Category: Scooting

Children, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Fitness, Large Families, Outdoor Play, Parents, Reviews, Scooting, Siblings, Skateparks, Sport

Getting The Kids Out And About With Micro Scooters

by thejoyoffive4 Comments on Getting The Kids Out And About With Micro Scooters

[AD] It is always a worry for me that the children don’t spend to much time indoors stuck to screens instead of getting outside and enjoying some good old fresh air and exercise.

I try my hardest to squeeze as much outdoor time into our days as we can and a great way to do this is through scooting.

All of my children have loved being able to hop on a scooter and pop to the shop, grab it from the boot and scoot to school or make a day of it at the skate park.

Over the years we have tried a large variety of scooters but have always favoured the three wheeled Micro Scooters for whole hosts of reasons; but the biggest pull was their amazing steering system that allows the scooter the turn the way the child leans into the turn. This saved so many falls that we had with other first scooters and allowed them to build confidence at a much quicker rate.

Now the boys are growing their need for a bigger, two wheeled style scooter was coming and Micro Scooters were not someone I would have thought about for this age range. So when we were asked to try some out I was pleasantly surprised what Micro Scooters has to offer.

For Oscar who is just five I wanted something a little sturdier to offer the transition to a two wheeler less daunting so the Micro Scooter Cruiser seemed to be the perfect option.

The Cruiser offers a wide foot plate, large wheels and bicycle style handle bars for a sturdy ride. This is brilliant for them to gain confidence and I really feel in love with the retro style so it was a win from all parties.

Oscar has loved nipping to the shops with me and when he has had enough as with all Micro Scooters it is super easy to fold up and carry.

Frankie wanted a little more than just a straight ride from a scooter so for him we opted for the Stunt Scooter. His older brother was a fan of scooting for many years and in fact competed so I think as he gets older this is something he wanted to try out for himself.

This scooter has been perfect for him to try out all kinds of jumps, spins and tricks due to its streamline and lightweight nature. The handlebars are also positioned higher than a traditional scooter allowing ease of movement.

As well as being perfect for the skate park this scooter has also been great for the trips into town and playing in the garden with his brother.

As well as the scooter themselves Micro Scooters offer a whole host of safety equipment and accessories to make you scoot safe as well as fun!

Micro Scooters always have been the first choice for me and since trying out these different styles I have fallen in love with them even more.

The attention to detail and really knowing what both kids and parents want shines through with every step of choosing, ordering and using the scooter.

What style do you think you would opt for, for your little ones?

art, Bathtime, Beauty, Blogging, Cafes, Cakes, Children, East London, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Food, Friendships, Gifts, Grandchildren, Grandparents, Health, Hobbies, Holidays, Kids Hair, Kids Style, Large Families, London, Memories, Museums, Parents, Parks, Photography, Restaurants, Scooting, Shopping, Siblings, Skateparks, Sons, Southbank, Surrey, Toys, Work

Our February…

by thejoyoffive2 Comments on Our February…

Well February has been a pretty funny one weather wise hasn’t it. We spent the beginning of the month with everything crossed that the snow flurries were going to settle and give us a couple of ‘snow days’ and then the end of the month stripping back to T-shirts and eating ice cream in the park.

The beginning of the month was actually a cause for celebration in our house as we celebrated granddaughter number two’s imminent arrival with a baby shower for Alice. I haven’t quite got my head around being a nanny to Isla yet and we already have another one on the way to add to the madness of the family.

We also spend a good few hours in the garden getting it ready for the warmer weather. The boys have been really lucky to have a new playhouse, slide and sandpit and we can’t wait to find the perfect paddling pool to make us completely summer ready!

It’s not to often that I socialise in the evenings anymore and I decided this new year that I was going to stop being such a misery and get out with my friends more.

I had a lovely evening with the mums from Oscar’s class. Ate to much a drank more than I should which made for an all round great evening.

Getting back into my fitness has been a great success this month thanks to Jemma’s Heath Hub. Jemma and I had found each other though the wonderful world of Instagram and she asked me to trial her online fitness program which had seen me out of bed super early three times a week to take part in an online exercise session with a whole load of other likeminded women. Go and check her out if you are looking to get back into fitness and want something to do in your own home.

