The children and I were invited to The Marks and Spencer beach clean up last week. We were very grateful that the weather was not only dry but fairly warm. I decided to take the twins out of pre-school for the morning and persuade my [...]]]> Hello – welcome to Family Frolics

The children and I were invited to The Marks and Spencer beach clean up last week. We were very grateful that the weather was not only dry but fairly warm. I decided to take the twins out of pre-school for the morning and persuade my mother in law to come with us to help me as I thought it would have a beneficial message to the children, as we use the beach a lot.

Protecting our Marine life

The day was not quite what we expected and in fact was not wholly suitable for toddlers, however we tried to make the best of the situation.

BB (Big Brother) was given a litter picker which he felt was his fabulous new toy and we had a bin bag and he really quite enjoyed trying to find litter, pick it up and put it in the bin bag. The twins started off well but as they did not have their own litter pickers the novelty wore off fairly quickly.

Loving the litter picker!

We talked about how litter is very bad on a beach, as not only can it be smelly and look horrible, but it can be very dangerous to animals, especially if they eat it. BB seemed to really grasp this concept well. I was also able to reinforce this at home by using the ‘School of fish‘ website which has some fun games and great resources on there including an A-Z of sea creatures.

Granny assisting the search!

A BBQ was provided but 2 hours of beach cleaning for 2 year olds was too much, and the wind was too strong on the seafront and whipping sand in their faces. You know how hard it can get with hungry, whiney toddlers and so we had to call it a day early.

Exhausted kiddies!

I do however feel that BB particularly did get an idea that it is helpful to look after the beach and despite the session not really being as equipped for children as it should have been,  but strongly feel that the campaign and the cause was good. The Marine conservation Society do an awesome job at protecting our beaches and marine life and introducing our children to the idea of keeping a world healthy can only be a good thing.

So what have you been up to this last week?

Please link up to Family Frolics below – love seeing your posts!

Just to add – I am over the moon that my blog has made it through to the final shortlists of  two National Awards so I need to ask you to vote for me please!

The MAD blog Awards, 

I am delighted to be shortlisted in:

Best MAD Family Fun Blog

Just click the link here to vote !

and also…

Blogger of the year by Loved by parents

I am found in the Special awards Category as Kerry Farrow

Please click the link here to vote

Thanks you and Much appreciated

Completely cloud nine, la la land.

The reason being is that I have now found out I have made it as a finalist in the ‘Blogger of the Year’ category in the Loved by Parents awards.

I made it to the finals last year and was pipped to the post [...]]]> I am on cloud nine!

Completely cloud nine, la la land.

The reason being is that I have now found out I have made it as a finalist in the ‘Blogger of the Year’ category in the Loved by Parents awards.

I made it to the finals last year and was pipped to the post by another great blogger, plus I was a young blogger then at only a few months old so I really hope this could be my year.

This has come only days after finding out I have made it to the finals of Family Fun category on the MAD blog awards and so I am completely astounded, bemused but feeling very proud of myself.

I am so passionate about my blog and adore writing it. It has become more than a hobby to me, is part of my life to record the fun and madness that I have with my little family and has led to business opportunities with the  set up of Science Sparks. It has been a whirlwind year.

I would love to say I am not worried about the winning, but actually I really would love to win.

So, I know it is another thing to vote for but if you do enjoy my posts and love my blogging company please and feel I am deserving of this award then please, pretty please *with golden sprinkles* give a little vote to Kerry Farrow (that’s me!)

You can find me under the special awards in the blogging category.

You will make my day, week and year!

I don’t know about anybody else but you can feel like you have done a [...]]]> Mornings commence early now I am a parent. No longer do I get the luxury of lie-ins, but a 6.20am wake up call of two crazy toddlers clambering on the bed, to tell Mummy and Daddy it is wake-up time.

I don’t know about anybody else but you can feel like you have done a days work by only half past nine!

So we like to make the most of our mornings and the other weekend after staying over at the in-laws, we came home early morning via a wood with the most stunning bluebells.

It was picturesque.

Unfortunately the kiddies didn’t quite appreciate it as much as I hoped and were not their usual selves. I came home to find that both the twins had temperatures of 39 degrees so not surprisingly they were feeling rotten.

We then found out that it a private wood (it was not signposted) and were sent away as naughty trespassers, but not before I had caught this!

