5 Festive Family Films To Watch This December & Giveaway

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I love December, there is excitement in the air as everyone looks forward to Christmas and children are super excited to see what Santa will bring. December can be such a busy time of year though, with shopping to do, Christmas parties, Pantomime visits, trips to see Santa and festive days out as well as lots of school activities too. We have been so busy that as soon as the children break up from school I am planning on doing nothing! We will be having a few lazy days at home, watching Christmas films and relaxing. 

As a family we love sitting down with mugs of hot chocolate to watch Christmas films, it gets us all in the Christmas spirit. Fox have some great festive films that the whole family will enjoy including all-time favourite Home Alone! So here is a look at five festive films that are perfect for families to enjoy this December. 

Festive Tales With Father Christmas At Woodhorn Museum

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On Saturday we were invited along to Woodhorn Museum in Ashington, Northumberland to experience the Festive Tales with Father Christmas event and the children had such a lovely time. For those who don't know Woodhorn Museum is a former colliery based just outside of the former mining town of Ashington at the Queen Elizabeth 11 Country park in Northumberland - about half an hour north of Newcastle. Despite only living 20 minutes away I have never visited Woodhorn since I was a child and the children had never visited before so I had no idea what to expect. 

Festive Tales with Father Christmas costs £6.50 per child and includes a gift, which I think is really good value. Adults do not pay but they do need to either buy or use their annual membership which costs £7 per year - under 16s are free. Arriving at Woodhorn in the afternoon everywhere was lit up with hundreds of white twinkling fairy lights which looked magical. 

Jack And The Beanstalk Pantomime At Whitley Bay Playhouse Review

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It just wouldn't be Christmas without a trip to the pantomime and as a family, one pantomime that we always look forward to is the one at Whitley Bay's Playhouse. We have been going to see the pantomime here for the past four years and it is always the children's favourite one as it is perfect for young children. This year's panto was Jack and the Beanstalk produced once again by Blue Genie Entertainment and starring Ashleigh Butler and Sully the dog, former X-Factor contestant Molly Scott, Playhouse legend Steve Walls and the return of Playhouse favourites Damian Patton, Dame Patsy Trott and David Burton. 

Settling in our seats we were transported to Happyvale and as soon as the curtains were up the audience was captivated with the singing, dancing and non-stop silliness of the cast. Last year I mentioned that there were not enough jokes for us grow-ups well this year there was plenty, myself and my husband were laughing along just as much as the children with many of the jokes going totally over their heads. 

What Parents Of Teenagers Need To Know About TikTok

Disclosure: This is an advertorial post in partnership with TikTok, however, all words and opinions are my own. 

 Have you heard of the popular app TikTok? As a parent to a 17-year-old, I certainly have as my teenage daughter has been a fan for a while. However, I thought it was an app where you made music videos - but I was wrong. TikTok is much more than that and I have to admit since downloading the app, I am now a fan myself.

What is TikTok? 

Destination 1850 At Newcastle Central Train Station - Review

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Destination 1850 has recently opened in Newcastle's Central Station, train station and it is a great new place to eat. Now you might be wondering why I am writing about train station food as its normally fast food or sandwiches - well Destination 1850 is different and has changed that preconception. Destination 1850 is from the people behind popular North East venues YOLO and STACK and is the ideal place to grab a bite to eat before or after a train journey - or even just lunch out if you're passing the area. 

Located just inside the train station entrance you will find Destination 1850 inside the glass covering, beautifully decorated it is cosy and welcoming and even has heated seats to keep you warm. Serving a range of hot drinks, wines, soft drinks and cocktails it also has an impressive food menu - expect to see the likes of pizzas, wraps, salads, loaded fries and sharing boards as well as brunch on the menu. 

Cookhouse And Pub Holystone Family Meal - Review

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I love autumn time, it is definitely my favourite season, I enjoy wrapping up warm, crunching through leaves and being cosy. Autumn is always a time for craving comfort food and I always think pub meals are proper comfort food that you just can't beat at this time of year. So at the weekend, we headed to our local Cookhouse and Pub in Holystone, North Tyneside.   

