SquiDivers Spin master Wiggle, jiggle, giggle! swim toy review

Bodhi is a water baby ! We are very lucky that my parents own a villa in the south of Spain with a family sized swimming pool. From a young age Bodhi has been jumping in and out of the water enjoying every moment. When he turned 5 we started him with swimming lessons back in the UK once a week at our local leisure centre. He boy spends most of his time under the water rather then on top! So when we was offered the chance to review swim ways squidivers i knew they would be a huge hit for us. 

From opening the packaging i knew they would be a fun pool toy for all ages,  The SquiDivers float upright making them easy to grab. Squidivers are soft and flexible dive toys, they come in the pack of three as shown in the photo above. They are all the same weight and have a loop within the head. We took them with us to the fun swim lesson over the half term holidays ( sorry no photos the swimming pool is VERY strict on this ) the whole class loved sitting on the side of the pool while the teacher threw them into different areas of the pool for them to then chase to catch the squids first. They have even asked me for the link as they want to buy a few sets of the classes! 

Now i don't normal let Bodhi wear his swimming goggles in the bath but for the sake of the blog and you guys i let him, He spent no joke over an hour in the bath playing with these three little squids, making up little games and back stories for them all ( they are brothers if you didn't know ) 

You can see in the photo about how the head of the squids will sink down with the weights and the tentacles wiggles around , Bodhi said that they looked like corals, I can't wait to take these away with us this summer to our holiday in Florida , Bodhi and his cousins will all have hours of fun playing together with these in the family pool. 

Thank you to spinmaster for sending us a pack of squiDivers to try out, This was in exchange for this blog post. 

Molkky ! Wooden garden game review

We love to spend time out in the garden and always looking for new family based games for outdoor use, Molkky fits the bill for us this wooden throwing game is simple to set up and also to play!

Mölkky is a Finnish throwing game invented by Lahden Paikka company in 1996. It is reminiscent of kyykkä, a centuries-old throwing game with Karelian roots, our version is by game makers Tactic and was sent to use to try out and review.

With all the lovely sunny weather we have been having lately it was a perfect time to try out our new game, The game set up is so simple all you need to do is set the wooden pins up in the order shown in the instructions and then take turn in throwing the 'Molkky" to knock down the number pins. the winner is the 1st person to reach 50 points, but if you go over 50 your points drop down to 25 ( so not as easy as it 1st seems ) 

Bodhi who is six loved playing this game and i liked that he was also practising his adding skills, as you need to add up the points from each throw , be careful tho as the pins need to be fully knocked over to count.  I can see this game getting a lot of use over the summer and we will take it with us to friends and family. 

You can by Molkky on line via argos and this version comes in a little wooden crate, This will last well and be an investment game due to it being wooden. I really enjoyed playing this game as did the rest of the family. 

This was sent to us in return for a blog post and review. Thank you 

Read More - Book review - James and the birthday balloon by Nicola J. Rowley

In our house we all love books, we love to read as a family or alone. I even work in a library the love is that real! so when we was asked if we wanted to read a new children book i knew i had to say yes.
Bodhi was very excited when Nicola J Rowley's cope of James and the birthday balloon turned up on our door mat and we read it that night.

The book has clear and simple text lay out and this makes life so much easier for everyone! Bodhi is six years old and in year 1 of school, when books have text all over the place and on dark coloured backgrounds it can make it very hard for them to follow the words, Bodhi read to me and then we spoke about how the book made us feel and what we thought might happen next. ( I don't want to give too much away with the plot line )

Bodhi was even more pleased when he saw that the author had signed the book just for him even if he did say " you shouldn't write in books" and well he isn't wrong is he?? The story is based around a birthday party that ends up with a hospital trip but it all works out in the end, This book would be perfect to gift to a child who has an upcoming hospital trip or is spending time in hospital.

