Tag: children

Children, Families, Family Life, Learning, Reviews, Shopping, Toddlers, Toys

Peppa Pig Wooden Market Shop:Review

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[AD] All of my children have been huge Peppa Pig fans and this love has been passed down to my grandchildren.

So by mixing Peppa Pig and my favourite…wooden toys, this Peppa Pig Wooden Market Shop is a winning combination!

The market comes in a flat pack and was supper easy to put together. It comprises of the stall itself, three wooden crates that can be used to store the fruit and veg that is also provided.

There is a cute till with coins that is great for children to get used to learning about money and once they have made their purchases they can all be put into the gorgeous paper bags provided.

The attention to detail really is something else and I love the little chalk board that can have little notes written on and the cute bell that can be rung when someone enters the shop. They both sit alongside the pretty pink and white canopy that finished the whole toy perfectly.

This is the perfect toy to encourage role play and so much more and would make for a wonderful present even if you aren’t a Peppa fan – but who isn’t!

Blogging, Children, East London, Families, Family Life, Food, Holidays, Kid Bloggers, Kids Days Out, Large Families, London, Memories, Photography, Restaurants, Reviews, travel

Mama Shelter:The Kidzcation

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Stepping out of the cab with the blistering sun burning down on us, we could have easily been on an LA strip and not in the centre on Hackney when we arrived at Mama Shelter.

The grand, black building and striking canopies gave the hotel that immediate ‘wow’ factor, which also fills me with dread when it comes to travelling with kids! Little did I know though my worries were soon to be quashed.

We made our way past young couples sipping cocktails in the sun and entered the entrance hall where we were greeted with a ecletic mix of clashing, colourful prints and luxurious fabrics that were a feast for the eyes; but I think the game changer for us all was the arcade game sitting right by the reception; which imedietly put my mind at ease about the children being there and gave them something to do whilst I checked in, in peace.

I couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome. I was told everything I needed to know and the children were asked what they were looking forward to during thier stay.

Our stay was going to see us experience Mama Shelter’s ‘Kidzcation’ which means that when you book one room you get one half price which is interconecting if avaliable so the family are all still together.

Our rooms consisted of a double bed and two singles which worked perfectly for us. There was plenty of room to move around and all the little essentials you need such as an area to make drinks and gorgous own brand bathroom goodies.

Screen addict Frankie homed straight in on the TV and was over the moon with the huge array of free movies on offer…I think he would have been happy to stay there all weekend. Another lovely little extra were the sweets on the kids beds and the super cute Looney Tunes masks that the boys kept on for the majority of their stay .

All settled in we made our way down to dinner. The restaurant was buzzing and had a fantastic atmosphere. There was a heated debate over who was sitting on the sofa which resulted in a full on meltdown from Oscar. Normally this would make for a fraught evening, but thanks to our wonderful waiter the crisis was divered and his kinds words telling me what a fab job I was doing with the kids meant so much!

We feasted on the best burgers I have ever tasted and finshed off with a variety of puddings from cookies and milk to brulee’d pain perdu.

The children’s menu mirrored that of the adults which is always somthing I like, instead of the usual beige offerings. Mine all wolfed down their meals and I had the chance to sit and enjoy a G&T in peace while the boys played on the super cool football table.

A check out time of 12pm meant that we could have a really lazy morning which is always welcome when you have numerous little ones to get ready. A few coffees, a bit of TV watching and a long relaxing shower later we went to fill our bellies once more. Children under 12 eat free for breakfast and they get to choose from the main menu which has a great variety. We are definitely a pancake loving family and couldn’t turn down the fluffy panckes dripping with syrup and covered in crispy bacon.

Full to the brim the boys made full use of the arcade machines before we headed to the karaoke room. Tucked away at the bottom of the hotel are two karaoke rooms where Oscar was in his element. The disco lighting and iPads to select your favourite tunes were a fantastic addition to an already wonderful stay.

If you are looking for a stay that caters perfectly for the kids whilst still giving the parents something special then Mama Shleter is the place to be!

