Mummy From The Heart...

Call for posts - BritMums Imperfect Parenting Carnival

2013-06-19T07:30:00.000+01:00

Roll up, roll up - for the third year running the Brit Mums Imperfect Parenting carnival will be back at Mummy from the Heart on 2nd July.

For the last two years I have hosted a carnival for Brit Mums based around the theme of Imperfect Parenting. This is fun carnival all about celebrating being a parent but being a completely imperfect one. Any of us with children know that raising them is hard work and we fluff up sometimes, well this is a safe place to share those imperfect moments.

The carnival will comprise of serious posts, just plain funny ones, touching ones and those that wrench your heart too - I fully expect there to be the full spectrum included. If you have written a post and think it fits the theme of Imperfect Parenting then send me a link to michelledpannell (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll include it in the carnival - there won't be any filtering, everyone will get a mention.

Or if this post prompts you to write and publish a post prior to the carnival, please put in a mention for the carnival, link to this post and then others can find out about it and hopefully join in as well. The more the merrier!

Need some inspiration, check out -

The 2011 carnival

And the 2012 carnival too

Here are just a few of my recent parenting moments which are far from perfect!

Getting a tattoo....

Getting up close with dangerous animals....

Eating junk food....

Gambling....

I look forward to you joining in. Please send me the link for any posts by Friday 28th June.

Thanks a lot, Mich x

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Blogging for Good session at BritMums Live

2013-06-18T07:30:00.000+01:00

This coming Saturday I'll be really pleased to join a group of fabulous women to sit on a panel at the BritMums Live conference.

Our session is titled 'Blogging for Good: how to blog better working with charities'. From my understanding, our session will be informative but very open and friendly, do please come with any burning questions you have. If you are dying to start working with a specific charity then ask us how we got started, if you want to be able to rally others then we can give you some insight on that, if you would like help making the decision about which charity to work with then we can let you know how we went through that thought process too. No question is too big or too small - we will aim to tackle them all, as long as they are charity/ cause related.

There is a good mix of panelists, we all come from different experience and walks of life -

First off, you have me and if you are a reader here, you will know I'm a pretty average Mum and I feel compelled to do my bit and fight for a better world because of my Christian faith and fundamental belief that we all should be equal.

Then you have Ruth from Dorky Mum and she is a lady I have a whole lot of respect for. She knows her mind and knows what she stands for and many a time she has helped me question my own values and thought processes to come to well-informed decisions about working with charities and who to support. Ruth started out as a student activist and then her early employment was as a full-time environmental campaigner and she volunteers for a whole host of charities and good causes.

Next is Jennifer James of Mom Bloggers Club and Mom Bloggers for Social Good and I'm very excited to get to meet Jennifer. I'm sure I'll go all shy and forget how to speak. She is one of those awesome women that are making a difference every day and pulling together thousands of other Moms and Mums to stand together and use their unified voice to fight for social good. She is a big hit in the US blogging scene, it will be good to hear what they are doing differently over the pond.

Last up is Rosie Childs, Digital Media Manager at Save the Children and I have to say of all the charities I have worked with STC know exactly how to engage and work with bloggers. They are the first charity who set me on fire and I was proud to help promote the #Healthworkers campaign with a very successful meme that @helloitsgemma and I hosted.

I won't give away any spoilers, if you want to know what we will talk about then you need to come along to the conference on Saturday at 3pm to BritMums 1 and if you can't be there I'll share the session afterwards on this blog.

I'll leave you with a hang-out I recently did with BritMums where they asked me some questions about what it is like to travel as a blogger for a charity and cause.

I hope to see you at BritMums Live at the weekend, I'm also one of the butterflies so you will find me slitting all over the place and there should be a big smile plastered on my face!

Mich x

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How will your child say thank you to their teacher?

2013-06-17T20:00:00.000+01:00

End of term is fast-approaching us and whilst I really value the contribution that my children's teachers make during the year, I hate the social pressure at the end of term to feel like you should break the bank buying numerous gifts for teachers and classroom assistants.

Wine, chocolates and smellies must all come in abundance for teachers and it must be hard for them to know what to do with them all (except re-gift them, I'm so naughty!). At Christmas I made fudge for the teachers and hand wrapped them and that seemed to be really appreciated. Sadly I'm not one of those domestic goodness Mums and thus I won't be able to present them with fruit jams and chutneys now the summer is practically here.

This has been a really good year for all three of my children, they have all loved their teachers and come on leaps and bounds with their progress. JJ is growing in maturity and has finally learnt to allow others a chance to answer questions in class, Miss M is such a smart little cookie and I can't believe her reading skills and Miss E is making significant progress in learning, she had a shaky start and still finds it all very difficult but she is getting there.

We are moving away soon though so the kids have bought some small gifts (yes very predictable, smellies and chocolates) and will also be decorating some art-work and making cards, so the teachers receive something a bit personal.

A nice idea for a teacher gift that we could all be in with a chance of winning is a year's supply of Whittards tea. Can you imagine the happy chatter in the staff room as they all enjoy in the winnings and entering to win this great prize for your favoured teacher is really simple too.

If you have a primary school aged child 11 and under they can nominate their teacher to win a year's supply of assorted Whittard teabags. All they have to do is download the entry form (that is a clickable link to download it), draw a picture of their teacher, add one sentence about them and then it can be sent as an image (scanned or photographed) to teacher@whittard.co.uk. Every entrant will receive a little Whittard treat!

The closing date for entries is 28th June, the winner will be announced by 30th June and all entries will be displayed on the Whittard Facebook page.

Good luck!

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Fathers Day at Legoland, Windsor

2013-06-17T12:00:00.000+01:00

Legoland is not perhaps your first though of somewhere to take your husband for Fathers Day but I'm really pleased to say that my husband had a fab day today. Life is so different once you have kids, there is a lot of enjoyment in seeing them have a great time.

And thanks to the Mad Blog Awards we all had a great time today with a whole bunch of other finalists on our #MadDayOut.

If you want to read my review of Legoland Windsor then click that link, check out my recent post about the new Lego Duplo Valley and I'll be writing soon about the new 4D show at the Imagination Theatre - Legends of Chima, it is excellent but for now this is just a post sharing our family time for Fathers Day 2013.

I really needed this chilled day to forget about the stress of moving house. I'm praying for good news tomorrow.......

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Does your employer offer you a good benefits package?

2013-06-16T20:00:00.000+01:00

I've had a bit of an awakening this week as I read a recent report commissioned by income protection provider Unum called 'Keeping Pace? Financial insecurity in the modern workforce'. I've said before that I enjoy my work and I know I'm lucky to be with a public sector employer as this means I have good stability in my job but what I realised I have taken for granted are all the great employer benefits offered to me.

When Mumsnet confirmed they would like me to write a post about my employer provided benefits I spoke to a few blogger friends, mentioning I was excited to write this post. I was startled when one friend, who is employed full-time, commented that she could not apply for this as she did not get any benefits in her job. Then another mentioned that being self-employed she had very limited benefits offered to her. Of course, not everyone is as lucky as me in their employment, I forgot this.

