Gifted Review | Hape Kitchen and Food Range

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Disclosure - We were gifted products for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

We are really big fans of Hape and little J has gathered quite a large range of their toys over the years.  Our latest additions are from the Hape Kitchen and Food Range. We were sent My First Waffle Maker, My Coffee Machine and The Fresh Fruit Set. I am a huge fan of wooden toys and this range does not disappoint. 
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Review | Casdon Supermarket Till

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Playing shop is something that never gets old, we love playing shop and as little J gets older although it is still lots of fun we can make it educational too. For the past few weeks we have been playing with the Casdon Supermarket Till and it's been a great addition to his role play toys.
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Review | Hape 2 in 1 World Puzzle

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Disclosure - We were gifted products for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

Since little J got his first globe he has been obsessed with the World, Countries and Capitals. He is fascinated about learning more about the different types of people that live around the world and the languages they speak. We received a lovely puzzle of the world recently and little J loves it. The Hape 2 in 1 World Puzzle is perfect for little ones who are interested in the World.
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Parenting | The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities

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It is World Book Day today and although little J's school isn't offering the chance for him to dress up, we have been making The Very Hungry Caterpillar activities for him to enjoy at home.
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Mother's Day Gift Guide

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Disclosure - We were gifted products for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own. 

mothers day bundle
Mother's Day falls on the 31st March this year and if you are looking for some inspiration and gift ideas then I have popped a few suggestions below in our Mother's Day Gift Guide.

Mighty Fine Chocolates
If you are looking for a chocolate treat for Mum this year then consider Mighty Fine Honeycomb. Available in Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Salted Caramel. You can choose between a Honeycomb Bar, Honeycomb Dips or both!

Guylian Chocolates
Guylian chocolates have been a favourite of mine for quite some time now and I had always associated Guylian with praline seashells and seahorses. However for a real treat, Guylian have created Master’s Selection, a new assortment of 30 mini pralines in 10 delicious flavours. 

Bakerdays letterbox cake
I love receiving parcels and goodies through the post so you can imagine how excited I was to receive a bakerdays Mother's Day cake through the post. bakerdays offer a wide range of cakes, cupcakes and balloons for all occasions. The choice of cakes come in different flavours and sizes and can even fit through your letterbox. 

Botonique Drinks
Botonique is a unique British-made natural, dry, sparkling non-alcoholic drink alternative for lovers of wine.  Botonique contains the beneficial elements of Prelixir, a unique blend of vitamins, minerals and amino acids which alcohol is known to deplete. The bottles are so pretty and are available in both original and blush.

Prosecco falls
 ProsEcho Falls is the new addition to the Echo Falls range and what a perfect addition it is. It is everything a Prosecco should be with the added sparkle of Echo Falls.

kleen kanteen flask
If a nice hot drink is your Mum's favourite tipple then the Klean Kanteen is the perfect gift. No more cold cups of coffee or mugs of cold tea as the Klean Kanteen can keep drinks hot for up to 8 hours. Also if Mum likes an ice tea then this cup will keep it chilled for up to 24 hours.

breville toastie
The perfect start to Mothers Day is breakfast in bed. You mum could enjoy a sweet or savoury toastie within minutes with the Breville deep fill 2 slice sandwich toastie. What a lovely way to start the day. Ideal for lunchtime and snack time too.

my mum book
Reading is a huge part of our bedtime routine and I love snuggling up to read a bedtime story with little J. My Mum Always Looks After Me So Much is a lovely story showing the love between a mum and her child.

happy mother day sign
The Wooden Fabric Letter Board from Neon Sheep is the perfect place to pop down any messages or if you are a busy mum your to do list. I've been using mine to write nice quotes or sayings to help start the day.

tesalate towel
Tesalate is an innovative beach towel which not only has lots of vibrant designs to choose from, it's also a sand free towel.  It's light weight and compact so perfect for the beach but also yoga, picnics and any outdoor activity.

lands end slippers
Whether it's a chilly morning or the end of a hard day, your Mum will love sinking her feet into these Lands End Moccasin Slippers and their cosy-soft faux fur lining. I suffer from cold feet and I know these slippers will keep even my feet toasty warm.

