just felt nice to be out and about again.

Little J wanted to take his scooter and he was so good making sure he stayed away from others, keeping on his side of the path. 

We found some woods which we explored and a path that went right round the outskirts of the park. It was so nice to go exploring and we somehow made it on to a golf course. Luckily no one was hitting their ball at that time. 

Little J loves exploring and we found a tunnel. He was so scared to walk through because he thought I was going to jump out at the other end and scare him. I didn't. He did manage to walk through with John and it wasn't as scary as he thought. 

We also found lots of large rocks that led up to a tree. They looked like spikes on a dinosaurs back. 

Remember when you were young and the highlight of a day out was finding a hill that you could roll down? Little J found a hill and watched as two other boys rolled down. We told him to have a go and he did and loved it. Even John rolled down too. It was lovely watching him, he was so happy just  rolling down a hill. 

Before we headed home I managed to snap this photo. I absolutely love it. It reminds me of Romeo and Juliet. I keep thinking Little J is standing on a balcony somewhere in Verona ready to confess to  Juliet just how much he loves her.

How was your week? I hope you managed to have some good days during these strange times.

Michelle

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Win 2 Amazon Kids Tablets To Celebrate Tiny Pop TV Friendship Wherever

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These past few months have been so strange, we have been taken away from our normal everyday lives and thrown in to the unknown. Most of us have been in lockdown and not been able to see our family and friends. As an adult I have struggled at times with every day feeling the same as the last. Luckily both the boys have taken it all in their stride and have adapted their lives quite easily. The one thing I worried about was how they would both be able to keep in contact with their friends. It's been easier for big J as he is 18 so has a phone but little J has been relying on his tablet to send messages.

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Celebrating Our 10th Wedding Anniversary

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10 years ago today John and I said 'I do' after being together for 10 years to the month. All my life I had never wanted the big white wedding and although most girls dream of walking down the aisle those thoughts never entered my head. I always had a dream of getting married in New York City. This might surprise people since I am such a huge Disney fan but I am also a fan of romance and almost all my favourite romantic comedies are set in New York so that was my dream.

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What To Buy For A Ten Year Wedding Anniversary

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Disclosure - This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

This year John and I should have been celebrating our 20 years together and 10 years married anniversary. Unfortunately it looks like we will have to celebrate safe at home and buy each other a gift instead of heading off on holiday as originally planned. Traditionally on the 10th Wedding Anniversary you will give a gift of Tin or more recently it changed to Diamond for the more modern gift. However after browsing online I found lots of perfect gifts to celebrate ten years together.

This year John and I should have been celebrating our 20 years together and 10 years married anniversary. Unfortunately it looks like we will have to celebrate safe at home and buy each other a gift instead of heading off on holiday as originally planned. Traditionally on the 10th Wedding Anniversary you will give a gift of Tin or more recently it changed to Diamond for the more modern gift. However after browsing online I found lots of perfect gifts to celebrate ten years together.

Keepsake photo frame will be cherished and loved forever. Made from top-quality natural solid wood. Celebrate your tenth wedding anniversary with this special decorative wooden frame.

A beautiful, unique special Wedding Anniversary Plaque keepsake gift to celebrate 10 years together anniversary. The plaque is individually cut and engraved and personalised with your own message.

Personalised 10th Wedding Anniversary Lucky Sixpence In Display Case. The display case comes with a black cushioned interior which houses the sixpence. The acrylic display case measures (50mmx50mm) and opens easly to remove the sixpence. The sixpence dates can vary from 1953 to 1971.

This Sharing the Sofa Personalised Cushion makes a lovely personalised gift for any special couple celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary.

The cushion features the words Mr & Mrs (Surname) Sharing the Sofa for 10 Years and the date married.

The cushion cover is made from woven polyester and comes complete with the cushion infill pad.

Solid Quality Engraved 10th Anniversary Beech Free Standing Ornament. A unique gift to celebrate 10 Year Wedding Anniversary.

An ideal present for a couple who are celebrating their wedding anniversary. These wooden hanging decorations are a great way to say congratulations on that special milestone.

