tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22320392415975183212024-03-17T11:37:53.145+00:00Chickywiggle's BlogspotScouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.comBlogger644125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-65797852447560733502016-09-09T14:40:00.003+01:002016-09-09T14:40:34.089+01:00Urban Hike - ManchesterAs a mum I love to get my kids out of the house and off for a walk, most Friday's you'll find me sat on the laptop whilst they are at school trying to find somewhere new to go or even an unknown walk with things to see and do around Sheffield.<br />
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When I was told about Manchester's Urban Hike that Regatta launched earlier this month (working alongside Anja Phoenix). I was intrigued, so me and the boys set off for Manchester on a glorious summers day to find out more.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>What is an Urban Hike?</b><br />
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An Urban Hike is a walk through the city, letting you explore your surroundings and notice things you might otherwise have never known about. As the Autumn draws in muddy woodlands and steep mountains will soon be off the radar so trails that follow real roads and footpaths are perhaps the best way to get out and enjoy the fresh air.<br />
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<b>So why Manchester?</b><br />
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Following the success of their Urban Hikes London (which is still available) Regatta looked for somewhere else that screamed 'Adventure'. Manchester fits the bill perfectly … a booming city of musical devotion, industrial rebirth and colourful quarters. Each part of the city has its own personality, from the gritty industrial heritage of the Ancoats area to the vibrant and lively Canal<br />
Street. This 5km trail takes in many of the famous sights and quintessential Mancunian landmarks found throughout the city and also ventures into the hidden alleys (or ginnels if you’re local) and quiet waterside walkways less travelled.<br />
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It certainly opened our eyes to a a whole other side of Manchester that we'd have never know was there and one we can't wait to go back to.<br />
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<b>The Hike</b><br />
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The hike starts from just outside Manchester Central library in Saint Peter’s Square. This is easily reached from Piccadilly station on the free Metroshuttle bus, route 1 or on foot. Our train pulled into Oxford Street so we used directions from googlemaps to walk to the starting location, it really is an amazing building.<br />
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The route is split into 3 areas, each a section of Manchester's history. It is recommended you take 2 hours to complete this walk, however if your sense of direction is as bad as mine and your children as nosey and slow as mine give yourself a whole day. After an hour and a half we had only just finished section 1 and started section 2 before we had to break off as we were meeting friends on the opposite side of the city.<br />
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Here's our adventure on that stretch of the journey.......<br />
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<b><i>Central Library – China - Town - Canals</i></b><br />
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1) From the Central Library we headed towards the Manchester Art Gallery.<br />
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This bit of Manchester is heavy with roadworks at the moment which takes away some of the beauty of the area. It was also not the only time on the walk I wished I'd had a Manchester street A-Z with me, but you'll hear more on that mini-adventure later.<br />
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2) The next step directed us into Chinatown, the kids couldn't believe it was the same city. They gazed in wonder at the amazing colourful archway and the newspapers and shop signs all written in Chinese.<br />
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3) Another part of the city next, Manchester's Gay Village. At 5 and 7 my boys aren't really aware of what "Gay" means and although I'll tell them if they ask and when they are ready this is was just another area to explore........... or it would have been ...... had it not been Pride Weekend!!<br />
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Yes that's right the Gay Village was all closed off with security guards in preparation for the Pride events that day. "Where are you trying to get too?" I was asked (obviously we weren't there for the celebrations), "ermmm I don't know, I'm following this written route". <br />
And that's how we missed a whole section of the first route, fortunately a read of the instruction let me know that the route could be amended - I just had to get to Piccadilly station. (can you see now why that A-Z would have been handy). Fear not I hear you say, don't you have a smart phone with GPS on? I do, so that's what I did, set the destination for the station and followed the map. <br />
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<i>WARNING: Let me give you a word of advice about Manchester and GPS. It's useless! Well that's not 100% true, some phones in some areas work really well. Mine worked fine for getting us from the Gay Village to the station, however remember me saying I was meeting friends after, well according to my phone it was a 30 minute walk, after going round in circles (no honestly we did 3 times!) I gave up on it and we got to our destination over an hour later. This appears to be a 'thing' as my friends phone works fine for directions but her cars GPS drops out, we believe its the height and denseness of the buildings that cause this.</i><br />
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4) And so we arrived at the station, I was back in my comfort zone as this is one area of Manchester I actually know. (well when I say know, I've walked past it a few times to other places).<br />
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Little did I know just what a different world was around the corner. A mix of Manchester’s industrial past, with former cotton warehouses and red bricked buildings sitting alongside newer<br />
building and apartments.<br />
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There is the most fantastic old signage and advertising, painted onto buildings like this one for “H.A.<br />
Howard & Sons Ltd.”<br />
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5) Walking a bit further we started along the Ashton Canal towpath. It’s hard to believe that<br />
this peaceful walk was once at the forefront of Manchester's industrial corridor, serving as an important regional trade link.<br />
The boy's day was just about made as they got to watch someone opening the locks and going through.<br />
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6) Continuing through the marina area, you arrived in the New Islington area with it's distinctive<br />
street lights. This area of Manchester is undergoing extensive redevelopment. We loved this herb garden that the building company had put it, what a lovely idea, there is a sign encouraging you to try them.<br />
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<b><i>Ancoats & the Northern Quarter</i></b><br />
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7) The Ancoats area of Manchester showcases more of its industrial heritage and beautiful former cotton mills ….. hidden amongst these are the Ancoats Peeps! And they really are hidden it took the boys ages to find one.<br />
