March 2021 | Looking Back

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We are now officially in the second quarter of the year and we can start to look forward to warmer days and lighter evenings. March was the beginning of back to some kind of normal with the children returning to school and also the rule of six coming back in to play again. Little J was happy to be back at school and has settled back in to his routine without any trouble at all. 

Weekend Walks

The highlights of our months recently always involve our walks. They are what we look forward to the most at the moment and have carried us through the past year. 

I really do hope that we that we continue to explore our local woods, enjoy walking along the waterfront  and just appreciate the simple things.

Days out don't have to cost much and you don't have to travel for miles either. We have found so many beautiful places local to us that either are free or a small entrance / parking charge. Our days out have usually consisted of a home made packed lunch and a trip to the ice cream van at the end of the day. Travel time and cost have been minimal but they have been some of the best days out we have ever had. 

Illness and Injuries

Disaster struck mid month when little J got tonsillitis and big J tore his ligaments playing basketball. Firstly little J getting ill before his birthday is nothing new. He has been ill on most of birthdays so far with tonsillitis, vomiting and chicken pox. Luckily a course of antibiotics and a few home days off school he was okay for his actually birthday. 

Big J's plans for the month changed when he was playing basketball in the garden, fell and tore his ligament in his foot. He was in a lot of pain even after doing the recommended RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate) so John took him to A&E and it was confirmed he had injured it. He has had a cast on it and also using crutches. He has had one lot of physio so far and some exercises to do at home. Hopefully he will be on the mend soon.

2nd Lockdown Birthday

Despite this being his second lockdown birthday and no party planned little J was so excited for his special day. Up until the day before he didn't have any ideas of what he wanted for his birthday except for a box of fidget toys and surprises. He woke very early at just before 6am and loved every minute of his day. He loved all his presents including AirPods off his brother, a bike off us and his much wanted fidget toys. We had a small lunch and birthday cake, headed to grandparents to collect even more presents  and all day he received messages, cards and visits from his friends. his favourite surprise of all was his Pizza Hut dinner. He has wanted Pizza Hut for so long and he had no idea we were collecting an order for him. He was very surprised. 

In Other News

Little J's football has returned so that means lots of training sessions and matches each week. I've put my family organiser back on the fridge to keep track of everything. 

John and I are still making our way through the Marvel Movies and Series. We are absolutely loving Agents of Shield at the moment and are just about to finish season two. 

Next month we are looking forward to spending more time in the garden and outdoors with family and friends, haircuts, trips to the beer gardens and non essential shops opening. 

What are you looking forward to in April?

Michelle

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Activities To Enjoy In and Outdoors This Spring

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Disclosure - This post includes gifted products. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

Spring is just around the corner and for us that means lots of playing outside in the garden and on the patio. We love having toys that are perfect for both in and outdoors and games that are portable to enjoy outside. We have gathered a few ideas that are perfect to enjoy this Spring. 

6 In 1 Solar Recycler

Teaching the children to recycle is so important but it can also be lots of fun too. The 6 in 1 Solar Recycler can transform old items into something fun and new. 

The kits contains everything you need to get started including a solar panel, motor and instructions. All you need to do is add the recycled item. Turn an old bottle in to a drummer robot, a yacht or a flying bird. If you have an old can you can turn it in to a walking robot or a street roller. 

The perfect kit to provide lots of play in an eco friendly way. 

Huckleberry Make Your Own Motor Boat

Children love using their imagination especially outdoors. A simple stone, a stick or piece of wood can turn in to whatever the child's imagination wants. This kit has everything a child needs to turn a piece of wood, cardboard or bottle in to their very own motor boat. 

All you need to do is build your boat and attach the motor and place it in the water. Press the button and watch as it sets sail across the water. 

Learning Resources Play Foam

Play Foam is perfect for both inside and out and can provide hours of fun. Each Play Foam ball can be squashed, squeezed. shaped and sculptured to create anything your imagination wants. Each squeeze of Play Foam is not only fun but can help to develop fine motor and manipulative skills, 

The texture of the Play Foam is also perfect for sensory play. The best thing about the Play Foam is it will not stick to anything. If playing indoors you can be sure it won't stick to your carpet and outside it can be placed in a tuff tray and will never dry out. 

Chocolate Lolly Maker

Spring is the perfect season for chocolate with Easter just around the corner. The Chocolate Lolly Maker has everything you need to get started an make some delicious chocolate lollies for yourself or as a treat for a friend. 