The day was inspiring, friend enhancing, educational, exhausting and very pink!

Loving the pinkness!

It was fabulous to meet up with blogging friends I have [...]]]> Cybher, a blogging conference organised by women (or actually one incredible woman Sian) for women, from all blogging backgrounds – parenting, beauty, fashion and photography to name a few.

The day was inspiring, friend enhancing, educational, exhausting and very pink!

Loving the pinkness!

It was fabulous to meet up with blogging friends I have known a while including my fabulous science sparks partner Emma, along with meeting brand new lovely bloggers that I have been dying to put faces to names. It was great to chat, share ideas, listen to some amazing speakers (although it was damn hard to choose which session to attend as the choices were so great).

My Cybher Schedule

8.3o ish – The day commenced with a coffee meet up at Cafe Nero before the day started and we were all looking very well presented and ready for the day!

Friendly faces!

9.00 am ish – Register and get given the most awesome leather satchel! Was not expecting this!

Gorgeous!

10.00am ish – Sian opens the conference!

The day begins!

12.oopm ish – Attend brilliant imagery session run by Jo from Dextrous Diva, who sadly could not attend due to her long-suffering endo  but she amazing did it all online, whilst tweeting!

1pm ish – Lunch and a Desperate Housewives photo shoot!

Ha ha ha!

2.00pm ish Attended an awesome WordPress session run by Julie Hall when I got such a brilliant collection of plugins to add. I will be looking forward to seeing f I notice any improvements.

3.00pm Attended a question and answer session with some inspiring blogs – key message was blog for yourself.

Quote of the day was by Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter who said

‘It is nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice!” 

4.00pm ish Hot chocolate stop with my girls to refuel!

4.30 ish Clare gets lucky and get 30 seconds in the money booth!

Catch it Clare!

5.00 ish Closing

6.00pm ish to ???????

Well my last photo was this! Looking good Mothers always right and Northern Mum!

On finest form!

MAD Blog finalist for Family Fun! Please vote!

This week the whole family was invited to a garden party to raise money for the local theatre and a traditional Punch and Judy show was put on for entertainment for the children.

Judy is off to get the baby!

Although the weather was it’s [...]]]> Welcome back to Family Frolics!

This week the whole family was invited to a garden party to raise money for the local theatre and a traditional Punch and Judy show was put on for entertainment for the children.

Judy is off to get the baby!

Although the weather was it’s typical miserable self, it did stay dry and gave the kids the chance and sit and enjoy the performance. I was not sure what mine three would make of it all and whether the twins would have the staying power to watch it all, but they were engrossed.

Totally mesmerised!

BBand Little Madam particularly found it laugh out loud-able and adored Punch, the baby and the crocodile!

It is funny when you see so much said about violence in films, TV and computers games, that whacking someone over the head with a stick is OK, but actually it really was, and at the end, all the kids were shown that it was a special slap stick, and told that it is not kind to hit someone to cause pain.

All enjoying! Notice I am the only adult sitting down with the kids!

I have actually never seen a Punch and Judy before and it was lovely to watch a bit of treasure heritage. It did give you that summer seaside feel even if the sun was missing!

The man who did the show, makes the puppets and is very skilled.

I found it amazing to discover that my Father in Law still had his Punch, Policeman and crocodile puppets from when he was a boy.

The stealing of the sausages was a winner every time, and when you scanned the garden, not an adult was short of a smile!

Now ‘That’s the way to do it!‘

They it was a monster but it was a devil - I wasn't going to explain that just yet!

So what have you been up to this week!

Please come and share your posts and just add either a link back to me or my badge from the side bar.

Looking forward to reading your stories and activities.

P.S I am a finalist in the MAD Blog awards in the category of Family Fun! I am so thrilled. However it is based on votes, so if you like what I do would you please spare me a vote?!

When Smallprint asked if I would review their Magic inkless print kits, the opportunity to record another milestone was too much to resist. There is something so gorgeous about little feet and hands.

The kit itself [...]]]> I have mentioned before what a memory hoarder I am and have made scrapbooks for each of the children.

When Smallprint asked if I would review their Magic inkless print kits, the opportunity to record another milestone was too much to resist. There is something so gorgeous about little feet and hands.

The kit itself is an A5 size wallet, and inside you find the instructions, 2 inkless wipes, 4 pieces of ‘magic’ paper and an order form for any other bits you might like to transform the prints into.