We have visited the Cookhouse and Pub Holystone a few times over the last couple of years but this was the first time we have visited with all three children. After a busy morning of swimming lessons and shopping, we headed to the Cookhouse and Pub with rumbling tummies on Saturday lunchtime, along with my dad who was joining us (my husband was at work). We were warmly greeted and shown to a seat in the conservatory area which is bright, modern and perfectly cosy on a crisp autumn day. 

Activity sheets and crayons were provided for the children along with little pots of popcorn for them to nibble on whilst we pursued the menu. They were also offered vegetable sticks but they passed on these. 

Alnwick Castle

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As part of our magical stay at Macondland Linden Hall experiencing the Harry Potter Package we were given a family ticket to Alnwick Castle as this is where part of the first two Harry Potter films were filmed. Alnwick Castle is somewhere that I have visited before but it has been around seven years since my last visit and my youngest two children had never been before so they were very excited. 

Alnwick Castle is located in Alnwick, Northumberland in the town centre and right next to Alnwick Gardens and the famous treehouse restaurant. We had a family day ticket as part of our Harry Potter package but you can buy tickets for either just the castle or the castle and the garden combined on the day or in advance online (and save 10%) and they will last for the full year - making them really good value. 

Our Wedding - The Venue Backworth hall

We had been together for almost five years when we got engaged but we didn't actually know where we wanted to get married. I had always wanted to get married abroad as I loved the idea of getting married in the sunshine and having a holiday as well as a wedding. The other half really didn't want to get married abroad, it was important to him that certain family members were there and eventually after a few heated arguments he talked me out of it. 

Leaving us with no idea at all where to get married. 

Snapstar Dolls Review

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My six-year-old daughter adores playing with her dolls, she likes fashion dolls and spends hours changing their clothes, making up imaginative games with them and playing happily on her own or with her friends. Now there is a new fashion doll in town for children to play with called Snapstar dolls, a squad of six 'influencer dolls' with their own app - yep really. 

There are six Snapstar dolls to collect and each doll looks different and likes different things such as music, make-up, travelling, animals, fashion and crafts. The dolls are a similar size to other fashion dolls and they have moveable limbs and look really appealing for children with lovely sparkly eyes and nice outfits. 

Pop Pop Hair Surprise Toy Review

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Like most children, my six-year-old daughter is really into collectable type toys and blind bags (thanks YouTube). Whenever a new collectable comes out she is eager to try them out, well there is a new one around called Pop Pop Hair Surprise but this one is a bit different to other surprise toys on the market, so let me tell you all about them. 

Pop Pop Hair Surprises are rather cute looking hairbrushes - that you can actually use, inside each hairbrush is some hidden surprises. The hairbrush can be opened and inside you will find a fabric wrapped up surprise, you have to spray the fabric surprise with water from the spray bottle provided (it is part of the hairbrush) and the fabric pops off revealing a surprise roller character. Inside the roller character, there will be another surprise - the hair surprise toy pet. 

A Family Night In With Arla Goodness

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September always feels like a fresh start, the children go back to school and families get back into a routine after the fun of the summer. I always spend September getting organised and trying to make healthier food choices for my family after a few too many treats during the holidays. As my children are getting older - they are 5,6 and 16, this is especially important as they always come home from school starving and a little bit tired and grumpy whilst they settle back into routine and new school classes.

So when we were challenged by Arla Goodness to enjoy a family night in I thought this was the perfect way to relax after a busy week of school. We all know that milk is a good source of calcium and important to support normal bones and teeth and Arla new Goodness milk provides 50% of an adult's daily calcium requirement in just one 250ml glass. Arla Goodness is a new milk that contains just 1% fat and 30% more protein than semi-skimmed milk making it perfect busy families to incorporate into family life for growing and active children. 

Discovering The Harry Potter Package At Macdonald Linden Hall

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My 6-year-old daughter discovered the magic of Harry Potter earlier this year and she had been desperate to visit Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ever since. So when an invite landed in my inbox (sadly not via owl post) to try out the new Harry Potter Package at Macdonald Linden Hall country house hotel in Northumberland, it was the perfect opportunity to make my very own little Gryffindors wish come true. 