All you need to do is melt some delicious chocolate (not included), pour into a mould of your choice, adding a lolly stick. You can even add a message too. 

You can make your chocolate lolly even more special by wrapping it in a gift bag. 

Huckleberry Pop Up Net

We find lots of bugs and creatures in Spring and it is lovely to go on a bug hunt and see what you can find. If you are feeling a little adventurous and brave you may like to catch the bugs so you can study them and observe them. The Huckleberry Pop Up Net is ideal for those who enjoy being outdoors and looking for bugs. 

All you need to do is pop the net open so it is 10" wide, catch your bugs and creatures, observe them, then release them back to the wilderness. 

Kanoodle Head To Head

Go head to head with a friend in this colourful and fun game. Each player has to compete to be the first player to finish the puzzle. It takes a lot of thinking to correctly place the 2D magnetic shapes in the correct order. If you finish first all you need to do is press the button and watch the other players pieces fly in to the air. 

80 different challenges to complete, Kanoodle is a perfect size to take out and about with you too. 

Huckleberry Waterproof Sketch Book

We can never rely on the great British weather so the Huckleberry Waterproof Sketchbook is a great way to be able to sketch, draw, write and colour outdoors no matter what the weather. 

Each of the 80 pages is 140gsm waterproof stone paper and is the ideal size to fit in your pocket on the go. 

Hoppy Floppy's Happy Hunt

Perfectly themed for Spring, Hoppy Floppy's Happy Hunt is a fun filled game were each player must use the tweezers to pick up the coloured carrots from the box and place them in their basket. The first player to have four different coloured carrots in their basket is the winner. 

The use of tweezers in the game can really help develop fine motor skills, hand eye co-ordination and also matching colours. 

Spring is one of my favourite seasons as we start to enjoy warmer days and lighter evenings giving us the perfect chance to enjoy lots of different activities both inside and out.

  Michelle

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Big Little Tent Festival This Easter | AD

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Disclosure - This is a paid collaboration with The Little Big Tent Festival 

The clocks have sprung forward so the nights are getting lighter and for us that means more time in our garden. We spent so much time in our garden last year due to being in lockdown and staying at home. The weather was kind to us and we had lots of fun playing garden games, playing in the pool and also making tents and camping outside. 

While we were safe at home last year we were introduced to the Big Little Tent Festival. The Caravan Club created the idea of Big Little Tent Festival during lockdown. It was an idea that meant we could still enjoy all the fun of the great outdoors but from our own home. 

Big Little Tent Festival is back again this year and is taking place over the Easter weekend which falls on the 3rd and 4th April. Restrictions in the UK are still in place so this is the perfect way to get outdoors, pitch a tent, and enjoy nature all from your own garden. 

There are lots of festival fun and activities to join in with across the weekend including a Zoom party to meet The Mermaid Princess and The Friendly Neighbourhood Hero for games, superhero training, and a campfire song! You can take part in their facebook love children's quiz, enjoy bushcraft and so much more. 

You’ll find all the information you need on their Facebook page - Big Little Tent Festival

To get you in the festival and camping mood the Caravan Club have created a free downloadable pack which contains everything your and your family will need for a home camping festival experience. 

Create your own festival wristbands. Use the wristband templates in the pack to make them as colourful as you like. 

Decorate your garden or home with The Big Little Tent festival colour your own bunting. 

Create a To Do list. Everything you need to make the festival fun.

Whether you're camping indoors or outside there is a packing list perfect for you. 

Lots of fun activities for the kids to enjoy, word search, garden bingo, spot the difference and much more, 

When you download the pack you will be entered in to a draw for a chance to win with Raleigh. Raleigh are offering the chance to win one of two amazing bikes. 

Raleigh's Pop and Molli children's bikes are worth up to £350 each. Perfect for exploring the great outdoors and getting some exercise too. 

Make sure you join in with The Big Little Tent Festival Twitter party on Wednesday 31st March between 7-8pm to find out lots more about the Caravan Club and The Big Little Tent Festival. There will be chances to win prizes too. Make sure you follow @BigLittleTent and use the hashtag #BLTF21 in your tweets. 

Not matter whether you have a tent or have to improvise, camp indoors or out, the Little Big Tent Festival is fun for all and the perfect way to spend an Easter Weekend

Michelle

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Things To Do In The North West This Easter

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The kids have only been back at school for a few weeks but it won't be long until they are off again for Easter break. Last Easter we were in lockdown in the UK however this year although some things are not fully open yet, restrictions are easing and there are some nice activities to keep us busy in the North West.