Also you can scan the QR code for a free audio copy of the of story read by Dr Ranj ( from get well soon) Bodhi loves to fall asleep listening to a audio story as this is a big plus for us, You can order the book via amazon and every copy sold will help support Evelina London children's hospital, which provides care and life saving treatment for children in south London and beyond.

P.S who else thinks that if James had glasses he could pass as Bodhi's twin ? 

i have x3 copies of the book to give away, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to be within a chance of winning a copy of your own. Thank you to Nicola for sending us our copy its taken pride of place in the bookcase.   (( a Rafflecopter giveaway ))

When plans get cancelled, Make your own fun #OreoCookieQuest

When you make plans after having kids it seems you need to make them so far in advance that you then sometimes forget they have even been made or worse outside factors come in to ruin them! these can be things such as sickness, travel & weather!

We are taking part in the  #OreoCookieQuest Challenge! this is all about creating, capturing and sharing joyful family moments with Oreo in celebration of the Great Oreo cookie quest ( more info about the Quest can be found via the Oreo website )

This weekend we had plans to get out to our local woods for a lovely spring walk and to take part in our own  #OreoCookieQuest Challenge! Seeing as how lovely the afternoon weather had been in the week ! but then BAM! snow ( again ) BUT this doesn't mean all hope is lost !

Bodhi our six year old son loves getting out side and enjoying every moment ! so we wrapped up warm and played out in the snow in our little garden. We played cops and robbers and then i was mummy polar bear and Bodhi was my Cub. We played until our hands went numb and i could no longer feel my face!

The best part of staying at home is you never have to worry about a parking space or the price of the refreshments ! I came inside to make us both a hot chocolate to warm us back up, x2 Oreos are the perfect treat to enjoy with a hot chocolate. It really is all about spending time together as a family. 

You can pick up the promotional packs in store now with these packs Oreo fans will also have the chance to win a once in a life time trip to California, wouldn't that be an amazing holiday and definitely one that you would make life long memories on.

Oreos are a fun and taste occasional treat that the whole family can enjoy in our house we all love the mint cream flavours and we are looking forward to trying out new and wild flavours when we visit Florida later on this year.

This is an entry for BritMums #OreoCookieQuest , Sponsored by Oreo

Mother's day 2018 few ideas to keep mum happy

Mothers day can be a really hard day if you ask me.... as a mum myself i wonder what i will receive from my child ( He is six now so lucky i know he will atlas make a card at school ) as the husbands point of view is " well your not my mum are you? " no I'm not ..... but do you think our six year old will hop on the bus into town to pick me up a gift on his own??? so this year i put out a very vague request to PR companies asking if they had any products that they thought mums would like to receive this year for a mothers day gift,

1st bath products 

 you can't go wrong with something that smells nice and also gift it with the promise of a child free evening to enjoy said products? BLISS !! I was very kindly sent a bottle of Lavender pure castile liquid soap by Dr Bronner's the sent of this filled the whole house and left me feeling so relaxed, perfect for any stressed mum who has problems switching off in the evenings, comes in a range of scents and bottles sizes this size has a RRP of £7.69 a little goes a very long way tho , so i can see this bottle lasting me a while. 

2nd crafts 

I am a huge lover of crafts, i enjoying making and doing. these kits from The Makery are a great way to try something new without a huge outlay of cost, they have a range of kits to chose from my personal favourite has to be the purse kit , This has a RRP of £14.95 , I was also sent the letter embroidery hoop kit and the felt cuckoo clock craft kit these can both be found on the same website, I am looking forward to spending a afternoon with my mum making these crafts together.