These comments from just a couple of my friends certainly match the findings in the Unum report that there is a significant gap between what a modern day workforce requires and what is provided by many companies. The demographics of workers has changed in the last thirty years and now we have more female, part-time, non-British and disabled employees working in the UK. The disparity of the benefits offered and what the modern employee requires can be vast. The report found that today fewer employers offer generous pension schemes and occupational sick pay. Again I can count myself fortunate as I benefit from both of these, I have a final salary pension scheme and a generous provision for sickness.

For the last nine years I have worked within Human Resources (HR) at a large, modern University and this means that I have a full suite of benefits available to me, so many that if I was to just try to reel them off the top of my head to you now I would forget at least half as there are so many. Now I don't know if some of my positive attitude comes from the fact that I work in HR and therefore I know about the benefits and also I am willing to recognise all relevant offers as benefits. I suppose it might be easy for staff in other areas to dismiss benefits such as flexitime in regards to working hours, wellbeing events and free book loans as they are non-financial.

Working in HR I have had input into ensuring that staff know about the benefits on offer to them and we have developed a one hour welcome meeting with HR for all new staff within their first week of employment. At this they are introduced to our intranet site and shown where all the benefits are detailed, this ensures they have that knowledge of what they can access from a very early stage in their career. At about the three month point all staff attend a central induction event and one of the sessions is around the employment experience. This is an interactive session where staff talk about the benefits they are aware of and share ideas between the fifty attendees. The facilitators then draw their attention to benefits they might not be aware of, both those with a financial implication such as discounted bus fares, meals and childcare vouchers and those without, like the on site multi-faith centre and flexible working arrangements.

The University realise that they need to do more to help long-term staff recognise the full suite of benefits available to them and currently there are talks about how this awareness can be raised.

Personally I believe that my current benefits are very generous, I receive good holiday provision, additional pay on University closure days, final salary pension scheme, childcare vouchers, Christmas bonus vouchers, flexi-time, flexible working arrangements, discounted bus travel, discounted catering provision, free book loans, cycle to work scheme, discounted gym membership, discounted access to arts and cultural events, wellbeing events, counselling service, access to free legal helplines, reduced-cost on-site nursery, opt-in health care and generous occupational sick and maternity pay. As well as fabulous access to central support departments such as occupational health, disability services, health and safety and the equality office.

It is not just in writing that these benefits looks good, in the nine years I have been with my employer I have been on maternity leave, taken parental leave, worked from home and used the flexible working arrangements to change my working pattern on at least three different occasions. I have also had a six week period off sick and gone back to work on a staged basis. They paid for me to Undertake my Ma in Human Resources and gave me time to undertake this. The only thing that they do not seem to offer that Unum have recommended employers should consider is income protection, this would mean if I could not attend work due to critical illness or such I would continue to be paid and could have my mind at ease about continuing with my caring responsibilities.

To be honest I have never heard of an employer offering this, none of mine have that I'm aware of and at one point I worked for Pepsi. My husband tells me that his current employer offers this income protection insurance though so it is obviously becoming more common. You don't have to tell me that I am lucky to be employed by my University, I fully realise this.

Do you know what your employer is offering you? Unum would like to encourage all Mumsnetters in employment to #askHR about what employer provided benefits they are currently entitled to, and to report back on whether their current employer provided benefits package is fit for purpose.

For more information about Unum and its work with Mumsnet, visit http://www.mumsnet.com/microsites/unum-income-protection and you can Tweet Unum.

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Enjoy the silence

2013-06-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

Dh came home from work Saturday and sat down to watch some TV to unwind and he was bang out of luck. The Virgin Media box seems to have given up and they can't come until Tuesday to fix it, well we are both busy Tuesday so Wednesday it is and you know what I have loved it without the TV.

So often it gets put on as background noise and the kids will be playing, colouring etc and then they get distracted by the TV and you know how it is sometimes, you can hardly get an answer from them as they are glued to some silly program like iCarly or Jessie.

These few days without the TV have seen our kids play together more, play outside more and get the Lego out to build a city together - hoorah!

JJ is slightly concerned that these days of abstinence have put ideas into Mummy and Daddy's head and yes they have. We won't have cable TV at our new house and we will probably have some very firm rules about how much it can be on.

Dh and I were talking tonight about when we were kids and there was only a few hours in a week when they showed programs we wanted to watch and you looked forward to those times.

This is the way forward for our new life in the country.

Living instead of watching!

Tell me how you mange the TV in your house, do you have rules? time limits? set boundaries? I'm interested to find out more....

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My Dad is a superhero, is yours?

2013-06-14T07:30:00.000+01:00

I know I am really fortunate to have a great Dad, we have always had a good relationship and I feel I can talk to him about whatever I need to. He is my superhero and he is the guy I know I can go to with any problem and he will help me deal with it. He is a funny guy, as he appears to get het up with the smallest of things and he really worries for those he loves and likes them to stay nice and safe, taking no risks at all. However take something really big and important to him and he is that rock that we all need to help us sort problems and make decisions.

With Fathers Day fast approaching us Fragrance Direct have done a survey and asked the British public if their Dad was a superhero who he might be. I suspect if had to I pigeon hole my Dad I would name him as superman, as he always swoops in to save the day. I'm not alone as 26% of people surveyed said their dad was most like superman, obvious really I suppose. We see all those fathers day card with big superdad logos on the front and I know I have certainly over the years probably addressed my cards to super dad!

I was out with JJ yesterday afternoon and our conversation went something like this -

Me - 'Is Daddy a superhero?'

JJ - giggles at me and then said 'no Mum' with quite a straight face.

Me - 'Is Daddy a good dad?'

JJ - with an exasperated look this time 'yes Mum, he is the best'

Me - 'well then, surely he must be like one of the superheros?'

JJ - after a long pause and some thought. 'He is the Hulk Mum'

I burst out laughing at this and said 'surely the Hulk is not a superhero, all he does is burst out of his clothes and be massive'

JJ - 'yes, exactly Mum!'

Hmm, lets just hope my husband does not read this! I can assure you he has far more super qualities than his sheer size.

JJ and his 'Hulk' of a Dad

The Fragrance Direct research also found that some respondents gave some equally funny answers and examples are Thor ('because he is brilliant with a hammer'), Spider-man ('because he drives people up the wall') and Danger Mouse ('he has big ears and long whiskers'). JJ's Hulk answer does not seem quite so bad now!

Batman came a close second to Superman in the responses (with 6%) and that surprised me a little as there has been far more publicity and films about Batman in the last ten years than there has been Superman. I asked JJ (who is nearly 10) what he knew about Superman and he could tell me that he flies around, saves a woman and has a strange S on his chest - the legend lives on! Which will please my husband as he is a superman fan and I'm sure we will be off to see the new movie in the summer. Far better than the Hulk, I'm positive.