Children, Families, Family Life, Large Families, Parents

Childcare For Now And The Future With Childcare.co.uk

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[AD] Leaving your children can be one of the most anxious times you are likely to experience during your parenting years. We have that motherly instinct to look after and protect our children and having to take that step and hand the responsibility over someone else can be a really hard task.

Ultimately though this time will come and as much as it may he heart wrenching for us it is good for our children to mix with others and learn to cope without their immediate family. For many it is also a necessity as we need to go back to work.

For me one of the best ways to feel happy about passing on one of my precious bundles is to get as much information about the childcare provider as possible and this is were something such as childcare.co.uk is a great service provider.

Used by over 2 million parents – childcare.co.uk is an award winning online social media networking platform for parents that provides a huge range of childcare in a whole host of forms from babysitting to childminding, nannies to nurseries, maternity nurses to doulas and so much more.

With the current pandemic childcare may be something that you are thinking about once things are back to normal and this is the perfect time to take a look at everything they have to offer or if you are an NHS/Keyworker then they have a fantastic services that allows you to arrange emergency childcare which couldn’t be more needed right now.

The site is super east to navigate and once you have registered and created your profile you can search for any of your childcare needs with providers from your local area.

You can read their profiles to find out a little more about them, and take a look at them from their profile picture which I think is a great addition as it makes you feel more connected straight away.

Many profiles have reviews attached which is always something I need to see as who better to share experiences with than other parents!

Finally there is an option to chat online so you can get a feel of the provider before arranging to meet.

This easy to navigate site offers everything you could want and more and I urge you to take a look for yourselves as I’m sure there is something to fit everyone’s needs.

Children, Education, Families, Family Life, Kids Days Out, Large Families, Learning, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Photography, Picnics, Reviews, Stately Homes, Surrey, Woodland

Getting Away From The Screens At Hever Castle

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This half term Frankie seemed to hit the age where the only thing that was interesting him was screen time. The dreaded Xbox had firmly taken hold and anything I suggested doing was brushed aside.

However the mini dictator wasn’t going to get his own way and we headed out for some fresh air and to see what the Living With Nature event at Hever Castle was all about.

After a lot of complaining about having to leave the house, the minute the children left the car they made a run for it and bounded across the fields, making the most of all the beautiful open areas Hever has to offer.

The huge play area is always a favourite for us and we spent a good few hours picnicking, letting off steam and drinking delicious coffee and hot chocolates to keep us warm.

Frankie was especially snug in his cosy sweatshirt from T.J.Maxx.

Next up it was time to take a look at what was on offer at their Living With Nature week.

Hever is fabulous for children and they always manage to put on something exciting for them during the holidays and this half term they didn’t disappoint. The children got to watch an array of different birds of prey in the falconry display, meet a hedgehog and talked about bee keeping in the wildlife charity tent, make a super cute ladybird and bumble bee in the craft tent and explored the grounds whilst answering lots of questions in nature trail quiz.

We even managed to fit in a snowdrop walk which was so pretty and highly recommend.

Of course we couldn’t have a visit without a trip inside the castle. I always love looking at the grandness of all the rooms whilst the boys love to see the suits of armour and discussing how the poo would make it’s way from the toilet into the moat!

We managed to squeeze in an ice cream before the heavens opened and got us drenched…but that’s all part of the fun isn’t it!

For me Hever is a place where the adults can take in the beauty whilst the kids can just be kids and you can ask for much more than that can you.

Banstead, Beauty, Children, Cinema, Eczema, Egg hunts, Families, Family Life, Fashion, Food, Kids Style, Large Families, London, Memories, Parents, Siblings, teenagers

Our April…

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As expected I have already fallen behind with this series and am writing up ‘our April’ at the end of May! At least it’s easier to catch up then last years series where I committed to a post a week.

Anyway it’s actually been really lovely looking back and here are a few of the things we got up to.

I kicked off the month at an event set in a tree house in the middle of Shoreditch…yes you heard that right; with Cetraben who have released a new oatmeal based cream that is set to rival their already brilliant creams that are perfect for problematic skin.

It was lovely to catch up with Nadia Sawalha who I had worked with on a campaign last year. She really is a lovely as she comes across on TV.

From here I went onto getting a new hairdo with the lovely Frankie from Blown Away London they I have written all about ‘here’.

