Taking Part In The Free Pets At Home My Pet Pals Workshop

My 5-year-old daughter Sophia is animal crazy, she adores any kind of animal and has been asking us non-stop for the past three years for a pet mouse or hamster. As she was so young we did not want to get her a small furry pet just yet as we wanted to wait until she was old enough to care for the pet and to understand to be gentle with animals and to handle and treat them correctly. So when I heard about the FREE My Pet Pals summer workshops being held at Pets at Home stores across the country this summer I thought this was the perfect opportunity for Sophia to learn about looking after a small furry animal. 

The My Pet Pals summer challenge is an hour-long workshop held in Pets at Home stores across the country, you simply visit  www.petsathome.com to book onto a workshop which is completely free of charge. When you attend the workshop you will also be given an activity booklet which has ten challenges for children to complete during the summer, my daughter has had great fun completing her booklet this past week as it encourages her to get active and also teaches her about caring for small pets. 

Date Night At Aphrodite Greek Restaurant Cramlington

Aphrodite Greek restaurant is located at the Brockwell Centre in Cramlington and is somewhere I have always wanted to visit but never got around to. I don't know why I put off visiting for so long as we visited last week for a rare date night and it was delicious and I am kicking myself for not visiting sooner. I actually grew up a 2-minute walk from the Brockwell Centre and I used to go to the school there, my dad still lives in the house I grew up in. 

After seeing lots of friends and family comment on how nice Aphrodite was we decided to book a table when my dad offered to babysit for us. We visited on a Thursday evening and the restaurant had a real mix of customers, groups of families, couples and friends all enjoy a meal together in the relaxed restaurant which had a very holiday type vide to it.  

Disney Vampirina Bootastic Backpack & Spooky Scooter Toy Review

Vampirina is a children's TV show on the Disney Jr channel and my children love it, my little girl Sophia has been a big fan of the show since it launched. Earlier this year we reviewed some Vampirina toys and we were lucky enough to be sent some more Vampirina items to review, perfect for keeping my children entertained throughout the summer holidays. 

We were sent the Vampirina Bootastic Backpack set (RRP £24.99) this set includes a purple hard case backpack, just like the one that Vampirina herself wears in the show. The set also includes some funky spider sunglasses, some bat shaped hairclips, a keyring, a necklace with phrases from the show and some stickers. Great items for any Vampirina fan to enjoy dressing up with. 

Things I Loved July 2018

It is now August, the summer holidays are in full swing and we are enjoying lots of family days out and lazy days at home. We have lots to look forward to in August as Jacob will be turning four and we have a few nice things planned to celebrate. I have hardly done any blogging lately as I have been enjoying spending time with all three children, but as it is now August I thought it was time I wrote about some of the things I have loved from July. 

1.) Summer Holidays 

I love the summer holidays, it is always lovely having all three children at home and having a break from the usual school routine. We have had some lovely days out so far and we have lots more planned as well as some lazy days at home playing in the garden or watching Disney films. 

The Wizard Of Oz At Whitley Bay Playhouse

As a family we do love a good pantomime, oh yes we do! (sorry I couldn't resist) so when we heard that The Wizard of Oz was heading to the Whitley Bay Playhouse this August we were looking forward to going to see the show. Reece Sibbald productions present the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz with a few minor adaptions and a whole heap of laughs, it is a show the whole family will enjoy and we left wishing we could see it again. 

Starring Dani Harmer (from Tracey Beaker and Strictly Come Dancing fame) as the wicked witch, Cal Halbert (from Britain's Got Talent) as the Wizard, Steve Arnott as the Lion, Pippa Smith as Dorothy, Alex Smith as the Tin Man, Lily Grundy as Glinda the good witch and producer and writer of the show Reece Sibbald as the hilarious Scarecrow. It was a cast that worked well together and really brought the show to life. 

Crate Creatures Surprise Toy Review

My little boy Jacob is almost 4-years-old and he is really into monsters, surprise toys and anything he thinks is disgusting and funny. So when we were recently sent a Crate Creature Surprise toy I knew this would be something he would enjoy. Crate Creatures Surprise are new interactive monster toys that come in a crate locked with a plastic chain and padlock that you have to open with the crowbar fixed to the side of the crate. 

The crate instantly appealed to Jacob and he could not wait to crack open the padlock and unleash the creature inside.

Are You Saving For Your Child's Future?

Are you saving for your child's future? is something that I was asked recently and I will be honest and say that as a Mam of three I haven't been as children are expensive and we have had a lot going on the past few years, moving house, saving for a wedding and I also gave up my full-time job when my youngest was born almost 4-years-ago. So saving has been the last thing on my mind as we did think of it as a luxury we could not afford over the past few years, as money was tight as a one income family.

However lately we are in a much better financial position and as the children get older it is something that I have been thinking of. My eldest is turning 16 in just a few months, before we know it she will be starting driving lessons and wanting a car of her own. Maybe she will be off to university or want to buy her own home in a few years time and as a Mam, I obviously want to be able to help her with these costs.