So how about your Dad, is he a superhero? Personally I think it is a great way to think of our own Dads, it surely speaks heaps about the relationship, if you can feel like that about them.

Thanks to Fragrance Direct for providing me with the results of their survey and congratulations to the three lucky respondents who won fragrance from the Marc Jacobs range.

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Reasons to be Cheerful Vlog - week 24, year 3 #R2BC

2013-06-13T07:30:00.000+01:00

Hello all, happy Thursday, I hope the week is going really well for you.

You can catch me on film this week -

Blogger of the Week

It is the turn of Glenda this week. She is another blogger who started to join in with Reasons to be Cheerful back in 2011 when it first started.

I first chatted to Glenda as she approached me to review some of the kids cutlery that her company sells (it is really great I have to say, it still looks like new even now) and then she started to blog about all the food related and family things that were making her cheerful. I like seeing Glenda linked up for #R2BC as I know her posts will always give me something just a little different.

Over to you.....
Tell us all what is making you cheerful this week? Link up your post, add in the blog hop code and go and visit some other bloggers and share the love. Comments cost nothing but make people smile.

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I can do all things...

2013-06-11T08:00:00.000+01:00

It is a busy time for me at the moment, what with relocating, the children moving schools, dh and I both finishing our jobs, dh starting a new one, I'm starting a business and the normal day-to-day managing the lives of a family of five. Today I have been off work but I had a bit of mental to-do list, it got to about 4.30pm and I was sat in John Lewis enjoying tea and cake and many, many things were ticked off that list. I feel good but I don't feel smug. I know that every time something goes right in my life I need to give thanks and praise to the Lord, for He is good. It is Him who gives me the strength, skills and aptitude to get though all the little things that life throws at us.

Yesterday I have managed to make the beds, empty and load the dishwasher, put a wash on and make a lasagne before I took the kids to school at 8.30am. Once back I made a couple of movies for Fathers Day as gifts for dh and my Dad. Then it was an hour conference call with my new client that I am excited to start work with in July (more to be revealed soon). After that some general blog maintenance, emails and whooping for joy on Facebook, followed by lunch and a couple of phone calls. Work emails came next and then packing up my bedroom ready for the big movie. Ten boxes later and it was time to head out. Oh and don't forget I sorted out the dry washing and put it away before popping another load on before I left the house.

My trip out included a charity shop drop, collection from the sorting office, sending my Dads fathers day gift, going to B&Q for an ariel, getting petrol and going through the car wash. Then heading to town to get some money out, go to the jewellers, buy some teacher leaving presents, meet dh off the train and enjoy tea and cake in John Lewis (while doing a spot of blogging (this post).

When we got home there was tea to cook, serve up and clear away, the kids to shower and read with, certificates to be made for the work away-day I'm helping to run and a choice of 4 or 5 other tasks from the list.

As I type this Monday afternoon - I feel really good, I am enjoying this hour to myself and a time to blog and enjoy. I really can recommend John Lewis chocolate victoria sponge cake - divine! But then at £3.50 a slice, you expect it to be... but this was my 'me time' for the day so I'll enjoy it and not be distracted and moan about the cost.

What I come back to at the end of each day is this -

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

To God be the glory.

This morning Liska tweeted me and said she was starting a new Tuesday linky called 'T'you'sDay' and it is all about us parents carving out some 'me time'. I tweeted her back and said I'd join in once I moved as I did not expect to get much 'me time' before that but then today sitting here in John Lewis I was reflecting that I have had a lot of 'me time' today. The things I had to do were mainly things I wanted to do and were about me and my family. I did not begrudge doing any of them. Then the last hour sitting and blogging and then being joined by my husband was just perfect.

For me all I had to do was change my perspective and I had carved out some me time!

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Review: Entertainment and Activities at Butlins, Bognor Regis

2013-06-10T13:05:00.000+01:00

You might have seen that we took a recent 4 night, 5 day break to Butlins in Bognor Regis, you can check out my review of the Wave hotel. I thought I should probably share our opinions on the onsite entertainment and activities on the resort too.

First off I made a short video to share some pictures and video clips of some of the great shows and activities available -

Splash Waterworld -
We have been to all 3 Butlins and every one of them has a great Splash area with lazy river, wave area, kids slides, water canons, bubble pools, flumes and raft rides. I'll be honest, they are play pools far more then serious swimming but then play is what family holidays are about. The changing rooms are mixed sex and massive and there are enough lockers, even when it is chocca busy. You can also get involved in extra activities for a cost of £5 a session for aqua gliders, aqua walkers and even swim lessons. Bognor is probably the smallest waterworld but has our favourite slides.

Soft play -
I think Bognor Regis has the best soft play of all the Butlins, my kids had a great time on it, luckily JJ was just 1/2 cm within height to be able to use it. There are separate areas for the smaller and bigger kids and where it is in the main Skyline parents can grab a seat anywhere close they fancy, directly outside are benches or now mine are that bit older I was able to enjoy a coffee in the cafe nearby.

Bobs Yard -
At Bognor Regis there are four small fairground type rides that the little ones love. From about 1 - 7 years they are still a hit. We never waited longer than 5-10 minutes for any of them. There is also the popular puppet theatre.

Sports sessions -
There are tons of different sporting sessions available, some for specific age groups and others for all the family to enjoy together. JJ joined his 9-12 years Club Red group to do archery and absolutely had a ball. There is also football, beach volleyball, fencing, cricket etc

Children's Clubs -
As I mentioned JJ joined the Club Red on a few occasions, once to just chill with computer games and chat to new friends, another time he went geo caching and apparently this was EPIC and then again to do archery. There were also various sessions that he did not take part in as we were busy or he did not fancy the craft or dancing, but the good thing is you can dip in and out.

The girls joined the 5-8 year old group and did a few 'get busy' sessions, at this age the parent needs to stay with them and I would recommend you get there early as there is no booking in advance but there is lots of fun and good craft activities.

Crazy Golf -
JJ and his Nanny really enjoyed the crazy golf and at £2.50 per person it does not break the bank. However, you could easily go through the week without having to do any of the extra paid activities to be honest. Nanny said she found the course a bit hard as there were too many obstacles but JJ loved it.

Adventure play park & Billy's play garden
Outside the onsite family pub is the wooden adventure play park, this is great when the sun is shining and all the kids can run off some energy. There is also a nice safe, enclosed park for under 5's next to the Shoreline hotel.

Live Shows -
There are more live shows than you can possibly watch in a week, some you just turn up for, others require booking (but have no cost). The video above will have shown you a clip of a few but my favourite was the Story book Panto. The girls loved Thomas Sodor Celebration and the Skyline gang and JJ was sad to have missed the superslam wrestling. The quality of the shows is really high but do expect things to be busy, you need to get to the Skyline or Centre Stage early if you want to get prime seats. We never bothered with that and nearly always turned up 5 minutes before start time, we were able to get chairs but not near the front.