Made from solid 100% pure tin polished to shine with the words 'you are my rock 10 years'

10th Wedding Anniversary gift idea for both him and her.

Packaged in wood straw and comes with a little slip inside called 'The Story of Your Rock' which explains where the original rock came from.

A Fun China Mug gift set celebrating the 10th Wedding Anniversary.

This China Mug Set is a great 10th anniversary gift for any couple that can see the funny side of life. 

You get two China Mugs one '10 years of being Mr Right', the other  '10 years of being Mrs Always Right'

Have your names hand stamped onto this heart to really personalise this lovely gift. Perfect 10th Wedding Anniversary gift and comes in a special '10th wedding anniversary' gift box.

Stamped with the dates for your 10 year anniversary '2010-2020'

This Commemorative Miniature Plate has been cast in Tin for your Tin Anniversary.

Includes a mini stand to display your mini plate and a small certificate explaining the materials and methods used to create your piece.

Measures approx 45mm high & 45mm wide.

A really unique 10th Anniversary gift. 

Create your own date night using the Date Night dice giving you 36 Date Night Ideas.

Packaged in Wooden Straw and comes with a velvet bag and date night engraved instructions.

The perfect way to add some spice and variety to your 10 Year Anniversary Date Night.

Michelle

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The 11th Week

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The last time I joined in with Living Arrows was week 8 and although I am sad that I have missed out on posting photographs for the past 3 months, I just haven't felt like coming on here at all since lockdown. We were thrown into a very strange situation and although it was weird and scary I have absolutely loved spending so much time with the boys. I've took hundreds of photos and videos each day to document our 'lockdown lives' but now as we head in to the 11th week I think normality has started to creep in. Lockdown is easing and schools and businesses are returning. I said last week that whether or not you think it is the right time to go back to school that is such a personal decision, if I had my way I would keep the boys at home with me forever.

It's only over the past week that we have ventured out a little further for our daily exercise / walk. Up until now we have been happy playing in the garden and just exploring close to home but we decided to go further afield and it wasn't as bad as we expected.

First we went to the waterfront. It was so nice to breathe in some fresh sea air. I have missed that so much and I have always took for granted how easy it was for us to pop to the Liverpool waterfront on a sunny day.  The excitement on little J's face when he saw the ice cream van. He would live on ice cream if he could and whilst I was nervous to get him one I couldn't resist his little face looking at us hoping we would say yes. He absolutely enjoyed every single spoonful and just sat eating watching the waves in the dock.

Michelle

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Is It The Right Time To Go Back To School?

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I can't actually believe we are now in our 10th week of lockdown. Sometimes it feels like we have been safe at home for months and months whilst other times it feels so much shorter.  John and I are both key workers and have been trying to juggle working from home whilst socially distancing from our family and friends, home schooling little J and just trying to stay as positive as possible. Like most we have just been plodding along trying to do our best and I think in our minds we were prepared to live like this until September when we thought the boys would return to school however it seems that date has been pushed forward a few months with schools and businesses hoping to return in June. The one question on my mind is constantly the same - Is it the right time to go back to school?

This week would have been half term for the boys and although they would never admit it they both would have been looking forward to returning to school on the 1st of June knowing that there was only one more half term left till Summer. They should have been enjoying their final days in school, little J as an infant before he heads to the juniors in September and big J leaving school for good before University. 

As June 1st gets closer I can feel myself getting more anxious than I ever have in my entire life. As I said earlier John and I are key workers and have managed to stay safe at home during the last 10 weeks and we know how lucky we are that we didn't have to send the boys to school to be cared for, others haven't had this privilege. Neither school was a 'hub' however they are opening back up next week to initially care for those of key workers. The infection rate in the North is a lot higher than elsewhere so for now it will just be key worker children attending however we have had lots of correspondence from the school on how the new school day will look and it's changed massively and I'm not sure little J could cope with such a change. 