The instructions are very easy to follow (as long as you read them properly, unlike me, who had the paper back to front to begin with – only I could do this!). You simply wipe the dry towel over the foot or hand which doesn’t even look like anything is on there, and then you press it onto the paper. Due to the inkless wipe being so safe, it can even be use on newborns, so you can get that instant baby print memory.

Once you have taken your print you can either frame them like I did,  scrap-book them, scan them to make cards or you can use Smallsprint’s further service of having them made into a silver keepsake like a keyring, cufflinks or a necklace. What a gorgeous present that would be, especially with Father’s Day creeping up or for an expectant Mummy.

Frame them!

The kits themselves are very reasonable priced at £9.99 and can be purchased from Amazon. I will definitely be considering this as a gift for pregnant friends in the future, as you can only have so many baby grows can’t you? I think for the younger babies they are great as you have not got to worry about paint, or smudges, or ink being left anywhere, or you newborn baby being left with a permanent blue or red foot!

I was very impressed with how quickly the print appeared and how clear it was as you can see all the lines, creases and fingerprint detail.

So I am pleased to be able to offer one lucky reader a Magic Inkless Print kit of their own, in this fab competition.

All you have to do is follow the instruction below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have also just found out I am a blog finalist for the MAD Blog family fun awards! Please do spare us a vote! So excited but very nervous! x

Do check out my competitions page for other comps running!

People tend to go one of two ways when they talk to you about having twins or more I find. They  are [...]]]> Hello and welcome to the Multiple Mayhem Carnival for May. I have some wonderful posts to tell you about, from some fabulous bloggers of Multiples. All of which I can relate to!

People tend to go one of two ways when they talk to you about having twins or more I find. They  are either are in complete awe and feel we deserve medals and awards (which I find very embarrassing) as they can’t understand how we cope with more than one at the same time. What they fail to realise is we really don’t know any different and what else can we do – we have to cope! So many people say they can’t do labour and yet, when the time comes nature takes over and look at what you achieve at the end. I think all parents deserve medals!

Then you get those that go the other extreme and pretend to know exactly what it is like because they have had two 15 months apart or less! The twins and BBwere 15 months apart and I am sorry it is not the same. Not one bit. It is  not necessarily harder, because each baby is so different, and if you have twins and two sleepers and a singleton and a screamer, then I know which I would choose, but having multiples is just very different and you can’t compare it to siblings close together.

I, however, love having twins. I feel very blessed. However as all parents do, we have our testing moments. Mine was put to the test last, when I had a ridiculous brain wave of an idea of walking my toddling twins to pre-school without reins and with props. What was I thinking?

Whiskey for aftershave is a blog written by a stay at home Dad of  Non identical girl/boy toddling twins and he writes about flying solo! It made me laugh out loud, as he could have been writing a day in my life! Clearly twins have many similarities and he demonstrates how twins raising does have some obstacles to overcome!

Michelle from Mummy from the Heart talks about how her two non identical twins girls are complete chalk and cheese! Having non identical twins myself I can relate to this but it does still amaze me that after  sharing a uterus their personalities can be so different!

 Tales of  Twin Mum talks about the difficulties of separating twins even just when one is ill and the other isn’t! Mine have never been apart from each other for more than an hour and that was hard enough. Maybe we should start practicing.

Debbie from Johnson Babies and has gorgeous identical twin boys. She has dedicated her post to talking about the Best bits of ‘getting’ twins. It was a joy to read and really made me smile. We can get so caught up in how hard twins can be sometimes we forget the blessing that it is and the great bits that come with it! A good read to remember how great we really have it.

Heather from Young and Younger links into the brilliance of having twins theme by providing us with Twins Peaks Post that reveals the in-depth and very funny conversation between her two twins Ez and Fonz when trying to goto sleep!

They say with twins it is twice the joy and twice the fun, but Fiona from CoombeMill shows that with triplets this in fact thrice the joy, thrice the fun as she show us the brilliant birthday party she laid on for her three boys! You should check out the cool cake!

Finally Trouble Doubled writes a very interesting post about twins statistics in a search to find out if twins are more prone to accidents or not. If mine are anything to go by then yes, because they can plot together and cause more trouble!

Hope you have enjoyed the Carnival. The next one is being held in July and will be hosted by Heather from Young and Younger!