Macdonald Linden Hall is a country house hotel, golf course and spa nestled in the beautiful Northumberland countryside - about 30 minutes north of Newcastle. Setting off on Friday afternoon after school we were soon pulling up outside the impressive 18th-century manor house set in 450 acres of private grounds and with plenty of free on-site parking. Checking in was super quick and easy and we were warmly greeted by the very friendly receptionist who really made the children feel welcome.

Our North Tyneside Wedding Suppliers

When I was planning our wedding I spent hours and hours searching for wedding suppliers as I had heard so many horror stories of suppliers not turning up or going bust leaving brides and grooms stressed out. I wanted to book reputable suppliers that were local and didn't charge crazy prices and who would help create the day we wanted. 

One bit of advice I can give to any engaged couple is to take your time, research suppliers and book a trusted supplier as they honestly will make your day extra special. I left the whole day up to our wedding suppliers and they made the day so stress-free and relaxed for us as everything was taken care of and we honestly could not have asked for better. 

We got married in North Tyneside, just north of Newcastle and these are the suppliers we used who all cover the North East area. I recommend them all as we had no problems at all with any of them and without them, our day wouldn't have been as lovely as it was. 

Our Wedding Day

After two years of planning and so many wedding countdown posts on this blog, we finally got married back in June and I thought it was about time that I sat down and told you all about the big day. It seems so long ago now and myself and my husband (it still sounds so strange saying that) were talking this morning and said we both wish we could re-live the day again as it just went so fast and we wish we could enjoy it all over again. 

The day of the wedding I woke to lovely sunshine which I was so relieved about after the weather forecast had been rain and thunderstorms in the lead up to the day. I spent the night before the wedding at home with the three children and Lee spent the night at his mam's house a few miles away. I woke really early and enjoyed a coffee in peace before the kids woke, I felt surprisingly calm all morning which definitely made things more enjoyable. 

10 Pantomimes To See In The North East This Christmas

As a family we love nothing more than a family day out at the panto each year, it always gets us in the festive spirit and is something we can all enjoy together. I love watching the kids face light up, watching them shout 'he's behind you' and giggle at all the slapstick humour that panto brings. For the past few years, we have always headed to Whitley Bay Playhouse to see Blue Genies Pantomime production as they are perfect for young families and it is local to where we live - plus I highly recommend it as it is always a great show. 

If you're looking for a festive pantomime to see here in the North East this year then I thought I would put together this little guide to what pantomimes are on this year as we all know they can get booked up super early!

FlipaZoo World Toy Review

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FlipaZoo Word is a new range of toys from Character Options, they have plush soft toys and some fun playsets available. Each of the toys in the range can be flipped over to reveal another character, making them double the fun for children. We were sent a selection of toys from the range to see what the children thought of them, we were sent a large 16-inch FlipaZoo plush (£16.99), a smaller 8-inch FlipaZoo plush (£9.99) and a FlipaZoo playset (£13). 

Like a lot of young children my two love soft toys, so they were happy to see the plush toys to add to their ever-growing collections. My 6-year-old claimed the larger one which was a chocolate coloured dog on one side and a white cat on the other side, she instantly knew how to flip the dog over to discover the cat on the other side and she thought they were both really soft, cuddly and cute. The large plush comes in different character options, all animal-themed such as cows, elephants and horses. 

Planning On Taking The Dog On Holiday

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We have not had a family holiday this year, as we were busy saving for our wedding, the eldest was sitting her GCSEs and the other half has had no time off work. We are hoping to maybe getaway later in the year and have been looking at booking a little UK mini-break so we can spend some quality family time together and so we can bring the dog with us. As a family with pets, we class our pets as part of the family and I love the idea of taking the dog away with us (the cat obviously wouldn't be too keen). 

Kynren 2019

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Pulling up in the farmer's field that was being used as a car park we pulled on our waterproof coats as we exited the car as the sky was grey with clouds, splodging through the field as we made our way to the shuttle bus waiting to transport us to witness the most epic tale of England. 

Kynren awaited us. 