River Of Light

Liverpool Waterfront

The River of Light will commence one year on from the day the UK went in to its first lockdown. The River of Light trail will light up Liverpool's Waterfront for a total of 14 nights from Tuesday 23rd March to Monday 5 April. Local residents can explore the free River of Light Trail free of charge. 

There is a total of 11 illuminated artworks in various locations across the city's waterfront. You can view the trail at any time throughout the day however the artworks will be only be lit from 6pm - 10.30pm each night. 

In total the River of Light trail covers 2km and is a full walking loop so there is no set start or finish point. Covid-safe measures will be in place and everyone is required to follow government guidelines so that the trail can be enjoyed by all. 

To see a full list of installations head to visitliverpool.com/riveroflight and for a full list of FAQ's you can head to Visit Liverpool.

Social Kids - The Parking Lot Easter Breakout

Speke Hall Ave, Speke, Liverpool L24 1YD

The Parking Lot Social’s Easter Breakout is perfect to get the kids away from their screens and to enjoy lots of Easter fun. The Parking Lot Social’s Easter Breakout DJ will occupy you for a full 90 minutes including a silent disco, car-a-oke, an interactive quiz, party bingo & lots more.

One hour before the party starts the warm up DJ/MC will host some music, fun and games to get everyone in the mood to party.

The Parking Lot Social’s Easter Breakout tickets are available to buy for both the 17th and 18th April. 

Saturday 17th April 

Gates Open 11am - Pre-show with a live DJ to get you settled in, and hyped up.

Show Starts 12pm - Let the party commence!

End Time 1:30pm approx

Sunday 18th April 

Gates Open 2:15pm - Pre-show with a live DJ to get you settled in, and hyped up.

Show Starts 3:15pm - Let the party commence!

End Time 4:45pm approx

Easter Trail at Speke Hall

The Walk, Speke, Liverpool, L24 1XD

Explore the gardens and park at Speke Hall on their Easter Trail. Complete all the activities at the 10 trail points along the way and have lots of fun.  

To help you along the way you can purchase a trail pack which costs £3 on top of the general admission cost to enter Speke Hall. 

Each trail pack includes an activity sheet and  pencil to help you complete and a chocolate egg or allergen free reward.

The trail is available Wednesday 31st March to Sunday 11th April (except Tuesday 6th April) 10.30am – 5pm. Tickets for the Easter Trail are available to purchase on the day however you do need to book your tickets for Speke Hall in advance and tickets for the Easter period will go on sale on Friday 26th March.

The Storybarn – Strolling into Spring

Calderstones Mansion House, Calderstones Rd, Liverpool L18 3JB

This Easter enjoy the scenery and explore Calderstones Park on a Spring Welly Walk.  Make sure you bring all five senses with you so you can enjoy and play games, listen to stories and even create your own.

The Spring Welly Walks will last a hour-long and will take place outdoors. You can't rely on the great British weather so make you dress appropriately and prepared.  The Storyhunter will be waiting for you on the steps of the Mansion House.

Best suited to children aged 4 - 8 but there’ll be fun for the whole family.

Tickets are available to purchase in advance and £4 each for both and adults and children. Under 1's go free. 

Percy the Park Keeper - The Secret Path in the Gardens

Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN (Sat Nav WA16 6SG)

Head to Tatton Park to join Percy the Park Keeper and his animal friends on a Spring adventure.  The family trail will take you inside Tatton Park’s gardens. Follow the pathways and help Percy along the way to take care of nature and wildlife. Why not stop off for a selfie at Percy’s potting shed, here you can enjoy the all the sights and smells of spring. Can you find all of Percy's animal friends along the way? Once you have finished collect your Easter chocolate treat and meet Percy too.

Percy The Park Keeper - The Secret Path in the Gardens trail is available from 2nd April - 5th April for Easter however the trail will continue through to the 13th June.

The trail is available 10am - 6pm (last entry 5pm).

 

Garden entry is priced at £8 per adult, £6 per child, National Trust members go free (but you must still book a timed ticket to visit). £1 per child for Percy the Park Keeper’s garden trail sheets (including NT members,

I will add to this post if more days out / Easter themed activities pop up.

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Michelle

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Spread Kindness With Amazon Wish List

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Amazon has been a life saver for us over the past year. Having an Amazon prime account means we have been able to shop both non-essential and essential items without the need to go out to the shops. We can usually find everything we need and at a reasonable price too. 