Fairground -
The Bognor Regis fairground has been fully refurbished for this year, I wrote about this a couple of months ago and you can see some fabulous snaps in the video clip above. On busy days do expect to wait 5-15 minutes to get on a ride and make sure you check height and age restrictions. JJ was upset to find he could ride the dodgems alone in Minehead in April this year but needed to be 13 years old for Bognor, most strange.

The resort -
In all we loved our holiday at Butlins, the resort is really green, clean and tidy and there is so much to do. Too much in fact and I find you have to be quite strict with yourself to make sure you plan in some down time and just relax. As our kids get older and can go off alone for periods of time Butlins will be even better as it is a super safe environment to allow them their first small tastes of freedom.

Our kids took their scooters (and so did a few others) and they had a lot of fun going round the park and getting rid of their excess energy!

Out and about -
We also enjoyed taking a walk off resort and discovered the wonderful Hotham Park (literally just across the road). The kids met lots of new friends there and enjoyed the play park, adventure park, boating lake, model railway and pitch and put golf.

The land-train which runs up the seafront is also nice for the smaller ones and we visited the traditional arcade at the pier, as well as taking a casual stroll into Bognor Regis town to look round the charity shops.

On this holiday we made the decisions not to drive out anywhere and explore and this was an easy choice for us as we know the area well. If you come to visit and fancy heading out then head to Chichester for some great shopping, Littlehampton for a nice sandy beach, Worthing for traditional seaside fun, Arundel for a beautiful castle and generally explore the beauty of the South Downs.

In conclusion -
We had a superb week at Butlins and I'd like to say a heartfelt thank-you for choosing me to be an ambassador this year. I genuinely have nothing to go home and grumble about (well expect maybe being a bit tried as we packed so much in our week!).

I'll leave you with my kids, filmed on the last night. This is what they had to say about their stay -

Disclosure: I am a Butlins Ambassador this year and as such we were provided with a 4 night break for 6 people for the purpose of undertaking this review. I have not been told what to write and I remain honest.

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Girls picnic at the park #CountryKids

2013-06-08T16:41:00.000+01:00

I love Saturdays, they are probably my favourite day of the week nowadays. There used to be a time when I dreaded Saturdays as dh would be at work and there was no routine. Three young kids would leave me with a 12 hour stretch that I had no idea how to fill, if I dared to lie in for even a moment havoc and mischief would reign so it was just not worth it and I got up when they did at 6am or such and the long day loomed ahead. Then they started to grow up and they were happy to just chill for a while and they learnt how to amuse themselves and now we can go out and I do not have to hover over them as they play any longer as they all now know the rules and the boundaries.

I like having bigger kids and it suits me to have really chilled Saturdays. Today JJ went to work with Daddy and that meant it was girls day, the girls love having just a day with me and I asked them what they fancied doing. I had already decided I would wake and then read in bed for a bit, not going downstairs before 9am but I was happy to be flexible during the day and do something they fancied. It was agreed that they wanted to take their scooters to the park and have a picnic.

I'm still not feeling 100% from my cold so I agreed but said we would pick the picnic up from Morrison's on the way and that I'd sit and have a read and watch them play rather than being in the thick of it. We had a fabulous time and as per always I did not actually do much reading, as I ended up the chief swing pusher and I had to keep watch of Miss M as a man pushing the big swing was giving me heart attacks. Take a peek -

I'm linking this post up with Fiona at Coombe Mill for her #CountryKids linky. There are always some gorgeous posts linked up, so go take a peek.

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Pampers 'Great Mornings' Competition

2013-06-07T14:15:00.001+01:00

Have you heard that Pampers are celebrating ‘great mornings’ and asking mums to share pictures and their sleep tips? But they are not asking you to do it for nothing, oh no, you will be in with the chance to win a professional photoshoot and to appear in Mother & Baby magazine! What a fabulous memento for your family to keep and enjoy.

I have such treasured memories of being a Mummy to one. Before my girls were born and JJ was just a couple of years old I was woken each morning by my gorgeous boy standing inside his room, holding onto the stair-gate that kept him in there and he would shout 'Mummy, my had a nice sleep'. It was not something I taught him but it is just another example of how children learn what they live. Every morning since he was born I would go in his room and lift him out of his cot and ask him if he had a nice sleep. His shouting each day became his natural response to my parenting and I was just a little sad when he grew out of it.

He was always such a happy little chap -

I'm really glad to say that he has always been a very good sleeper too, I'm not sure if this was because of my skill or if I was just lucky. I certainly did work at it and keep a tight routine though. There are so many things that I believe help a babe or young child to sleep well and just a couple of those are -

A calm relaxing bath before bed each night and then cuddles after drying
An effective black-out blind to ensure your little one knows it is night time.

I love his modesty at such an early age!

If you want to read more tips from me about helping your baby and then also toddler to sleep well, then click those links and check out my previous posts on the subject.

How do you enter this great competition?

Pampers are celebrating successful mornings by inviting you to submit images of the great morning moments you share with your little one, along with your tip for a good night’s sleep.

Simply email a recent photo of you and your baby, and your tip in no more than 50 words to pamperscompetition@hkstrategies.com. Remember to include your address and a contact number.

A selection of the entries will be shared each week on the Pampers Facebook page, and three winners will be selected to have a professional photoshoot and to appear in a Pampers advertorial in Mother & Baby magazine!

The closing date for entries is 9^th July 2013, so you have got a little while to get your thinking cap on and to capture some beautiful moments together.

(Full terms an conditions can be read on the Pampers Facebook page)

Good luck to you, Mich x

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Reasons to be Cheerful - Sun, house moving and easy watch TV - Week 23

2013-06-06T07:30:00.000+01:00

As I write this I feel really washed out, I've got a cold and my throat hurts, it is again one of those tines when I just want to curl up and hide. I was in this same boat a couple of weeks ago and I ponder if my immune system is just a bit low with the busyness of life right now. I don't fall ill much, so twice in a month is a bit much really!

My head is spinning, there is so much to do. I'm really aware that 3 weeks today we are moving 100 miles away and leaving our established life behind. We are about to embark on a new adventure and this is of course a really great thing but getting through these next three weeks may well be very stressful - there is so much to do.

However, today as I walked to school to pick the children up I decided I must focus on the positives and of course there is so much to be grateful for -

The weather has taken a turn for the better and having the sun shining is always a reason for me to feel just that bit better. Putting things out on the line, not having to grab a coat as I go out the door and seeing my cheeks turn just a little rosy are all happy things.
The sale of our house seems to be progressing well, the house survey has been done, all enquiries answered and a draft contract issued. Please Lord let it keep on progressing,
Someone came and picked up the contents of my shed today, don't you just love Freecycle? It makes things so easy!
The packing boxes have arrived, so I can commence with that. I'm not entirely convinced this is a #R2BC but I'll try and convince myself!
I only have 5 days left at work. They will be mega busy days as I delivering training on every one of them, which is not ideal but c'est la vie.
It is only 15 days until BritMums Live and I am really looking forward to that. I'm one of the butterflies, so I'll be there meeting all the new or nervous attendees and then I'm also on one of the panels at 2.10pm on the Saturday.
I'm just about to watch the Apprentice and I love it, call me sad but it is my easy and relaxing watch.
We had an amazing week at Butlins and it was so nice to spend time with my Mum and the kids really valued even their hour with Grandad when he came to collect Nanny.