I am constantly reading online and social media the different thoughts and opinions about the kids returning to school, some saying it's too soon whilst others saying their children are ready to go back. I don't let others opinions affect my decision as I think it's a very personal choice depending on a families personal circumstances whether they are sending their children back or not. I am nervous and I am anxious and I've read all the facts about how Covid-19 doesn't affect younger ones as much as adults and I am constantly checking the daily updates about the R rate and it's facts, to help us make our decision.  John and I are in agreement that little J won't be returning in June. We don't want to risk it for the sake of a few weeks before they break up for Summer anyway. Although both boys have just adapted to this new 'normal' so well we both know that returning to school and being socially distanced from his friends would do little J more harm than good. 

I honestly wish that both boys could see out this school year before their big changes in September but I know deep down that keeping them safe at home is the right thing for our family.

Michelle

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Useful Money Lessons for Kids in Everyday Life

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Disclosure - This is collaborative post

Many grown adults become poor money managers largely because they mimicked the behaviour of their parents and lacked any sound teachings about money. Even in our school systems, while mathematics has a strong focus, it’s usually not given a practical basis by balancing a cheque book, learning to use a smartphone app on personal finance, or understanding a bank statement.  To set your child or children up for success, here are a few useful money lessons.

Earned Money, Not Pocket Money

Let your kids learn that they do not rely on handouts. Instead, let them perform small chores around the house. That might be tidying up their room for the younger kids and mowing the lawn and cutting the shrubs for the teenagers. Make sure they perform these chores safely, and make the earned money proportional to both their efforts and their age.

Encourage Kids to Save

Having them set aside a percentage of what they earn through their chores teaches them about:

The usefulness of percentages

The value of savings

Delayed gratification

Delayed gratification is particularly important. They may wish to save up for a special toy or a bicycle, in which case they’ll need to save part of their pocket money and put off some other purchases to do so. This will be difficult at first, but it will make them want the item they’re saving for even more.

Teach About Budgets

Budgets are particularly important. They help balance the income with the expenses to avoid overspending.

Budgeting and Saving Allow for Fun Purchases

Having a sensible budget and keeping spending in check allows a person to save money. When wanting large purchases like a trip away, a car, or a home, the ability to manage a budget and save from their income will be useful life lessons.

Give Each Child Responsibility for Some of the Family Budget

Let your children each have responsibility for small segments of the family budget. For younger children, that could be vegetable or fruit shopping. Set them up with a budget and the instruction to purchase as much as possible within that budget. Then walk them through the process.

With older children, expand the responsibility little by little and give them exposure to different types of spending and different decisions that need to be made.

Include the Kid(s) in the Money Decision Process

When they’re old enough to compare one price to another, give them the chance to look at how you decide about insurance.

Explain that you purchase insurance to protect against damage to the house, the car, and other valuable things. For a relatively small amount, the insurance will cover a reasonable amount of the value should something go wrong. Once this is done, let them compare insurance to see what you should decide to do.

Also, help them to understand that a trustworthy brand is good and to not always choose the cheapest price. A strong company matters too, so the insurance company pays out.

Many parents make the mistake of treating money as a taboo subject never to be spoken about. However, this leaves each child with an at arm’s length understanding of financial matters which stands them in poor stead for their future. Instead, build their knowledge over the years, so they’re comfortable and knowledgeable about the subject of money.

Michelle

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How To Choose The Right Swimwear For You

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Life is definitely strange at the moment with us living through a 'lockdown' and being apart from our family and friends. It's tough but we have to try and stay positive and as you may already know I am  a future person, always thinking about the future and what it holds for us. At the moment I don't think any of us know what the future will look like after this pandemic is over but we have to have hope that we will all get through this. A few months ago I was introduced to Protest and their gorgeous collection of swimwear. I wanted to share with you the range and although your holiday plans may not go ahead this year it's nice to dream.

First I wanted to tell you a little about Protest as you may not of heard of it. Protest was founded in 1993 by a small group of snowboarders in Holland. Protest is aimed at people who simply want to have fun on a board and look good doing it. Their goal is to make their clothes accessible to as many boarders as possible. However as you will see Protest has grown to offer not only board wear but also swimwear and clothing for men, women and children.