I have found myself creating lots of ideas lists on Amazon and it helps me to remember things I need to buy in the future, upcoming birthday/Christmas list ideas and also things I see but might not want to buy straight away. 

There are other types of lists on Amazon and they are called Wish Lists. This is a list were you add items that you would love but can not buy for yourself. It's like a virtual list of presents similar to a wedding list. These lists can stay private or if you want to you can share with others.

We have shared our lists in the past to family and friends and it's really helped them to buy gifts as they had no idea what to buy. 

Amazon Wish List is also a great way to spread kindness to others. You can browse a persons wish list, choose an item to buy them as a treat and select to send it to their address. 

How Can I Create An Amazon Wish List?

When you are logged in to Amazon hover over where it says Hello Your Name Accounts and Lists. Once you are hovering a drop down menu will appear. On the left hand side of the dropdown it says create a list. Click on it.

Now it will ask you to name your list. This can be anything you choose. 

Once you have chosen a name you are ready to click create, and start adding items to your virtual wish list. 

Now all you need to do is browse Amazon and instead of adding to basket, click add to list.

Managing Your List.

Once you have added items to your virtual wish list you need to manage your list. On the right hand side above your list you will see three dots and the word More. You hover over this and it will create a drop down menu, click manage list. 

Managing your list allows you to add your name, email, DOB, address (very important if you want to receive treats to your door - your address is concealed from buyers so they cannot access your address but your name will pop up at checkout which they can then choose to have the gift sent directly to you.) and also the privacy setting for your list. I used shared which means I have to share the link to my list to someone so they can see it. 

Sharing Your List.

This is the fun part, now you can share your list with whoever you like and hopefully kindness will be spread and someone may treat you to a gift off your list. 

Treat Others 

I like to treat others so I usually scroll socials for #AmazonWishList and choose a couple of people to send gifts too using their wish list links. 

It's so important to spread kindness. You never know what kind of day, week, month, year a person is having and receiving an anonymous treat in the post might be the best thing that has happened to that person in a long time. 

Michelle

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Snacks and Lunch Bag Fillers From Jack's | AD

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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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The Rainbow Blots Review

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Disclosure - We received a copy of The Rainbow Blots for the purpose of this post. Any thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. This post contains affiliate links.

Red and yellow and pink and green, orange and purple and blue. This is part of the rainbow song that we all know. We think this song teaches us the colours of the rainbow when in fact they are not the correct colours at all. The Rainbow Blots is a beautiful children's book that not only teaches us the correct colours but in the correct order too. 

The story begins when Mummy Rainbow lowers down her blots to the ground and encourages them to go and have fun. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet explore the world and along the way they tell us about each other and what the love. Red Blot loves to play with red things. He tells us four of his favourites including a rose, strawberries, cherries and his red car.

Not only does the book encourage us to learn the colours of the rainbow it is also a lovely introduction to colours for younger ones. The bright, bold illustrations are eye catching and lots of fun too.

The author of The Rainbow Blots Carlie Wright has composed a nursery rhyme which is accompanied by 2D animations of the characters from the book. It really does help bring the story to life. 

The Rainbow Blots is a beautiful story with fun illustrations and will make the perfect story book for little ones.

Unfortunately our giveaway is now closed however you can purchase The Rainbow Blots on Amazon.

Michelle

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6 in 1 Solar Recycler Review

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Disclosure - We were sent a 6 in 1 Solar Recycler for the purpose of this post. Any thoughts, opinions or photographs are our own. 

To celebrate British Science Week I have teamed up with Wicked Uncle to give away a 6 in 1 Solar Recycler kit. The 6 in 1 Solar Recycler kit is an eco-friendly kit which allows you to build six moving models using household recyclable items.

Powered by natural sunlight, the models are easy to make up and build using old recycled items with the various kit parts, including a solar panel, motor and instructions. Have fun recycling a drinking can to create an impressive walking robot with googly eyes or make a twin-can street roller. Reuse empty water bottles to build a bottle yacht, drumming robot and flying bird or recycle those old CDs to make the cool-looking CD racer. A great beginners' introduction to solar power technology, whilst having fun stretching the imagination and inventing your own creations. All powered up by simply sitting on the window-sill, a truly brilliant kit.

Unfortunately our giveaway is now closed.

Win 6 in 1 Solar Recycler

Michelle

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