Join in
But now it is over to you, what is rocking your boat this week? Write a cheery post, join in with the blog hop, grab the code and add it on your blog post and people can hop from blog to blog to blog....

Then go and visit at least 2 or 3 other people in the linky and show some comment love. Pay it forward, you'll feel good for doing it!

Our #R2BC Blogger of the Week

I'm shouting out my bestest bloggy mate this week. Clare at Seasider in the City is one of the nicest bloggers you will ever meet face to face. She is funny, genuine and a joy to be around, she is also probably the blogger who has joined in with the most Reasons to be Cheerful links up in the last 127 weeks that it has been running, for a while she had joined in more than I had but recently she has got a bit slack! I let her off though as she leads a very busy life working full time and I just cannot imagine doing that and having to travel all over the place and be a mum too.

Clare is one of the butterflies with me at BritMums Live and I'll let you in to a bit of a secret (I hope she does not mind me saying) she is far too hard on herself and assumes that other people are more popular. So when you see her at BritMums Live give her a big smile, a hug (she is so not a hugger! lol) and tell her she rocks! I'm sure she'll love me forever for this!

Have a blessed week, Mich xx

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Where I Live ..... well for now!

2013-06-05T12:00:00.000+01:00

A few weeks back the delightful Michelle at The American Resident started up a new weekly linky, called Where I live. I completely meant to get involved a while back but you know what happens...

This week I felt absolutely compelled to join in and I ran around photographing things before I went out for ladies group tonight. Michelle's prompt for this week is 'Indoors' but in her post she shares with us some of the beautiful and meaningful art that she has around her house. I knew as soon as I read her post I wanted to share my art and the things that mean so much to me, especially with my house move coming up in just 3 weeks. It is a real comfort to me to remember all these wonderful memories come with my family and I wherever we go.

You can tell so much about a person by what they display on their walls and if you enter my house you will know that my family are my world. Every wall has photographs on it and most every surface too, we have far more photos than we do classic 'art' pieces. In fact art is pretty thin on the ground in this house but I'm hoping I can change that over the next few months.

Anyway enough waffle - I'll share -

I love this watercolour, not because it is technically brilliant but because it was done by my friend Julie especially as a present for me. I want to drive down that road and see where the bend takes me...

These are very me as they are about my babies - foot and handprints for each of my three kids, the frames are lovely and thick and these cost me a bomb at the time.

I have 4 of these mini pictures in my dining room and they are special to us, as they came from our honeymoon in Barbados and remind dh and I of the wonderful time we had there.

In a similar vein, this mobile came from St Lucia and the other part of our honeymoon. I can watch the way the sun catches it and it casts shadows and rainbows all day long

The whale and dolphin were from Barbados, the chicken from Ethiopia and the elephant from India - all trips that meant the world to dh and I.

This is one of my most treasured pieces of art for sure. It was done by one of my God daughters when she was 5 and it is a picture of my twinnies - Miss M and Miss E

I mentioned photos - this is how the top of the chest of drawers looks in my bedroom, family photos filled with love.

I love my little house and I have been getting very melancholy just recently about leaving it. I'm so pleased Michelle reminded me today that all I am leaving is a bare shell, all the memories and love are going with me.

Fancy sharing what your indoors looks like? Link up with Michelle.

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Micro Scooters - choose the MX Trixx or Speed V2?

2013-06-04T19:30:00.000+01:00

There are so many scooters out there nowadays that it can be a bit hard to know which one to choose. Even when you have whittled it down to choosing from just one brand, like Micro Scooters there are still an abundance of options.

The children were bought their first Mini Micro scooters (thank you Nanny and Grandad) when my girls were just 3 years old and they loved them. Nowadays they can start much younger as they do different seating and handle options to make them suitable for 1 plus years.

Although Micro Scotters are on the costly side of things I soon learned it was a false economy for us to buy any other brand as JJ went through 3 scooters in the time that the girls had their Mini Micros and even when they upgraded to the Maxi Micro scooters last summer their small ones got passed onto a friend and her kids are still using them now. They are built to last and continue to give a great smooth ride.

The girls on their Maxi Micros last month - they go everywhere with us!

About six weeks ago JJ was sent two Micro Scooters to try out as his older one had been stolen. He was over the moon. We wrote up our review of the Micro Scooter Speed V2 a couple of weeks ago and since then JJ has been using the MX trixx white edition scooter and comparing the two, here are his findings -

	Speed V2	MxTrixx
Age range	7 years upwards	5-12 years
Styling (is it cool?)	8/10	10/10
Designed for	Leisure scooting	Tricks and stunts
Comfort of handlebar height	10/10	7/10
Height adjustable handlebars	Yes (height 68cm up to 98cm)	No (total height of scooter – 77cm)
Smoothness of ride	7/10	9/10
Comfort of ride on the feet for long rides	9/10	6/10
Ease of scooter handling bumps in the path	5/10	10/10
Comfort of handgrips	9/10	8/10 (but give more grip)
Brake (effectiveness)	8/10	9/10
360 spin of deck	yes	Yes, quick and smooth
Total weight of scooter	3.75kg	3.8 kg
Footplate/ deck	Wide and comfortable for large feet (JJ is a size 7 & still plenty of room)	More narrow Length 47cm x Width10cm Specifically made for tricks and is drilled to reduce weight, 3% concave, 82.5* angle
Wheels	145mm diameter including Shock Dampening System. Large for a faster ride	5 Star Metal Core 100mm, 87 A Shore PU with ABEC 7 Bearings
Stand	Yes	No
Ease of putting together/ opening for first time	3/10	3/10
Folds for storage/ travel	Yes, easily	No
Price	£99.95	£99.95

JJ came to the conclusion, that for him as a tall 9 year old (he is just shy of 150cm) he likes the Speed V2 scooter best as it is the most comfortable ride for all the leisure scooting he does. I tried really hard to get him to do some tricks but bunny hops was about as far as he got as he really is a bit of a scardy cat (not that I said that to him).

He loved the actual ride on the MX Trixx and said that it was far smoother and could cope with bumps in the path much better but he liked the bigger footplate and brake better on the V2. If he could make his own he would take parts from each.

To be honest it really does depend on what your child will use the scooter for, as to which is the best to choose. The MX Trixx would be good for both leisure scooting and tricks if they are shorter than JJ and you don't mind them just slamming the scooter on the floor (as there is no stand). The white handlebar grips were getting quite dirty after just a week but the overall styling is great - really cool.

As I am not very knowledgeable about the world of tricks on scooters, I'll let you watch this lad explain the features on the MX Trixx. From what I understand this is a small version of a pro tricks scooter and it is packed with features.