The weather forecast was heavy rain and thunderstorms and it has been raining on and off all day, there was a chill in the air even though it was August. Despite the terrible wet and gloomy British weather thousands of people had travelled to Bishop Auckland in Durham to watch history come to life before their very eyes. Spirits were high as locals and tourists alike chatted excitedly about the show they were about to see, the traditional sweet truck and bustling food and drink stalls were doing a roaring trade as people queued for refreshments before the show. 

Go Ape Matfen Review

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When an invite to try out Go Ape tree-top challenge landed in my inbox a few weeks ago my initial reaction was no-way am I trying that as I am terrified of heights. However, once I realised my teen was old enough to go around the course herself (16-17 years can tackle the course alone) then I signed her and her friend up straight away, as Go Ape sounded right up her street (she is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, unlike her mam).

Go Ape is located in Matfen in the lovely Northumberland countryside, right near Matfen hall and golf course and it is only about a 20-minute drive from Newcastle. Luckily on the day we visited the sun was shining and it was a lovely day to be out in the countryside. Following the directions for the golf course, we soon arrived in the large free car park and instantly spotted the wooden Go Ape hut.

We Got Married

After two years of planning, we finally got married! If you follow me on social media you have probably already seen some photos of the day, there is going to be a whole lot of wedding spam over the coming weeks. I honestly don't know where to begin telling you all about the big day as it was just perfect, we were blessed with wonderful weather as it was the hottest day of the year so far, although the whole day just went by so very fast. 

We got married last Saturday on the 29th of June, which would have been my late mam's birthday. I chose that day as a way to remember her on my special day and so she was a part of my wedding day because getting married without your mam is bloody hard and rather emotional if I am honest. When we got engaged we knew we wanted a summer wedding and when I saw her birthday was on a Saturday we knew that was the day we wanted and luckily the venue had that day free. 

Inflata Nation North Shields Review

We received complimentary tickets 

Inflata Nation opened its Newcastle venue a few months ago and we were invited to the launch event. Sadly we couldn't make the event but we were kindly invited back to try it out and we visited during the recent May half-term holidays. Inflata Nation Newcastle is an inflatable obstacle course inside an inflatable building, so it is super easy to spot. It is located at the Royal Quays in North Shields so not technically in Newcastle but only a few miles away and its location makes it really easy to get too as it is not far from the A19 and Tyne Tunnel. Plus there is a bus stop and a metro station not too far away. 

We were booked to attend on a Tuesday lunch-time during half-term so it was busy but we could still get on everything without waiting and there was plenty of free parking available. We had already pre-booked the session online, which is recommended but you can just turn up on the day and see if there is space in the next session. When you arrive you just give the booking number and check the waiver is signed and then you go and watch a safety video. 

Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years Of Magic In Newcastle This October

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Disney On Ice is returning to Newcastle's Utilita arena this October to celebrate 100 years of magic and I for one can not wait! This year's show is set to bring more than 50 unforgettable Disney stars to the ice from 14 much-loved Disney stories. Mickey and Minnie will be on hand as always to introduce us to mesmerising skating scenes from The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Toy Story, Nemo and Aladdin to name just a few and I am sure the audience will be mesmerised and singing along to popular Disney songs from the start. 

As a parent, I adore Disney On Ice, let's be honest must of us do as Disney just evokes such wonderful memories. I have been going to see Disney On Ice for over ten years now, I remember taken my eldest to see Princess Classics all the way back in 2008/2009. She went dressed up as Cinderella, complete with glass slippers and she was thrilled to be watching the show as it set it off a love affair with Disney On Ice. 

Dining Out With Teens - Thaikhun Metrocentre

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My eldest daughter is 16 and I always try and spend time alone with her, just the two of us at least once a month. It gives us a chance to catch up and I think when you have more than one child, spending one-on-one time with each child is important. Normally when I spend time with my teen we go shopping and for food somewhere that she likes, as she is getting older she is enjoying trying new places as her tastes are a lot different than her younger siblings. So when I was recently invited along to try out the new menu at Thaikhun in the Metrocentre I knew she would enjoy trying out some Thai food and getting her mam to her self for a few hours. 

I have visited Thaikhun in the Metrocentre a few times, we have dined there as a family, as a couple and we also attended a cooking class there. It is somewhere that I always enjoy visiting as the setting is fab (it is decorated to represent the streets of Thailand with interesting things everywhere you look), it has a lovely laid back atmosphere, the staff are so friendly and most importantly of all the food is delicious. 