When it comes to swimwear I usually opt for a one piece swimsuit or tankini. I used to think these were the 'boring' option but the range at Protest are colourful, vibrant and lot to choose from.

Choosing the right tankini can be tough as there are lots of different types of tankinis. The variation is mainly in the straps and in the upper part of the top. Tankini straps are often crossed, keeping the top firmly in place. This is the style I would usually go for however you can also have a halter neck tankini,  triangle shape and others come in the bandeau style.

I would like to think that one day I will be brave and wear a bikini and just like the tankinis there are lots to choose from and also different styles too. Not only can you choose a regular bikini you can also browse push up bikinis.  A push up bikini does exactly what you would expect, it lifts or pushes up your breasts to create fuller-looking cleavage.

Once you have decided on the type you will then need to look at the style. Protest have a huge range of different colours to choose from and also you can opt for a mix and match bikini which has become popular in recent years. A mix and match bikini is buying a different colour top to the bottom. It wouldn't be my choice as I think a set looks better but the option is there.

It's not just the women with a wide range of swimwear available, the men's section is quite extensive too offering different styles, designs and waistbands in their Spring / Summer mens swim shorts collection.

Protest have given me a voucher code so that you can enjoy 10% off between now and 30th June 2020. All you need to do is enter playday10 at checkout.

No one knows when lockdown will be over but it's nice to look forward to the future and dream about our next holiday.

Michelle

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Home Schooling Week Plan | The Gruffalo

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Last week it was announced that all schools would close on Friday 20th March to try and help tackle the spread of Corona Virus. It is very scary times in the world right now but to help keep some sort of routine and normality I will be Home Schooling. Home Schooling is something I have never considered before but I know this is something I need to do to help little J through these crazy times. I have created Home Schooling week plans and this week our theme is The Gruffalo.

I have browsed online for ideas for activities based on The Gruffalo and there is a wide range of ideas on sites such as Twinkl and The Gruffalo.

Depending on the age of the child you can adapt these activities to suit. Little J is KS1 so these activities would be most suitable for ages 5-7.

Read The Gruffalo

This can either be read to your child or your child can read it to you.

Book Review

Once you have read The Gruffalo let your child think about the story and then review the book.

What is the setting?

Who was the main character?

What happened at the beginning?

What happened in the middle?

What happened at the end?

Book reviews help a child's reading comprehension and it's a nice way for your child to express any thoughts they had.

Describing Characters

Describing characters in your own words helps a child think about the character in detail and write down their thoughts. If you need to use prompts you could ask your child to write down...

The name of the character.

Is the character big or small?

What does the character do in the story?

Is the character good or naughty?

Does the character have friends?

Where does the character live?

Design Your Own Terrible Creature

 Your child can use their imagination to create their own terrible creature and then describe the terrible creature so we can learn more about them.

Talking About Thoughts

This activity is for your child to describe the thoughts of the character. Your child will have to really think about the character and what they are thinking about in the story.

Counting Worksheet

A basic counting sheet that you can then adapt to create a maths activity. We will use this as a base sheet to do maths activities creating addition, subtraction and multiply problems.

Pencil Control Sheets

Some children only use pens and pencils during school hours so it is important to keep up their pencil control otherwise their fingers and hands can become weak. Pencil control activities can help a child to maintain focus as they follow lines or dots on a sheet to form letters, words or even sentences.

 

Learning Through Play

Learning through playing makes it more fun and the kids don't think of it as work. We have lots of Gruffalo themed activities such as Animal Yoga, Word searches, Colouring Sheets, Pairs, Activity Sheets, Jigsaws and a Gruffalo Match and Memory Game.

We also have a Gruffalo themed treasure hunt planned. I have cut up all the squares from the 'pairs' game and I will hide one half of all the pairs and little J can try and find them around the house so we can then play the game.

We will also be doing baking activities making Gruffalo Cakes and Gruffalo Crumble.

Hopefully these activities will keep little ones busy. I will be mixing these in throughout the day with normal fun activities, chill time and outside time in between.

This is a huge transition for our children so I will be just taking it one day at a time.