Anything negative with the MX Trixx?
Overall I think this is a fantastic starter scooter for a youngster who wants to get into tricks. The only gripe I have is that the instructions were rubbish and it was hard to get the clamp to tighten enough to make the scooter safe. I could not manage this at all and had to get my husband to help. Once tightened it has been perfect but I would not want to take it apart again!

Disclosure: We were provided with 2 scooters for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

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Review: Wave Hotel at Butlins, Bognor Regis

2013-06-03T07:30:00.000+01:00

You might have seen me mention that I'm a Butlins Ambassador this year and this means they asked me to go and try out one of their resorts and report back honestly to them and you, my readers about what I found.

We stayed at the Wave Hotel in the Bognor Regis resort. This hotel opened last July and is thus still very new looking. The outside is majestic and looks grand, as we approached my kids said 'wow, it is so posh Mum' and they are right, it is pretty posh - very modern looking but nice and luxurious too.

Car Parking
Our break was Monday to Friday on the May bank holiday/ half term week so I have to confess it was absolutely packed here. We arrived at the hotel at 3pm in time for the stated check-in time and I was incredibly lucky to find a parking space in the private hotel parking. It is a great idea to have separate parking and an even better idea to have a completely separate road entrance, this meant we could access the hotel easily but there was not really enough spaces for a busy week like this. There is an overflow car park which we could have driven to and they would have bought us back in a golf buggy, so contingency's have been thought about too.

Check In
As we arrived at the hotel at peak check-in time on a bank holiday it was heaving and my heart sank. Seeing the queue I thought I would be there an age but I was really pleasantly surprised. The staff were efficient and we were in our rooms within 15 minutes of entering the hotel, I received a good explanation of everything I needed to know about the hotel and the resort. There were 4 good sized lifts to take us to the 7 floors in the hotel and 2 of the lifts are big enough to fit luggage trollies in, which is very good.

Our Rooms
We had 2 interconnecting Dolphin rooms within the hotel. Each room sleeps 4 people. There is the main room with either double or twin beds and then a children's pod with bunk beds and a good sized bathroom. The Dolphin rooms are sea facing and have a balcony, which was super when the sun was shining. All the rooms are the same the price difference just comes with whether there is a balcony and if it is an inland or sea view. There are also some apartments in the Wave too but I did not get to see those.

Have a look at this video clip and it will give you a good idea of the space and decor in the rooms -

What I liked -

Modern decor and good space in the main bedroom and bathroom
Space under the beds for suitcase storage
Empty mini fridge in the room
TV and DVD player by each of the beds
Super comfortable duvets
Hairdryer
Nice large towels provided
Good range of lighting options
Light up shower head (I'm so easily pleased)
Air conditioning in the room
free wi-fi
Pod style bunk beds, the kids adored these and the styling in the kids room is great too
Toiletries provided

What was not so great -

Smaller than average dressing table area and bedside units
Lack of hanging space in the kids bedroom
Metal ladder on the bunk beds, it is not that comfortable under foot
It can get really hot in the kids room

Games Port

Off the main reception is the Games Port which is open 10am - 9pm each day, at first I wondered if it really was a bit much to be giving kids computer games on holiday but then I realised it is just like home and as the parent I decide how much they use them. There is a great selection of games available. I liked playing the reaction time one to see if I could beat my own score. The girls were mesmerised by the Wii dance which is cool as that gets them exercising and JJ just liked all of it but especially anything that got him chatting to other friends.

Hotel bar and lobby

The public areas are really nice looking and the big chairs super comfy, they are starting to show signs of wear though within a year of the hotel being open. Prices are similar to elsewhere on resort and we paid about £7.00 for two cappuccinos and a slice of flapjack, so it is not cheap but it was all very good and tasty. There is free wi-fi everywhere in the hotel, so it was nice to just sit and relax for half an hour with a glass of wine while the kids had a play in the games port.

The little extras

You can borrow DVD's, pre-programmed iPods and kindles from reception for the duration of your stay but if you want to, be quick as the kindles all went on the first day. It is a £10 deposit for a DVD (there are lots of good Disney ones to borrow) and £100 for an iPod or Kindle.

It was useful to be able to book for any of the bookable activities straight from our hotel reception and not to have to go to the information point in the Skyline. We found the receptionists to be knowledgeable and helpful when we had any queries or wanted to make bookings.

Deck Restaurant

The Deck is not actually in the hotel but it is where your dining will be if you go for the premium half-board option when you book at the Wave. It is just a short walk but be aware that you will get wet if it is raining! I was genuinely impressed with this restaurant, it is big enough to accommodate all the guests, even on a busy week. They have people to greet you at the door and take you to a free table. The restaurant is open 4pm - 7pm and we tried out most times - 4pm, 5.15pm, 6pm and yes at times it was busy but we were always seated within a few minutes.

Every day there is a carvery, stir fry, fresh cook pasta and grill, fish, vegetarian, kids and meat options. The variety is really very good and the food quality is actually good too. In the past when I have had the regular dining option at Butlins the food had been adequate but the premium dining option changes that to enjoyable I found.

Between the six of us we must have tried every option there was and we found the carvery roast meats especially good. I also really liked a fresh cooked carbonara I had and Mum enjoyed the stuffed jacket potatoes with salad. It was nice to see cheese and biscuits available most days instead of just hot or cold desserts as well.

Breakfast offered a full English, omelettes cooked to order, porridge, cereals, toast, croissant, club sandwiches cooked to order, fruit, yoghurt and as much fruit juice, water and hot drinks as you can manage.

We were really pleased with our stay at the Wave hotel and we would happily stay there again. In truth it is probably more than we could afford to pay but if you had the disposable income available to you then it makes a super upgrade from the normal Butlins accommodation, perhaps for a special occasion? Check out more details and pricing for the Wave on the main Butlins website. Its worth noting that there is nothing wrong with the normal Butlins accommodation though, take a peek of my review of the silver bungalows at Minehead, we were more than happy with those too.

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No Tech Sunday #CountryKids

2013-06-01T07:30:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday when dh was away for the weekend I gave JJ a taster of what it will be like once we move and instigate our 'no tech Sundays'. His verdict 'this will be alright, won't it Mum?'. Yes son it sure will, time out and about together is great....

Linking up with Fiona over at Coombe Mill for her #CountryKids linky.

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Why a leather sofa is great if you have troublesome tots

2013-05-31T22:20:00.000+01:00

My little ladies enjoying our sensible brown leather sofa!

Before you have kids you can look through style magazines and think "a pure white sofa is a great idea!" or "how about having that fully cream rug as a centre piece for our living room?" Those who are parents of young children meanwhile will look at those same fashion spreads wistfully, knowing that such things are an impossibility in their world.

The fact is that if you have young children, whether they are troublesome tots or slightly older and going through one of their 'experimental' phases, your living arrangements are just not going to be able to withstand the clean, glossy look of a typical magazine photo shoot spread.

So thinking about your decor and furniture when you begin a family is a really important thing to do - not only can it minimise potential tears in the future (from parents and kids alike) but it can also save you money in the long run.