Feeling Nostalgic For The 90s With The Spice Girls

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I loved the 90s, being born in the early 80s the 90s was the decade I grew up in and I have so many amazing memories. From the cool TV shows, Saturday morning TV rocked! To the questionable fashion styles, Adidas popper pants, hair scrunchies, plastic dummy necklaces and platform trainers anyone? To the catchy pop music filling the charts, it was a decade full of fun that I remember fondly. 

So when I heard iconic 90s pop group the Spice Girls were back I was instantly transported back to being a teenager, waiting to watch them on Top Of The Pops on a Friday evening and heading to HMV to buy their latest single (remember when you could buy a single on CD or cassette tape?). I was 13 when Wannabe hit the airwaves and I used to make up dance routines with my friends and knew every word, I probably still do.

Pop Pop Snotz Toy Review

Like most young children my 4 and 6-year-old love tiny collectable surprise type toys and slime - thanks to Youtube! My daughter has so many collectable surprise type toys and her little brother always wants to join in but there are not many available for boys that appeal to him. So when we heard about Pop Pop Snotz I knew these would be something that he would really enjoy as they have sets that will appeal to boys and girls. 

We were sent the green ones which are called Pop Pop Snots and are little balls you pop, kind of like bubble wrap and when you pop them green slime comes out. Some of the Pop Pops have just green slime in them and some of them have a small collectable snotz toy in them. These are probably more appealing to little boys, although my daughter liked them just as much as her brother; they do Pop Pop Pets which are pink and purple too. 

A Family Day Out At The Gate Newcastle With Young Kids

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Now that all three children are in full-time school and the other half has weekends off work we make sure that weekends are family time. We like to have a day out somewhere but we find that we normally end up visiting the same places all of the time. So when we were recently invited along to The Gate complex in Newcastle city centre for an afternoon of family fun we knew this would be a nice change for the children. We visited with our 4 and 5-year-old on Saturday afternoon after Jacob had finished football, as the teen was out with her friends. 

The Gate is somewhere that I have such fond memories of, I partied there with my friends in my 20s, I visited for first dates with my soon to be husband, I met up with friends for a cheeky Nando's and catch-up and it is also somewhere I regularly visited with my teen when she was younger for cinema trips in the school holidays. However it is not somewhere we have visited much with our younger two children (aged 4 and 5 years old), we have taken them for a few meals at Pizza Hut over the years but until recently they were too young to take to the cinema or to enjoy a relaxed family meal with. 

Creating A Candy Buffet For Our Wedding With Swizzels

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In just two months time I will be getting married and I am really looking forward to spending time with all of my friends and family and I really want to create a nice day not only for us but also for our guests too. We have picked food that hopefully everyone will like, we have a DJ and entertainment booked to entertain our guests, we have an amazing photographer to capture the big day and we have a brilliant wedding coordinator who I trust will make our big day run smoothly. So now I am busy planning lots of little finishing touches that our guests will enjoy. 

One thing that I knew I wanted as soon as we started planning a wedding was a candy buffet, so the children (and adults) could enjoy some yummy treats as they danced the night away. Candy buffets are so popular at weddings these days that I think it is kind of expected of us to have a one, originally we were going to have a sweet cart but they can be rather pricey and I have already blown our wedding budget - oops! So I decided to create a sweet table instead as they are much more affordable. 

Hape Teepee Review

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My children adore making little dens under the dining room table to play and hide from the grown-ups. In the past, we have bought them play tents but we have always found them to be really flimsy and a bit of a nightmare to put up and pack away again - especially pop-up-ones. So when Hape recently got in touch and asked if we would like to review one of their teepees I knew the children would have lots of fun and really enjoying testing it out. 

I had seen photos of the teepee online and it looked really sturdy and the perfect size for my 4 and 5-year-olds to play in together. When it arrived in a rather small storage bag I initially thought there must be some kind of mistake as it looked a lot smaller then I imagined and I was dreading putting the teepee up as I thought it would be in lots of little pieces. However, I was proved wrong on both counts as it was super quick and easy to set the teepee up and it was a lot bigger then it looked in the bag. 