It must have been a big boom in babies at this time of year as we have been inundated with kids parties from the teens right down to the little ones.

It was a special time for Frankie who took part in his first Thai Boxing tournament. I think the nerves were running higher in me than him and after he had competed and I took my heart back out of my mouth I realised how proud I was of his grit and determination. He is certainly walking in his Father’s footsteps.

A while ago now a meet a lovely lady called Charlotte who runs an agency called Blooming Mummas. Her love and passion for what she does shines through every time we speak and I have been lucky enough to attend a whole host of events through her.

During the Easter holidays she set up and event at Yo Sushi that brought together a whole range of different, inspiring and wonderful women and their little ones and it made for a fantastic afternoon.

The boys were as hyper as ever when we made our way to the London Transport Museum for a day with Greg Rutherford and the Lego City Hero Academy talking about how to encourage our little ones ‘hero gene’ and of course play with a whole heap of Lego!

It was a pretty event filled Easter holiday and one that really stood out for me was the Easter Egg Hunt. We were invited into the store before opening to take part in an egg hunt that ended in a supermarket sweet style run around the sweet emporium! It was certainly something dreams are made of!

We are still in the process of getting our house complete and as I’m sure everyone knows it can be a costly process so I try to save as much as I can and I find the bargain corner at IKEA brilliant for this. I picked up a beautiful lamp and gorgeous rug for under my dining table which I have since found out looks better on Pinterest as the practicalities of a rug, food and children isn’t really a good combination.

The last two events of the holiday involved a trip to Sony HQ to take a look at the new episodes of the Cookie Monster’s Food Truck that was a barrel of laughs and a trip to London Zoo for the launch of George at ASDA summer range which we all loved.

Just as we were ready to set off for a few days of fun in Chichester for the Bank Holiday weekend we ended up with an overnight stay courtesy of the NHS with a poorly Frankie. He had been suffering with terrible headaches and after a few tests we still didn’t get to the bottom of it but he was fit and well to get on with his holiday.

We certainly didn’t get the weather we were hoping for but we had a few days filled with beach trips and ice cream which is the perfect combination in my eyes.

Date nights are few and far between in our house and I was so happy to be able to get to spend a little adult time with Darren when we went along to see Hall and Oates at Wembley. A night of 80’s cheese is just what I needed.

I ended my month on a high with a treatment at the new Re Nu salon in Banstead which I will be telling you all about very soon.

Children, Families, Family Life, Flowers, Food, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Shopping

Celebrating The Small Things:Week Thirty Two

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This week one ‘celebrating the small things’ I really am talking about very little things that bring me lots of joy.

Tea – I think growing up with a father as a builder who drank ‘builders’s tea’ by the gallon it was instilled in me to become a tea drinker. Whilst I was out the other day have a delicious cream tea it made me realise just how much I love a good strong cup of tea and how it really is a cure for everything!

Stationary – Since I was little I have had a love for pretty stationary and I certainly share this love with Izzy. We love nothing more than walking round stationary stores, selecting our favourite shinny new pens and fresh pages in new note books. The only problem is I tend to hord notepads in fear of messy them up with my terrible handwriting!

Why, Why, Why – I have a love hate relationship with the relentless ‘why’ questions I still get from the youngest two. It can be massively draining when they are in full swing but equally as indering that they have such a thirst for knowledge and what to know about absolutey everything that is going on around them.

Children, Families, Family Life, Health, Large Families, Parents

Letting Your Children See You Cry

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Parenting is a challenge on a daily basis, it comes with bundles of rewards but these are without a doubt entangled with countless hurdles that have to be navigated everyday. This coupled with challenges in your work, marital and personal life can be all consuming sometimes and things can just get to much.

As parents we are expected to be a rock to our children. Someone that is there for them wherever they need you and shoulder to cry on, a fount of knowledge to gain information from and and a fountain of love to pour over them whenever needed.

In reality though no one person can be a solid rock at all times and we all have cracks that appear that need to be delbt with from time to time.