marine moisture mask
 Suitable for all skin types the Marine Moisture Mask is a hydrating charcoal sheep mask which helps transform skin for a more balanced, radiant complexion. The powerful blend of active ingredients will not only hydrate but also nourish your skin. Each pack contains 3 masks and each mask contains 25ml of extract rich serum.

aveeno products
  Whether you have normal, dry, itchy or sensitive skin Aveeno offer a wide range of products that can help moisturise and cleanse your skin. The Baby range is also a lovely idea to give to a mum to be.

blended valley products
The Blended Valley Wellbeing Aromatherapy Gift Set offers four natural blends for a better lifestyle. The gift set includes Concentration, Energy, Sleep and Relaxation oils are easy to enjoy and will help you feel healthier.

vitage cream
 The Vitage Vitamin C Radiance Mask delivers a dose of Vitamin C to bring renewed vitality to dull, dehydrated skin whilst banishing breakouts and improving overall skin health – perfect for mums who love a bit of pampering.

baylis and harding products
Baylis and Harding gift sets so so pretty and the Mothers Day range is no exception. Treat your Mum to a Super Mum box of treats including body wash, body butter and bath crystals and a trio of Super Mum candles too. 

spa candle
Park Candles SPA range offers you the chance to soothe, de-stress, restore and revive. The SPA Onsen Scented Candle has an amazing citrus fragrance which will leave your room feeling fresh. There is no need to go to a professional SPA when you can enjoy all the bliss from the comfort of your own home.

zero water jug
Zero Water is the only water filter brand that removes 99.6% of all dissolved solids in tap water. Zero Water feel so passionate about what they do that they provide a free water quality meter with all of their jugs. Perfect gift for an active Mum.

mother's day bundle
Michelle


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Our Family Fortnight | The One When We Had A Leak

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Well what a fortnight it has been. We were really looking forward to the half term and spending time together however our week didn't go as planned. Little J really wanted to go to football camp which ran for 4 days, all of his friends were going so he wanted to go too. We didn't mind as I managed to have a big clear out, taking lots of bags to the skip and the charity shop. On the Wednesday of the half term we had a leak in the kitchen. Our flooring is only a year old so it was a nightmare. Unfortunately the whole kitchen and dining room flooring had to come up.
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Salford Museum and Ordsall Hall

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Disclosure - We were invited to Ordsall Hall and The Salford Museum. We were gifted lunch and snacks however entry was free and we were not paid to create this post.

Ordsall Hall
On Sunday we had a lovely day visiting Salford Museum and Ordsall Hall in Manchester. Usually I would do a little review of each place however they are only a 5-10 minutes drive from each other so you could easily do both on the same day and they are both free to enter and make a lovely day out.

We visited the Salford Museum first, this was due to the opening times of both. The museum building is quite pretty from the outside and reminded me of a library rather than a museum. There was parking at the front of the building however it is chargeable parking which cost us £2.50 for the time we were there.

We went to the reception desk first as we had never been before and the lady kindly told us a little bit about the museum, what to expect and she pointed out the toilets and the cafe.

Salford Museum
The Salford Museum is home to Lark Hill Place. It was our favourite part of the Museum. Lark Hill Place is a re-creation of a typical Northern street during Victorian times.

Salford Museum
Lark Hill Place was originally created in 1957 when many shops and houses in central Salford were being demolished to make way for new developments. Many of the shop fronts that are in Lark Hill Place today were saved and restored. The interiors have been furnished and are full of authentic objects, recreating the way they were used in Victorian times.

Visitors can explore the street and dress up in traditional Victorian costumes to really get in the spirit of things.

Salford Museum
Little J loved dressing up and chose his own outfit.

Salford Museum
Salford Museum
Salford Museum
Salford Museum
Salford Museum
Salford Museum
Salford Museum
After we looked through the shop windows and experienced what it felt like to walk down a Victorian Street, we finished at the sweet shop. There was a volunteer behind the counter handing out sweets to the children. There is no charge however you can make a donation. It was a lovely treat for little J and it was nice to see her weigh out the sweets. 

Salford Museum
Man looking at paintings on a wall
Once we had finished visiting Lark Hill Place we headed to the first floor to the art gallery. I enjoyed this part of the Museum however little J wasn't too interested and wanted to head back to the Victorian Street.

Once we had finished we headed to the cafe for some lunch before we headed to Ordsall Hall.