3rd Gin

Now I'm not a big drinker but i know a lot of mums that enjoy a drink or two at the weekends, This Gin is amazing its  orange marmalade flavour and comes in a 70l bottle RRP is £23.95 , The Gin comes from the small Welsh village of Abergwyngregyn ( try saying that after you've had a few drinks! with a Celtic design on the orange bottle and it bold orange colour is a stand out from the crowd drink in style and taste. The drink uses the citrus flavours to offset the juniper, this leaves a balanced taste of sweet and bitter orange flavours, The drink has a warming aftertaste, And i was pleased that it was still clear in colour ( like all good Gin should be ) 

4th Self care

 I am a strong believer in self care and i have been enjoying relaxing after a bath with my new Gel gloves and socks on These are from JML and can be ordered online for £14.99 simply pop on the gloves and socks sit back and relax and after 15/20 minutes  of use you will feel softer , smother skin they also smell lovely thanks to being Infused with Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil and lavender. these would be a perfect gift for any mum, as who doesn't want softer skin ? I just wish these came in a less female colour as i know my dad would love to try these out for the hard skin on his feet!! ( I'm sure he wouldn't be too put off by the pink tho ) 

5th Gardening 

I enjoy spending time in our little garden but i would hate for this lovely William Morris hand trowel to get muddy, So i think it will be given light duties very much looking forward to warmer days to enjoy a cup of tea sitting out enjoying the outside space. 

6th plants

I love to have flowers in the house, But i find giving them as a gift can be very costly for something that just doesn't last. I would much rather gift or be gifted a plant, This houseplant ( azalea ) that comes with a ceramic pot is a steal at £9.99 from Dobbies garden centre they have a huge range to suit all tastes and budgets this would also be an idea for those who no longer have their mums to celebrate mother's day with, Either to place on a resting place or to keep in own sight to remember them by. 

7th homemade 

In my opinion homemade is the best way to go for mothers day, Bodhi came home from school on Friday with this beautiful drawing of me and daffodil plant, Now I'm not suggesting that i myself will be copying this idea for my mum or my mother in-law but from a young child i do think homemade/handmade is best. 

But please Bodhi ..... let mummy sleep past 8am .... okay?? 

** all items have been gifted to myself to be included within this mothers day blog post ** 

ZAK STORM! Hover craft, coins and app review

My son Bodhi is now six years old he is at that real see it want it age ( great isn't it ) so when the chance came along to review the new toy range from Zak storm i could hardly turn it down now could i ? 

So who is Zak storm? 

Zak is a teenage boy who steals his Dad’s necklace and gets sucked into The Seven Seas of the Bemuda Triangle during a surfing competition, The stolen necklace Zak has stolen, is actually the mythic eye of The Sea of Beru! Zak ends up as captain of a ship called The Chaos, and, along with a band of misfits, and a talking sword called Calabrass, he travels across The Seven Seas trying to find his way home!

Hover Vehicle £14.99 ( smythstoys )

Speed into high-flying action with Zak and his racing-red Hover Vehicle, which features a cool missile launcher for lots of battling play! The vehicle includes a Zak action figure and a collectibles treasure coin. Just scan the code into the free down loadable Zak Storm Super Pirate app to receive digital rewards — such as weapons, powers, worlds, and health that help you progress.

Zak storm collectible coins 4 pack £4.99 ( smythstoys ) 

You’ll find lots of hidden surprises inside this colourful 4-pack of collectibles treasure coins. Each coin features a unique QR code that you scan into the Zak Storm Super Pirate app to reveal digital rewards, including weapons, powers, and health. The more coins you collect, the more loot you get! 

So not only can you free play with the toys ( other play sets available online ) you can play online via the free app and you can watch the cartoons ( we watch on pop channel ) Bodhi really enjoyed scanning the QR codes from the coins and finding out what digital reward to would get. Him and his dad have taken to playing the game together ( i think this is partly to do with it being loaded on daddy's phone) but its nice to see them both enjoying the game. Its free to download.

I wish more cartoons had toys and apps that linked back into the TV show, I can't say i fully understand the workings of my six year old but i know when he is happy and bless him he is most happy when he is playing , having phone time or control of the TV remote so i would say that Zak storm has ticked all of these boxes, my favourite part? definitely when we cuddle up together to watch a episode of zak storm on TV just being bedtime.