I was earwigging in a coffee shop this week…a speciality of mine, and overheard a couple of mums chatting over what a hard time that were having with their terrible twos. They were recalling being brought to tears and how they had gone to hide away in the bedroom to shield their children from seeing them cry.

It made me stop to think about how I deal with these situations and for a moment I questioned how I showed my emotions in front of my own children. Over the years I have experienced plenty of situations that have brought me to tears and have cried in front of my children on many occasions. It made me think that should I have been letting my guard down in front of then, should I have let them see that I am not invisable or should I have keep these feeling to myself to save their own feelings.

Whilst feeling like I had been a terrible mother for allowing my children to see me like this. I then thought a little harder about it and acutally is it really such a bad thing?

As I have already said life throws us all kinds of curve balls that we have to deal with and sometimes things can all get a little to much and having a good cry about this releases all kinds of emotions and makes us feel better about the bad situation we are dealing with at the time and why shouldn’t I show my children that this is a good thing. Doesn’t it do them good to show them that it’s ok to express their emotions rather than keeping everything bottled up, doesn’t it show them that nobody is invincible and its ok to feel bad from time to time and dosen’t it give them a chance to be caring and compassionate towards someone that they love?

I don’t think that showing my vulnerable side has had a detrimental effect on my children and will continue to show them its ok to shed a tear from time to time and that I will always be there for them to hug it out and talk it over whenever they need me too and I hope that as they grow they will build a loving and compassionate side that will be used to comfort family and friends in the same situation when they are older.

Behavioural Problems, Children, Families, Family Life, Health, Holidays, Large Families, Parents, School, Siblings, Sons, Summer

Back To School Sleeping Woes

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Well we are nearly back into the whole school routine thing and I am finally coming to terms with all my babies being in full time education! We have nailed the homework, have been leaving the house in the mornings with plenty of time to spare, there have been no phone calls for forgotten books and ‘touch wood’ everything seems to be running smoothy…well aside from bedtimes!

The summer holidays made way for long bright evenings and a much more relaxed routine when it came to bedtimes. This was perfect at the time and I loved those few extra hours it gave us all to be out and about or relaxing in the garden; but this has all backfired on me with a certain little boy now that the school term routine is here.

The problems start as soon as dinner is over and the realisation that bedtime isn’t to far away. The tummy aches and headaches appear, the bedtime drink takes an eternity to get finished and then once finally in bed the real issues start.

Frankie gets so worked up about going to bed that the minute I leave the room he got foots it out of bed and is right behind me, refusing to stay in his bed and pleading to come downstairs. At the moment we seem to have two options which is to continually lead him back to his bed until he his finally to worn out to fight it anymore or spent half the evening sitting in his room until he falls asleep.

Both of these options are time consuming and hugely stressful for all of us and its really something we need to get on top of as the lack of sleep is breaking us all.

Below are a few tips that I’m going to be trying out to see if we can finally crack this before I crack myself:

Routine, Routine, Routine – This is one of the things that was always a big priority but over the years and the more children I had the relaxed and calm bedtime routine I once inforced has stacked somewhat and it is all a little manic. A definite routine of bath, book and bed are certainly going to be put in place again.

Security – A know that a big problem from Frankie is the anxiety of being left on his own at bedtime so finding a toy or a blanket to snuggle up to may help to make him feel a little more secure.

Calming Environment – I know for me I get a much better nights sleep when my room is clean and tidy and free from the clutter of the day and I’m sure that for children this is the same. Making their room a calming and inviting place make for a good starting ground for a restful night. Making sure that all the toys are put away and there is a cosy and inviting bed for them to jump into is a must.

London Bus Red Wooden Kids Theme Bunk Bed Frame - 3ft Single £364.99.jpg

Turn Off Electrics – I definitly fall down when it come to limiting electronics before bedtime and it is actually advised that anything stimulating such as TV, computers and tablets should be turned off an hour before bed.

Choose The Right Foods – Try not to give children any sugary or caffeinated foods before bedtime. They work as a stimulant and can be a good reason as to why they are still bouncing off the walls when you are trying to get them to sleep.

I am really hoping that some of these tips are going to work for us and we all finally get some much needed rest. I would love to know if you have any other top tips to help me out.