Like I said earlier Ordsall Hall is only 5-10 minutes away so perfect for enjoying both in the same day.

Ordsall hall
The Grounds at Ordsall hall
boy standing in The Grounds at Ordsall hall
Ordsall Hall has had a long and interesting history with many different uses since it was first mentioned in records in 1177! Today, it is a welcoming and friendly historic house telling the story of the Hall and some of the people who made it their home.

The building looks very impressive but the location is quite strange as it is amongst a housing estate and is surrounded by a main road and while we were there lots of people passing by heading to the Manchester United game. 

boy standing in The Grounds at Ordsall hall
The Grounds at Ordsall hall
The Grounds at Ordsall hall

The grounds are well kept  and lots of nice walkways to explore and things to see.

Before we began exploring the hall we were shown a 10 minute video which explains a little more about the Hall and also help you understand more about the building and it's history. It was a beautiful afternoon so little J just wanted to explore outside so John and I have said we would love to return to explore the hall more another day. Entry is free so would make a perfect day out for just the two of us. There is also another lovely cafe with delicious looking cakes.

We really enjoyed our visit to Salford Museum and Ordsall Hall. As both are free entry they make a really nice cheap day out.

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Michelle
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Review | Casdon Toy Dyson Cord Free Vacuum Cleaner

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Disclosure - We were gifted products for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

We have been very lucky to have a bright and sunny February half term this year and as it was warm John decided to do a little tidy up in the garden. We had astro turf laid last year and it was the best thing we have ever bought. No more mowing the grass all we need to do is hoover it. It might sound silly but its the best way to make your grass look like new again. John had a helper this time as little J has been playing with the Toy Dyson Cord Free Vacuum Cleaner from Casdon.
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Closed Giveaway | Jawsome Sharks at Sea Life

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This half term we headed to The Trafford Centre to make use of our Merlin Passes by visiting Sea Life, Manchester. We have visited various Sea Life centres using our Merlin Passes over the years but Manchester is probably our favourite as it's close to home and the Legoland Discovery Centre is just next door. Sea Life is currently celebrating their partnership with Hasbro on their new event Jawsome Sharks.
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Review | Dreamworks Dragons Dawn Of New Riders

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Disclosure - We were gifted products for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

The 'How To Train Your Dragon' franchise has been around for nine years. With three films following the release of the latest movie - The Hidden World, a TV series and a number of games, from big screen to smaller screens the movies, shows and games are really popular with both adults and children. The latest outing for How To Train your Dragon moves to the Nintendo Switch, with Toothless and Hiccup aiming to impress on the smallest and most portable to screens. The Dawn Of New Riders game takes place within the same universe, but with an entirely new story.
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Our Favourites | February Bedtime Stories

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Disclosure - We were gifted products for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own.

Here's a look at what stories we have been reading at bedtime. This Love, This Is Owl, A Quiet Quiet House, Great Women Who Worked Wonders, Car, Car, Truck, Jeep and We Eat Bananas are our favourite stories this month.
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AD | How To Get A Perfect Nights Sleep

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Disclosure - This is a paid post in collaboration with Julian Charles

As a parent I am always talking about routines and how they are important for children especially a bedtime routine. We mastered the bedroom routine with little J and he is a really good sleeper, enjoying up to 12 hours a night. So if we know routines are good then why as adults do we not practice what we preach? I know I don't have a good bedtime routine, neither does John and that can sometimes cause us to have less than the recommend 8 hours sleep a night. This obviously effects us massively the next day with us often feeling tired and wanting to head back to bed rather than go to work. I've been thinking about ways that I can get the perfect nights sleep so I thought I would share my tips.
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Closed Giveaway | Blended Valley Wellbeing Aromatherapy Gift Set

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One of my friends absolutely loves using Aromatherapy oils and has used them for years, always trying to get me to use them too but I have never tried them. I have been sent a Blended Valley Wellbeing Aromatherapy Gift Set to try ahead of Mothers Day and I'm actually looking forward to giving them a go. When I opened the box the smell was amazing and I'm eager to try each oil out over the next few weeks. I have teamed up with Blended Valley to offer two readers and followers of Playdays and Runways the chance to win a Wellbeing Aromatherapy Gift Set. 
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