Simple and obvious things such as making sure that small tables and other movable items are not dangerous to tottering tots or crawling babies is essential. Sturdy stands are on trend; low, sharp corners are not.

Then there are chairs and sofas to consider too, and it isn't only the colours that can be potentially disastrous when it comes to marks and stains from all kinds of different little accidents.

Obviously white or cream coloured coverings are probably not a good idea. We all know that the odd splash of wine can usually be teased out with a little care and attention but larger and more stubborn kid-induced stains can ruin an expensive centre piece in no time.

The actual materials that they are made of count too - vast expanses of soft velvets or similar may be nice to the touch but are absorbent and tend to spread the area that a spillage effects. Sometimes the older, more traditional answers are the best and a leather suite can not only last a lifetime but chairs and sofas will be hard wearing, stain resistant and easy to clean.

This is a guest post submitted on behalf of Sainsbury’s. If you want to avoid tears and tantrums over spills and stains, leather armchairs are a perfect solution to furniture dilemmas for parents with a young family. Take a look at the impressive range of leather armchairs at Sainsbury’s to find what you need.

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Cheerful at Butlins #R2BC week 22, year 3

2013-05-30T07:30:00.000+01:00

Happy Thursday, I hope you are having a super great week. I certainly am, we are at Butlins this week undertaking a review whilst my Dad packs up our house ready for our impending move. the best of both worlds, hey?

I'll share a few pictures of cheery times here at Butlins, Bognor Regis -

Blogger of the week
This week I am giving a shout-out to Sarah who blogs over at Ups, Downs, Smiles and Frowns. I love the name of her blog, it is so true of the way it is in normal, everyday family life. Sarah is one of the newer joiners in this linky but since she started she has been very faithful and joins us every week (I just had a peek and actually her first #R2BC post was June 2012, so that is practically a year now). I also find her one of those great people who nip round and comment on lots of posts. Pop over and see Sarah to say hi and you can read all about her love for her kids.
Grab a new badge please Don't forget my URL has changed so please can you grab a new #R2BC blog badge please or if you happen to link to me (no pressure!) then the URL nowadays is http://www.mummyfromtheheart.com.

Write a cheery post, link up, add in the blog hop code and visit a few other blogs and say hi. I really hope to be able to get round to everyone this weekend when I'm home. Sorry I did not manage it last weekend, things are pretty crazy at the moment with everything going on.

Wishing you a super week ahead, be blessed. Mich x

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Photo story: A day in the life of 5 year old Miss E at Butlins, Bognor

2013-05-29T08:00:00.000+01:00

When you are five Butlins is possibly the best place in the world that your family can take you to, or so Miss E informs me.

Yesterday it rained the whole day and as such it gave us a superb opportunity to try out what Butlins can offer on a rainy day indoors.

Here is the day through the eyes of my little lady, Miss E -

Wake up in your bunk bed and invite your twin sister up and put on 'The Little Mermaid' on the DVD
at the end of your bed.

Time for breakfast - pancakes of course!

Head to the first club session for 5 + year olds and decorate treasure chests and make pirate masks

Relax for a bit and watch Angelina Ballerina do a few dance moves in the Skyline pavillion, a short time on the soft play as well and then watch Billy Bear read a story

Join in with a treasure hunt, some games and face painting at the next club session of the day

Can we have a treat mummy? £1 buys some candy floss for a treat

The afternoon involved a swim and a relax in our hotel room (but we don't have pictures of those!)

Early dinner in the restaurant - eat as many courses as you fancy!

A quick game on the Wii dance in the Wave hotel games port while we wait for it to be time

for the evening shows to start

Watch the Seasame Street show in Centre Stage - a super family watch, but woe very busy!

Show over, it is now time to end the evening with a dance with the Red Coats to songs

like 'Cha Cha Slide' and 'Saturday Night'

Fall into bed at 9pm and be fast asleep within a few minutes - lets do it all again tomorrow mummy.....

Disclosure: I am a Butlins Ambassador and e have been provided with a complimentary 4 night break for six of us for the purposes of honestly reviewing our holiday.

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Fantasy Vs Reality

2013-05-28T07:30:00.000+01:00

Our local beach

You know what? I'm not particularly enthralled with this moving house business, it takes over your life. I suppose moving house might not be so bad if it was not also that I am giving up work, dh is starting a new job, the kids are starting new schools and we are moving area all just three weeks after a family holiday!

My head is thumping and I just keep pushing all the thoughts and emotions back down and trying not to become overwhelmed. Logic tells me all will be fine, I'm really organised and I plan well for things like this but at the moment I'm wishing the days away on one hand (I so need to be finished work), then on the other I don't want to leave here and I'm starting to feel really sad that we are moving.

I know this move is a good thing, I know it is a God thing too. I also know that often 'God things' are scary and make us feel like we are out of our depth, but that's the really special part - when God steps in and takes over, as you know you could not have possibly done all that yourself.

I was cleaning my house the other day and walking from room to room feeling really emotional I'm leaving my beautiful house I kept thinking. Dh and I had our kids here, they have never lived anywhere else. I keep trying to ignore these feelings and when the tears pique, I push them back but I wonder if I need to let them flow and be over with it. It is a little sad to move on but it is a lot wonderful. I'm very aware that I need to grow up as far as my emotions are concerned, I don't seem to be able to express them or deal with them very well. Maybe a good old cry is the way to go?

In the years we have been together Dh and I have owned three houses and lived in numerous other houses too, so this should not be such a big deal for us...... but it is. This is our home and realising that I felt a little better, I love this house because it is where we are all together and we feel safe - it is Home. The new house will be a home too and we will all love and live there together and yes it will take a while to get it really comfy but that is half the fun, building it all again and making it just as we want it. Home is where the heart is they say and all of us are going there so it automatically transfers over.

Go back a month and I was so excited about this move, I literally wanted to flip a switch and the time to be here and now the time is creeping forward and I feel drained and emotional. Have I been building a fantasy about what our new life will be like - staying home, time to develop a business for me, more family time, new house, countryside location etc etc?

But no I think I am keeping reality firmly in view, recently I have been questioning if I have been wearing rose tinted glasses in regard to our move. Will being a stay at home mum be all is is cracked up to be? Will I miss being away from all the people I know so well? Will the children settle OK? Will we like living in a house that we do not own? Will we be able to change our lifestyle to adapt to a lot less disposable income? Will dh enjoy his new job? and on and on..... all these questions buzzing in my head and making it ache.

Who knows what the future holds? Only God and I trust in Him, so really all I need to do is keep my eyes raised and firmly on the Lord rather than in the mundaneness of every day life and the operational challenges of moving a family of five.

Anyway enough introspection, I need to head off and take some practical measures - pack a few boxes or send out some change of address - you know the type of thing!

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Family film night with Coca Cola #Cbias

2013-05-26T23:00:00.000+01:00

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

On this weekend each year dh disappears and works for nearly 72 hours flat, it is his busiest time of the year and not one he enjoys truth be told. Of course this will be the last one as we relocate in just over a month and I think he is pretty chuffed about that.