My husband is the romantic one in our relationship and my lack of romantic is something that really gets to him. So this Valentine’s Day we both took a few hours out of our day to grab some lunch and randomly walk around a local museum…not really his idea of a good day out!

One of my first real jobs was working in the food hall at Marks and Spencer. I still have fond memories of this and they were an amazing company to work for. So fast forward a good few years my new job has landed me back at Marks and Spencer…but behind the scenes at head office.

It really is moments like this that make me realise all the hours I put in are most definitely worth it and it was so amazing to be behind the scenes of a place that is so close to my heart.

The boys were gifted scooters from the wonderful Micro Scooters this month and they literally haven’t got off them since. They have always been my first choice for scooters as they are so easy to use and look amazing. They came with use on a trip to the park the other day where we all enjoyed our first ice cream of the year.

We get to explore many parts of London with my job but Battersea is someone I don’t I have ever been and the children certainly haven’t. We had a more than pleasant surprise when we went along to the power station during half term and got to witness what an amazing job they are doing there.

They have some great shops and restaurants and lots of bits and pieces to keep the children occupied along the waterfront. We were actually there to try out a class at the über cool Boom Cycle whist the kids were kept occupied at the lovely ladies from Kids Table. It is definitely one to put on your list.

We actually did a lot of eating in town this half term with a trip to Yo Sushi and Las Iguanas who both offer great deals during the school holidays so keep this in mind for Easter.

Half term was actually a pretty packed one for us and aside from duties of dog sitting at mum and dads we got to enjoy some great events, including a trip to Neville’s in Belgravia for the launch of the new range of hair care from Child’s Farm.

The boys thought they were super models and spent the morning requesting exactly how they wanted their hair styled whilst me and Izzy were treated to some braids and of course a bit of glitter.

The end of month saw an event just for me which is always a welcome change and I attended the launch of the Emma Willis Collection from Next.

It was an amazing evening where I got to see the whole range which was a stylish and gorgeous as Emma herself.

I spent the evening catching up with friends, drinking way to much Prosecco and fan girling Emma for most of the night!

Children, Education, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Imagination Play, Learning, London, Messy play, Outdoor Play, Scooting, Siblings, Summer, Toddlers, Toys

Bringing Back The Outdoors With Little Tikes

by thejoyoffive1 Comment on Bringing Back The Outdoors With Little Tikes

I am a big believer in the benefits of getting the kids outdoors. In this technology driven day and age a huge percentage of children have very little…if any time spent on outdoor play.

According to a government study more than one in nine children haven’t set foot in a park, woodland or beach in the past 12 months and a whopping 74% of children spend less than an hour outside in the fresh air.

The benefits to outdoor play are endless from increasing a child’s self confidence, building their fine and gross motor skills, boosting those all important serotonin levels to give them that feel good boost and so, so much more.

Little Tikes understand all to well the importance of this too and held an event at The Lookout in the centre of Hyde Park to show just how easy it is to get children excited and engaged about getting outside and having fun.

Luckily for us the sun was on our side for this event and I arrived with two super excited little boys who’s eyes lit up the moment they saw the huge array of brightly coloured, beautiful toys that Little tikes are so famous for.

For us Little Tikes have been a part of our family of the past twenty years. My eldest was bought a kitchen from them for her first birthday and since that moment we loved their hardy, eye catching toys that are certainly built to last and allow childrens imaginations to run wild through play which is so important.

The boys headed straight for the Cozy Coupes as they do whenever we come across one and were really pleased to see the truck version which is a little bigger than the original and has plenty of space in the back for them to carry around anything they wish.

From here they moved onto the playhouses and we were all really taken with the Build-A-House which allowed them to customise their own home with interchanging panels that can be attached with easy to use tools. Oscar was also pretty taken with the BBQ to and loved cooking up a storm for everyone.

After a break for lunch and a spot of face painting they got stuck into the water and sand play. I hadn’t realised that Little Tikes had such a extensive range when it came to this and the boys were literally spoilt for choice.

A big hit with both of them was the Turtle Sandbox that they happily sat in building sandcastles and creating forts with the Monster Dirt Digger. Frankie loved looking on at the Fun Zone Splash Face which was like a tug of war that ends with a splash of water in the face if you loose! Int believe that Mr confident – Frankie was to scared to give it a go.