Spirit Riding Free Toy Collection Review

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My 5-year-old daughter Sophia is horse crazy (just like I used to be), she dreams of owning her own pony someday and loves to play with toy horse and ponies and have riding lessons. So she often watches Spirit Riding Free on Netflix, a TV show about a young girl called Lucky and her horse Spirit. So when I found out that there was a range of Spirit Riding Free toys by Flair I knew these would be a big hit with fans of the show. We were sent some of the toys to review, so read on to see what we thought. 

Jump 360 Trampoline Park In Newcastle Review

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On Friday afternoon we headed to Jump 360 Trampoline Park, Newcastle - which is actually located in Benton. Jump 360 is in Bellway industrial estate which is near the big Asda supermarket and Round the Twist soft play, Jump 360 is clearly signposted and is situated near the back of the industrial estate. There was plenty of free on-site parking and a bus stop just a few minutes walk away (although I don't know which buses go pass - sorry). 

My teenage daughter has been wanting to visit Jump 360, she is a huge fan of trampoline parks (after spending many years having trampoline lessons when she was younger) and has visited sister venue Inflatspace which is just along the road in Walkergate. So when we were asked to come along to review Jump 360 I took my teen and her friend (both aged 16) and my younger daughter aged 5.  

A Family Meal At Toby Carvery Kenton Review

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I love a good roast dinner and being typically northern we have a Sunday roast every single week as you can't beat fluffy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and lashings of thick gravy. However sometimes when we are busy we just don't have time to cook a roast so we often find ourselves heading to Toby Carvery as it is somewhere that all five of us enjoy, even our very fussy eater of a five-year-old! Plus we always find it really good value when eating out as a family of five. 

Last Saturday we went shopping at Kingston Park and we decided to head to Toby Carvery whilst we were there. We normally head to the more newer Toby Carvery Shiremoor as this is closer to where we live, however before it opened we were regulars at the Kenton branch as I used to crave them when pregnant with Sophia, so I was keen to see if things were as good as I remember. 

We arrived around 2.30pm on a Saturday afternoon and it was fairly busy, however, we were greeted straight away at the entrance and showing to a table in the dining area. I noticed that the restaurant had a bit of an update since I last visited about five years ago and everything looked more modern yet still welcoming. The dining area and bar area were very clean and there were lots of staff dotted around serving customers, first impressions were good. 

PJ Masks Super Moon Toys & Easy Crafty Background

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My 4 and 5-year-olds are huge fans of Disney Junior and one show they have been watching since it hit the screen is PJ Masks, for the past couple of years they have loved following the adventures of Owlett, Geko and Cat Boy. So when we were sent a box full of the new PJ Masks Super Moon Adventure toys - include baddie Luna girl my children were super excited to start playing and recreating scenes from the show. We were also sent some crafty bits to help create our own Super Moon background so the children could enjoy some Super Moon adventures of their own with the new toys. 

I am not the most crafty of people but my girls adore getting creative, my 5-year-old Sophia is always cutting, colouring and 'doing art' and my teen is busy studying for her GCSE art exams at the moment. So I left creating the Super Moon background up to them and they managed without any adult help. 

Slimming World Friendly Chilli Con Carne Recipe

I received a voucher to buy the ingredients for this post. 

Weeknights are always busy in our house as the children attend various after-school clubs, so I always try and cook quick and easy meals that the whole family will enjoy. One meal that we cook almost every week is Chilli Con Carne and I use a recipe I adapted from when I used to attend Slimming World groups as it is packed full of hidden veg, is healthy and delicious plus beef is a source of iron which helps reduce tiredness and fatigue. This dish takes under half an hour to cook and you can make it in just one big pan, saving on the washing up too - always a plus point in my household. 