I don't mind him occasionally staying away, it is always nice to get the king-size bed to myself and to be able to fully relax for a couple of days but the kids miss him terribly. That was why it was lucky that Coca Cola and Collective Bias offered me the opportunity to shop for some treats and enjoy a family film night in with the kids.

I headed off to Morrisons Friday afternoon after a very pleasant coffee with a good friend and I was surprised to find how busy it was at 2pm on a school afternoon. The shop was manic and there was queues at every checkout; I wish they would introduce the scan yourself shopping, I love using that at Sainsburys, it makes life so much easier. To be honest Morrisons would not be my supermarket of choice for a big shop but it is very close to me and today convenience ruled and Morrisons is always good for a deal.

I was in and out the shop in about 20 minutes and spent just over £15 on snacks and a late lunch for me (rotisserie chicken and fresh bread in case you are interested). I think I went a bit overboard but it is a treat night and with Daddy being away the kids needed cheering up. I pondered crisps and dips but then remembered that all my kids love popcorn and they like to make their own pick and mix sweet bags too, just like at the cinema but far cheaper!

We have a membership for an online film club and I'm trying to use it as much as possible before we move as broadband seems to be very hit and miss at our new house. It didn't take us long to decide that we would watch the Bridge to Terabithia. After watching the trailer JJ announced it looked a lot like 'the Journey', a film the kids have enjoyed many time. JJ took a couch on his own and the girls snuggled one each side of me. It was a late start at 8pm and the girls were already yawning before the movie even started but I was determined that this would be a special night for them and that late start made it all the more special. Duvets and blankets were grabbed and we all settled back to enjoy our movie.

Everyone really enjoyed the Coke and the snacks and in fact about 8.30pm I had to tell the kids to stop eating for fear of one of them becoming sick. I managed to polish off all the sweet and salt popcorn as it was super moorish! They managed to shock me and stay awake until the film ended at 9.45pm and there was I feeling all smug that they would be tired and would sleep in the next morning, oh silly Mich no such luck. They were still up at 7am and playing schools at the top of their voices!

We had a lovely evening together and once the girls went up to bed JJ came and joined me for a snuggle up together, I love it that he is not too big yet to cuddle mummy. All three kids agreed that it had been a great night and Miss E christened it the 'best night ever'. Here is to many more family nights in...... but hopefully with Daddy too.

You can check out all the photos from my shop and our evening on my Google Plus page.

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Our week ahead at Butlins - so excited!

2013-05-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

Have I ever told you that I love Butlins?

I'm sure I have and no it is not because I've been paid to love Butlins, nor is it because I've been picked to be an ambassador and to review a holiday there (although this is true and I'm super chuffed about this).

I'll tell you why it is - it's because my family are loyal customers and we always have an amazing time. I'll be honest with you, not everything has been perfect and yes it can cost more than some other holidays but it sure is fun and they know how to look after their customers.

I've written before about Butlins and how I feel about it - quite a few times in fact, have a read of the selection below -

Memories of Minehead 1987 - Now
Best. Holiday. Ever
Review of a silver bungalow at Minehead
All the fun of the fair at Bognor Regis
Fantastic Family Holiday or Dodgy Old Camp?
Week 15 - Grateful for Spring Harvest at Butlins
A Celebration

Very soon we are heading to Butlins again - Bognor Regis this time. For the last three or four years we have been to Minehead and Skegness, I think our last visit to Bognor Regis was in June 2009 for my Mum and Dads 40th wedding anniversary so it will be super to see how things have changed in the last four years. That large picture of the 3 kids and Bob the Builder is from our 2009 trip. The other photos are from differing trips taken over the last 8 years. I worked out this will be our tenth visit in 8 years!

We are due to stay at the Wave hotel and the kids don't know it yet but my Mum is coming with us too, this will make them squeal with delight when they realise and she really needs this break her the death of her Mum earlier this year.

I asked Miss E what she was most looking forward to and she asked me if they still have the puppet theatre. Of course I was thrilled to be able to tell her that they do still have the classic puppet theatre at Bognor Regis and this year they have also opened a new character theatre and she'll be able to watch shows like Angelina Ballerina and Fireman Sam there.

JJ fell in love with the dodgems when we were at Minehead in April this year and he will be stoked to see the new fun fair at Bognor Regis. It is so nice now he is a little older and can head off on his own for short amounts of time.

Miss M has already been asking me about the food and if we will have buffet and she was super pleased to hear we would indeed be having buffet in the premium dining room and that she could have freshly cooked pancakes if she fancied!

Mum is looking forward to the evening entertainment and I'll be enjoying a glass of wine with her. It will be nice to have children old enough to sit with us for a while and enjoy the thrill of being out in the evening and having a glass of coke and packet of crisps, that was my exciting memories of being on holiday as a child!

This is the girls and I out for the evening in Butlins, Bognor Regis when we went in 2009, they were 23 months.

We all need this holiday, getting ready to move house and jobs is pretty stressful and a few days of just chilling and enjoying time together is what we all need. I'll report back and let you know how we get on.

Disclosure: We have been provided with 2 rooms at the Wave Hotel for 4 nights, including half board for 6 of us. I have not been instructed what to write and I'll be reviewing Butlins honestly.

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Review: Harumika Style Studio

2013-05-25T17:00:00.000+01:00

My little girls were introduced to the Harumika range of styling dolls a couple of months ago and they really do love them. I have to be honest and say they are not the cheapest of toys but they do provide hours of entertainment and will last a very long time. The sets are recommended for age 6 upwards but my girls at 5 are really capable of using them and I can imagine the play sets still coming out when they are 8 or 9, or perhaps even more. Miss M is very into fashion and seems to have a great eye for pairing up outfits and colours so I'm quite happy to let to play with something that helps to develop this creativity and style.

My girls were sent the Harumika Style studio from HobbyCraft to try out and review, this retails for £29.99 and I can honestly say that I would have bought this for my girls birthday in July if they were not sent it. The girls have a wide range of kids crafts and this adds nicely to their stash!

Take a look at what you get for your money -

1 large sturdy plastic carry case that will display 3 mannequins/ doll forms

9 pieces of different fabric (assorted sizes/ shapes)
2 belts
1 plastic tool to help you wrap the body forms

One of the things I really like about Harumika is that you do not have to buy their own pieces, you can use any fabric or ribbon you fancy and make tons of different creations and use your imagination. The carry case on this set is excellent, it is very sturdy and has a strong clasp that keeps the box shut and then you can display the mannequins and see them through the plastic cover.

The mannequins/ body form dolls are so easy to use as they have a slot in the back with a silicon piece which allows you to push the fabric in and it grips it but you can pull it out easily and the silicon keeps it shape. We have had one set for about 3 months now and it has been used tons of times and it still looks perfect, as new. See how easy it is -

The girls tell me this is a great toy and they give it 10/10. I honestly can't think of any down points for it either!

Disclosure: We were sent this set for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

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