*collaborated post

Banstead, Charity, Children, Christmas, Families, Family Life, Food, Presents, Reigate, Shopping, Surrey

Teaching Children To Give A Little This Christmas

by thejoyoffive2 Comments on Teaching Children To Give A Little This Christmas

With the media whirlwind that surrounds Christmas it can be very easy for children to get wrapped up in the commercialisation of it all and loose the true meaning.

It is very easy to get swept up in all the splender that surrounds Christmas and loose sight of the fact that this time of year is not a happy one for all of us.

Christmas is the perfect time to teach children the gift of giving and set them up with skills to show understanding and compassion for those less fortunate.

Something small such a helping out an elderly neighbour with odd jobs or simply a gift of their time is a simple way to give something back.

There are many ways to get the children involved and below I have listed a few charities local to me that offer a great way to do this:

  • Loveworks Christmas Appel – Loveworks are a Reigate based charity that’s aim is to help the most vulnerable groups of people in the local area. Over Christmas they run a campaign where you can collect non perishable goods during November and drop off to your local Loveworks food bank in the first week of December.
  • Stripey Stork, Help Santa Stork – Stripey Stork is a charity created by a group of mums who wanted to make use of their unwanted baby and children’s items by giving them to people in need in the local community. Over the Christmas period they run a campaign called Help Santa’s Stork that allows you to either pick a brand new gift for a child either directly from Amazon or chosen by purchasing and dropping off at local collection points.
  • Give A Christmas Gift – Give A Christmas Gift campaign allows you but a gift from the list they have compiled and then drop your special gift off to several collection points that will then be distribute the collections amongst several local charities.

I hope this post has given you some food for thought and I would love to hear any ideas of charitable acts that you carry out with your little ones at this time of year.

Charity, Children, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Large Families

Getting Messy At NSPCC Messathon

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Through the course of the year I always like to try and find ways a way give a little back.

Be it a cake sale at school, a sponsored silence or a jumble sale there is always a way to raise funds and I feel it is especially important to include children in this.

We can all get caught up in our own lives and forget about those in a much harder situation than ourselves and this awareness should be bought to the attention of our children in the hope that is will help them to become thoughtful and compassionate adults.

A great way to do this is to find something fun that the whole family can take part in and this is where the NSPCC Messathon is the perfect event for family fundraising.

The clever people at the NSPCC a charity who’s aim is to help neglected and abused children launched their first Messathon and we were lucky enough to be asked along to take part.

The event is aimed at families with competitors as young as four allowed to compete.

We were up early on Saturday morning with Frankie absolutely champing at the bit to get started.

Tshirts and headbands at the ready we made our way to the starting line at Frimley Park  in Surrey for the warm up that got everyone going and eager to get started.

The claxon sounded and each team set off one at a time to make their way around the 2.5km obstacle course.

My super competitive family raced ahead to get going with the fun and I have to admit I was really excited to see what the course had in store for us.

We were faced with hay bales to scale, bubbles to slide through, a water slide to plumit down, a squelchey pool of mud to wade through and so much more.

It was a welcome break from the technological world that seems to take over our life so much and brilliant to have some good messy fun.

It had us in fits of giggles and really bought is together as a family by cheering each other on and helping each other to overcome each of the obstacles.


We bounced out way across the finish line on space hoppers to collect our medals of honour for taking part.

Sufficiently covered in mud and soaking wet we stopped and grabbed a well earned bite to eat from one of the many stalls offering great refreshments.



Everything has been though of at this event to made it fun and stress free to take part as a family.

There were plenty of toilets and changing facilities to get out of your soggy clothes or capes to save your car from the mess if you are unorganised like us!

Plenty of places to keep you entertained before and after the race with face paints and tattoos and an area to educate you a little more on the good work the NSPCC do.

Or simply spend a few hours in the beautiful surroundings the event is held in.

There are still two more Messathons for you to take part in this year with the first one being in Bristol on 29th July and the second in Herts on 19th of August.

If this takes your fancy then I have the discount code BLOGM25 that will save you 25% on your entrance fee if you add it at the checkout. 

We are now champing at the bit to take part again and I would love to know of any of you decide to have a go yourselves!