Village Hotel Spa Day With Red Letter Days

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This morning I went to The Village Hotel Newcastle (Silverlink) to relax on a Spa day thanks to Red Letter Days who give me a voucher for the occasion. Red Letter Days have a whole host of different vouchers available for different experiences making them the perfect gift idea - they would make a great Mothers Day gift. To redeem the gift experience voucher you simply register your voucher online, you will then be giving a phone number of your chosen venue to ring and book and then you hand the voucher in on the day. It was really straightforward to book and as I had been given  Blissful Spa Day for two voucher there was a number of different spas I could book into all over the country. I decided on The Village Hotel Spa as it was close to where I live and I had never been before.

When I rang to book into the spa day the spa was actually busy so I had to wait a few weeks for an appointment which luckily wasn't a problem for us. Arriving at the Village Hotel for 9am we arrived at reception and were directed to the spa area which is downstairs near the gym. We were showing to the relaxation room which had dimmed lights, comfy chairs and was very peaceful and we were asked to fill in some forms.

The Highwayman Sizzling Pub In Whickham Review

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You know those day's at the end of the week when you are feeling a bit frazzled after a week of school runs, after-school clubs and chores and you just can't be bothered to cook? Well, that was me last week, after a busy week and with no motivation to cook that evening I decided to take the kids out for tea so we could catch up on what they had been up to at school and so I could have a break from cooking and the dreaded dishes. 

Finding somewhere to eat with kids can sometimes be a bit tricky, with fussy eaters and kids who don't sit still we always try and head somewhere family friendly with a relaxed atmosphere that serves food that the children enjoy. One such place is our local sizzling pub, which serves pub food the kids (and us grown-ups) enjoy, plus it is such great value for money too. I was recently invited along to the recently refurbished The Highwayman Sizzling Pub which is on Whickham Highway in Gateshead, not far from the Metrocentre. I have never visited The Highwayman before so we headed there for tea last week after school with my dad.  

ClassDojo Keeping Parents Informed Of Their Child's School Life

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Every day when I pick my four and five years old up from school I ask them what they have done that day, I always get the same reply "I don't remember" or "Nothing". Sometimes they will tell me they haven't played with anyone that day, which after asking their teacher at parents evening I find out not to be the case at all as they are always playing with other children. As my children are a bit reluctant to tell me about their days, and also because my youngest is one of the youngest in the school (he is an August baby) and my daughter has speech delays I do worry about how they are coping and getting on at school. So when I heard about ClassDojo I wished my children's school used this as it sounds like a great way to help us parents know what our children have been up to and how they are getting on at school. 

Finding Out Where I Come From With Findmypast

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Do you ever wonder where you come from? About all the ancestors who came before and helped make you the person, you are today? Now that I am older and have children of my own it is something that I often think about. When I was a little girl my grandparents would often tell me tales about growing up in the war, about where their families came from and about family members that were no longer with us. I wish I could remember what they told me as I didn't have much interest when I was younger and now I am older and interested my grandparents are no longer with us. I think that is the reason why I am so curious about finding out about my past, My Mam died when I was younger and so did all my grandparents so I only have my dad to tell me things and he can only tell me about his own family, not my maternal side.

Poopsie Sparkly Critters Review

Items sent for review. 

One of last years must have toys was Poopsie Surprise, a cute unicorn toy that pooped slime. We reviewed Poopsie Surprise last year and my five-year-old still plays with her unicorn Rainbow Brightstar (she is a huge unicorn fan). Well now there is a new Poopsie toy on the block, Poopsie Sparkly Critters and we were kindly sent two to review and see what we thought.

Like the original Poopsie Surprise, the Sparkly Critters have the surprise element of being packaged so that you can not see which character you will get until you open the box. This is something that really appeals to my children as they love any kind of surprise toy. The Sparkly Critters come in really fun looking soda can type packaging, when you pop the can open you will then find blind bags filled with the Sparkly Critter and the accessories you will need to make slime. Each set comes with one Sparkly Critter, a soda can style bottle/syringe to feed the critters, spoon, storage bag which is designed to look like a bag of crisps and glitter to add to the slime.

Bride To Be Box Review

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In just a few short months time I will be getting married and everything is in place now for the big day, the venue has been booked for a long time, I have my dress, notice of marriage has been given and invitations have started to be sent out. We are on the final count-down to the big day and it is all so exciting thinking that soon I will be a Mrs and someone's wife! 