Michelle

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This Months Favourite Bedtime Stories

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own unless stated. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

This month we were sent a lovely selection of books from Bloomsbury. Little J loves a story at bedtime but he also enjoys reading a story to himself and these books were perfect for both.

A brand new board book edition of the bestselling Hop Little Bunnies - from the much-loved illustrator of We're Going on an Egg Hunt. Based on the popular nursery rhyme 'Sleeping Bunnies', this lift-the-flap delight is full of the joys of spring.

Little Owl doesn't want to go to bed. His pillow is too lumpy, his quilt is too hot and what is that strange snorting noise he can hear? Another irresistible story that is perfect for wakeful little night owls, from the creators of Little Owl's Egg and Little Owl's First Day.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . Blast off! Come on an exciting space adventure and say hello to the planets of the solar system in this rhyming picture book that is perfect for sharing with all little astronauts.

Choose your favourite vehicle and LET'S GO! Join all the busy animals as they zoom around in every kind of vehicle you can imagine, vibrantly illustrated by the talented Katie Abey.

Although the giveaway may be closed you can still enjoy the Bloomsbury bedtime stories and more by purchasing over on Amazon. 

Michelle

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How To Protect Yourself From Illness When You Are Self Employed

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Disclosure - This is a paid collaboration. This post contains affiliate links - purchasing an item through an affiliate link adds no extra cost to you but might earn me a few pennies. 

I have lots of friends who are self employed and this time of year can be tough on them when there are so many winter illnesses going round. When you are self employed it's hard to take time off and also the loss of pay can cause financial worry. Since I started blogging I have found lots of tips along the way on how to protect yourself from illness when you are self employed.

Work From Home As Much As You Can

If your job allows it is so much better to work from home and avoid contact with people who may be suffering from a cold or virus. Viruses are much more likely to be caught whilst travelling on public transport or working at the office so working from home is a much better choice. If you don't have the luxury of working from home then when you see or hear someone coughing or sneezing a lot, just move away.

Open The Windows

Even on cold days I love opening all the windows and letting fresh air blow through the house. Obviously when it's cold it feels much better to have the fire or heating on but hot air in the home can actually make you feel worse. It can aggravate sore throats as the air becomes very dry. If you don't fancy opening your windows and would rather have the heating on, buy a humidifier.

Wash Your Hands

Washing your hands is so important and you shouldn't just wash them after you have used the bathroom you should try and get in to the habit of washing them more often. If you are touching anything that other people have used then you will have germs on your hands. Washing your hands with soap and warm/hot water you can prevent the germs from spreading.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking water throughout the day is a great way to flush out any toxins in your body and is also a good way to keep yourself hydrated. Drinking hot liquids such as tea, warm water and even soup can help loosen any congestion.

Take A Walk

Taking a walk in the fresh air is great for the lungs and also a way to help boost your immune system. You may not fancy heading out in the colder months but wrap up warm and you will feel better out in the fresh air rather than stuck at home.

Boost Your Vitamin D

We spend more time indoors during the colder months plus we have less sunshine so it can be easy to miss it. Eating tuna, mackerel, salmon, beef, cheese and eggs is a great way to top up your Vitamin D which can help keep coughs and colds at bay.

Look Out For The Signs

Sometimes we wake up and the cold or bug has hit us during the night without us knowing but other times we can try and look out for signs. If your throat is starting to feels scratchy or your chest feels a little tight you could be on your way to getting a cold. There are things we can do at this point to help shorten the length of the cold.

Using Coldzyme is a great way to help shorten the length of your cold if you have symptoms but it can also prevent it too especially if you can't get sick because you have an important meeting coming up, a trip or special event.

ColdZyme works by coating the lining of the mucous membrane, creating a protective barrier. the barrier acts osmotically on the cold viruses, trapping them and preventing them from binding with human cells, helping the body to remove them naturally.

Using the mouth spray is really easy all you need to do is aim the nozzle of your spray to towards your throat and press twice for two puffs. You do this every second hour up to six times daily. If you are not showing signs of a cold yet but have been exposed to someone who has one you can use the spray during that time. If you already have a cold you can continue to use until your symptoms are relieved.

Michelle

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