I spent a good part of the day dodging the bucket full of water that fills and drops without warning in the Fun Zone Drop Zone. This great toy can actually be filled with balls instead of water and used for indoor play as well.

The boys love anything involving wheels and spent a good while winding round the beautiful pathways of The Lookout on the Fold’n Go 5 in 1 trike which has a a fabulous parent handle that allows you control of the steering for a super smooth ride and the Lean To Turn Scooters that give them a super easy ride allowing them to really build their confidence.

As the day drew to an end and I struggled to get the boys to leave it came to my attention that my boys who usually have the shortest concentration span ever had spent half a day through engaged, every muscle in their body used and their imaginations stretched to their limits; we certainly give the Little Tikes outdoor range a big huge thumbs up from us!

Children, Families, Family Life, Image Of The Week, Kid Bloggers, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Photography, Scooting, Sons

Image Of The Week:Action Shots

by thejoyoffive4 Comments on Image Of The Week:Action Shots

    

I’m sure if you have read my blog before you will know that number two’s first love is scooting.

I’m making it my mission to get some really good action shots of him as a reminder of these days incase it’s something he no longer wants to do anymore.

It’s a little bit of a challange as the fact he is nearly a teenager I had to stand behind a board for the majority of the morning to get this shots so I wasn’t seen by anybody!!

  

Families, Hobbies, Image Of The Week, Kent, Kids Days Out, Memories, Outdoor Play, Photography, Scooting, Sons, Whistable

Image Of The Week:Beach Shots

by thejoyoffive6 Comments on Image Of The Week:Beach Shots

My favourite days out by far are a trip to the beach.  Paddling in the sea, sandcastles, skimming stones and of course fish and chips!!

I’ve found it really hard to pick a favourite beach shot as there are so many I love.

  
I chose this as now that number three is aproaching his teens photos of him are rare and this just captured him doing what he loves, where we love.

  

Blogging, Children, Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Parks, Photography, Scooting, Skateparks, Sons

People Change But Photos Never Do

by thejoyoffive14 Comments on People Change But Photos Never Do

  

My eldest daughter will be turning eighteen this year and my biggest regret is that I did not find my passion for photography years ago.  I will never forget all those special milestones that we have been through, but over time the little things get lost in our memory bank and photos and videos are the only thing we have to remind us of these special times.

It is actually only in these past couple of years that I have got into taking photos and I now see what a valuable thing they are to take a look back on fondly when time has moved on.

It is the older ones that I struggle to get pictures of now as they like to be out and about doing their own thing, or are to shy to have their picture taken.  Number two is especially hard work but we were having a good day today as he agreed to let me take some photos at the skatepark.

  
   

We had an issue when we arrived though as there were other people there so I was limited to one position, behind a board so that I couldn’t be seen by anybody.  This was still a big move for him as just breathing seems to embarrass him at the moment!!

He has a massive passion for scooting and I really wanted to photograph it as it may be a phase that passes and then as I said we will have nothing to look back on. 

After I had annoyed him for a while I joined the others in the playground area to get a few snaps. The others are younger and always more than happy to be in the lime light.

   
       

I am new to blogging and photography but have found a real love for it.  I am enjoying reading and getting inspiration from other people’s blogs and am going to enrol on a photography course as I’m just guessing at what I’m doing at the moment.

 
  

 

  
Hopefully with time I will be able to compile a beautiful look book of our lives that we can sit down and look back on together in years to come and my children will be able to pass down to their children.

  

  

 

  

  

My Captured Moment, Photography, Scooting, Sons, Termagers, Whistable

My Captured Moment #2

by thejoyoffive11 Comments on My Captured Moment #2

  

My eldest son is approaching his teens at a rapid rate and to be honest any photo of him these days is a captured moment.

He has reached the age where my shear presence is embarrassing so getting near him to take a photo is a rare opportunity. 

Over the past few years he has developed a feel passion for scooting, and the scooter comes everywhere with us so he can practice his tricks and hon his skills.

I got this captured moment on our recent trip to Whistable.  He loved all the open space and different terrains he could use, and I loved watching how much pleasure he got.

          Running in Lavender