So when I heard there was a subscription box service for us brides to be I was eager to find out more as it sounded right up my street (I love a good subscription box). Bride To Be Box is a newly launched subscription box service that celebrates the major milestones when planning a wedding. There are six boxes available, each one themed around one of the milestones in the wedding planning process. The six boxes are 'The You're Engaged', 'The Planning Begins', 'Bridal Bootcamp', 'Happy Hen-do', 'The Big Day' and 'Happily Ever After'. 

Founder of Bride To Be Box Harriet Jelley says that 

Finding Childcare Is Easy With Childcare.co.uk

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Like most families these days finding someone to watch our children is hard, grandparents often work these days, families live miles apart and everyone is leading busy lives. Myself and the other half rarely have any time apart from the children, date nights are rare in our house and we have only had one child-free night together in the past six years. If we want to go out for a meal just the two of us we have to book one of the grandparents weeks in advance around everyone's work schedules which can be challenging. We don't even have childcare in place for our upcoming wedding in just a few months time so we have been looking into childcare options. 

Boxy Girls Dolls & Fashion Pack Review

My five-year-old daughter is really into surprise toys, any kind of blind bag type toy really interest her as she loves the surprise element of opening things up and discovering what is inside. So when I heard about Boxy Girls which are fashion dolls that come with surprise boxes of accessories I knew these would be a huge hit with her. She could not contain her excitement when she saw we were sent two dolls and a fashion pack to review, as she had seen these dolls on YouTube and was eager to have some of her own. 

We were kindly sent Riley and Brooklyn dolls (£17.99 each) plus a Fashion pack (£9.99), there are also two other dolls to collect called Nomi and Willa. Boxy Girls are rather cute dolls, they look childlike with big heads and huge box-shaped eyes, long brushable hair and fully moveable arms and legs. They come in nice outfits and each doll comes with four small surprise boxes which contain accessories. 

Glam Goo Review

Like most children my little two love slime, they think it is great fun so were happy when I was recently sent a Glam Goo set for BFF day. As we were sent the kits to celebrate BFF day we were sent two kits, one for Sophia and one for her friend. Our parcel was a bit late in arriving so we missed BFF day but we had some fun during half-term getting creative with this kit. 

An L.O.L Surprise Games Night

My 5-year-old daughter is a huge L.O.L Surprise fan, she has built up a collection of dolls, baby sisters and pets and she will play with them for hours making up games and changing their outfits. She really is L.O.L crazy and whenever anything new and L.O.L Surprise related comes out she is always eager to have it. So when we were sent a box full of L.O.L Surprise games she was super excited! It was also perfect timing to keep the kids entertained during this cold and wet February half-term. 

We were sent a parcel that contained L.O.L Surprise: Surprise Makeover game (RRP £25), plus some L.O.L Surprise trading cards, a L.O.L magazine, a L.O.L scratch art set and some treats for the winner. Sophia couldn't wait to play the game and even got her little brother to join in the fun too.

Safer Internet Day With Project MC2

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Today, Tuesday the 5th of February is Safer Internet Day and in today's digital world it is something that all of us parents need to be aware of. When I was growing up there was no WI-FI - just super slow dial-up, so children never really went online very much. Nowaday's children, like my own, are growing up from a young age being able to work tablets and smartphones and watch YouTube videos of children opening surprise toys and making slime. It is all new and us parents need to ensure that we keep our children safe online, as a parent to a 4,5 and 16-year-old myself keeping my children safe online is something that I do worry about and try and be aware of especially as my teen uses social media herself. 

With this in mind Project MC2, who you may be familiar with from the Netflix show or from the great range of S.T.E.A.M toys have produced some top tips for keeping children safe online. Something I think all of us parents should read and familiarise ourselves with. 

Behind The Seams Costume Exhibit At Preston Park Museum Teeside

On Sunday we were invited along to Preston Park Museum in Stockton-On-Tees, to explore the new Behind The Seams exhibition. The exhibition provides a glimpse into the world of costume design and explores the story behind Angels Costumes, the worlds greatest costume houses who have been dressing the stars of stage, screen and TV for over 175 years. As I had never visited Preston Park before I had no idea what to expect, so read on to see what I thought.