( Items have been gifted to Bodhi in exchange for our views and review of the products) 

Christmas gift guide for Dad's , Christmas gift ideas 2017

Christmas is coming guys and if like me you find buying for your other half  really hard, then this is the gift guide for you. I have put together 6 items that i feel any Boyfriend/husband/dad / brother or any other male in your life would love to find under the tree with their name on  Christmas day. All of these items have  been very kindly to gifted to me in exchange for inclusion within my Dad gift guide but all views are my own. 

When i think of the Brand Zippo i think of lighters , I never knew that they also made a huge range of other items and accessories Such as the sunglasses and flask shown above, they also make clothing ( hats/ belts/ Tees ) wallets and of course lighters. They are a household name and a product that is made with care and only the best quality items you can find more and buy direct from the website the flask shown is £16.75 and would be the perfect gift paired with a bottle of something ! 

if you have a football fan in on your list to buy for this year ? well art of football is an amazing idea with a range of clothing for football, rugby and boxing fans.  Art of Football create hand crafted designs try to emulate the energy, passion and euphoria that erupts from that one magical kick of a football. They only produce a limited number of each design, so your t-shirts & prints, like any good piece of art, are exclusive and completely original.Every order comes gift wrapped and in a hand painted box. i was very pleased to find our local team and Hubby's team of choice Luton town within the range the sizes go up too XXL and are £25 when you click on your team you will see a few different designs. The t-shirt is very soft and the print is very well printed i have high hopes that it will wash well and i am sure he will get lots of compliments when he is next at a luton match ( Come on you Hatters!! ) 

Who wouldn't want to crack on with some cleaning using a scrub daddy these funny looking little sponges really at the nuts! they are £3.49 each but really are worth the money, I have been using the lemon fresh one in our bathroom and it cleans so well ! he can even go in the dishwasher to keep him super clean and last even longer. I will definitely carry on buying scrub daddy products makes doing the daily house work a little less rubbish and a lovely little stocking filler / table gift for the man in your life and perfect for doing the washing up come Christmas day! ( just add a pair of rubber gloves ) 

This beautiful insulated bottle is made by klean kanteen and is a 20oz steel bottle with a bamboo swing cap, stainless steel inside and out with double-wall vacuum-insulated which will keep drinks cold 24 hours or iced 40 hours. My husband is a keen outdoors kind of guy so i know he will be a hit for him when he is out all day in the warmer months. This would be great for anyone to take out for sports/walking and family days out to keeping your drinks cold, With the size i would say its also great for sharing with others they do also come in other sizes and styles and colours. It isn't advised to store hot drinks in the flask due to the bamboo lid. 

Top Trumps! perfect for anyone anytime anyplace! Top trumps also made it into my children stocking filler i love them that much , Its the perfect on the go game for holidays and travel. This is the retro Horror set and i love the art work and the whole feel of the set you can buy them online via amazon for the bargain price of £5.99 this would be a great game to play as a family while Christmas dinner cooks or later on in the day once the children ( and maybe the grown ups ) have fallen asleep. 

You can't go wrong with shaving items, and Gillette is another house hold name and a brand to trust. Hubby already uses Gillette so i knew i was onto a winner with the Gillette fusion proglide can be brought online via amazon or boots RRP is £12 noticeably smooth skin with a single stroke, even over contours. because this razor combines the best Gillette blades with Flex-Ball technology allowing the razor to pivot in multiple directions for maximum contact so there's fewer missed hairs on your loved ones face! Best used along side Gillette's gels or foams.

• Precision Trimmer on the back for accurate edging
• Enhanced Lubastrip for a smooth glide
• Blade stabiliser helps maintain precise blade shape and
• Blade suspension system for an optimal comfort
• Snowplow comfort guard to help clear away excess shave prep
• Gillette’s best shave great even on sensitive skin