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The Peeps are brass peepholes set into walls amongst the buildings and structures of Ancoats, and<br />
provide a glimpse into the area’s industrial past, we managed to find 2 between here and when we left the walk I don't know how many there are in total.<br />
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They are a little too high for them to see in properly so make sure you have good muscles if taking little children. <br />
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And this is sadly where we had to abandon the walk. We're off to Manchester again this weekend for the Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts Show, if we have time after I am hoping to pick up the third part of the walk which includes Piccadilly and King Street before heading back to the Library via the Town Hall.<br />
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<b>Our Hints and tips</b><br />
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DO<br />
Take an A-Z street map unless you know the area well . There are many roads without names on and should you have to take a detour like we need it'll become invaluable.<br />
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Look out for your next landmark, this saves you reading the 'map' the whole time.<br />
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Take drinks and snacks with you as you are not always in arms reach of a shop.<br />
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Take your time and take in the sights.<br />
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Have a great time and share your pics on Twitter using @RegattaOutdoors and #UrbanHike.<br />
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DON'T<br />
Rely on your phones GPS if you get lost.<br />
Be too worried about sticking to the path, if you want to explore a side street, or grab a coffee in a local cafe then go for it.<br />
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<b>The Map</b><br />
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The Urban Hike map can be downloaded <a href="http://www.regatta.com/urban-hike" target="_blank">here</a>. This prints out onto 2 sheets of A4. You can also pick up the official map from the Central Library (see website for opening time),<br />
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To find out more about Regatta Outdoors or the Urban Hike follow these links.<br />
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<a href="http://www.regatta.com/urban-hike" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bWFN5eE_Smh62KyXFwjDVu_1SPCVzF4ig9HWg2xQCnqdKE7luANhHhMHcu7Ht1mBpJDs4A-cKmqBBXOUih4lRq2OtI9W7MHFLZam5qVo88pAKaQpaeq-2GBNH7E_1cm-Zpq69hv6IT8/s1600/black_watercolor_website.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RegattaOutdoors/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-pin-nopin="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGgWlmIujjMKtjG2vq44r1ZvRLKbUW0qp5VdAT4XWXPiVhzSriuMI_qafif5GSnC_SuUu4sEtDoip6AKYKmPr56qptNsxWaPd7yKoplOTEYupiyHBhA3hYXszxGz-23vnNUOCa8sMRio/s1600/black_watercolor_facebok.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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<b><i>***Disclaimer: We were gifted some Regatta coats as part of this review, however the review is our honest opinion***</i></b><br />
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<b><i>This review also features on my Scouting Blog <a href="http://scoutingmummy.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Scouting Mummy</a>, please check it out. </i></b><br />
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Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-22600430315889883922016-08-14T12:07:00.000+01:002016-08-14T12:07:19.164+01:00Cadbury WorldMmmmmmmm Chocolate ........... from the moment you enter the car park that amazing smell hits you and stays with you for the entire visit.<br />
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I like most chocolate, but Cadbury's has always been up there as one of my favourites. I remember going on a trip to Cadbury World when I was really little so when my mum asked if I wanted to go again with her and the kids my inner child very quickly replies yelled "yes please" (tho probably not as fast as my 2 boys did!).<br />
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<b>Making Chocolate Story</b><br />
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You need to book for the 'tour' element, to ensure there isn't a crush of people as you make your way through the chocolate experience, it is a self-guided rather then a led one.<br />
Before you start you are given 3 bars of chocolate each, today's were Crunchie, Curly Wurly and a Dairy Milk. I loved this tour, however people cannot be herded like sheep and of course it bottlenecks in places. There is an activity sheet to complete as you move through the displays which the children enjoyed doing,<br />
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The tour was far improved from the one I remembered, holograms guide you through the history of Cadbury's until you meet some historical figures who tell you a little bit more. This element was tricky to hear as there were people in our 'group' who insisted on talking (loudly) to each other over the entire thing and even tho we were close to the front the voices got lost. It was a shame for those attending and for the actors. <br />
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After a brief history you are escorted into a small cinema for a little bit more history, before becoming a cocoa bean in another cinema experience. The tour was long for small children and I could see Noah's (5) attention trailing, Phoebe and Ben (7 and 9) were a little more interested especially when they were being roasted and made into chocolate.<br />
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<b>Packaging and Manufacturing</b><br />
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Once you enter the main factory you see the packaging plant, which isn't really as interesting as it used to be as the majority of work now is done by machines, you do meet (well behind a glass screen) some real people when they are iciing onto chocolate.<br />
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You get to make your own chocolate, when I say make your own you have a cup of liquid chocolate and you can choose 2 ingredients to put in it (Crunchie, popping candy, marshmallows or white buttons). I went for Crunchie and marshmallow, and it was really good (fingers crossed this one is released some time soon, I'd buy loads). The chocolate itself was really rich and creamy....and sickly sweet.<br />
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<b>Cadabra</b><br />
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Round another corner and you get the Cadbury ride, this is the main element I remembered from when I went as a child. A little car (Beanmobile) that takes you through the world of Cadbury beans and characters relaxing in their own environments. Watch out for Mr Cadbury's Parrot.<br />
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<b>Advertising Avenue</b><br />
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Cadbury's adverts are brilliant aren't they ...... Mr Cadbury's parrot going berserk, the Caramel bunny taking it easy, the 2007 drumming gorilla, falling into a bath with a Flake and of course the OAP's who move the car in the Roses advert....... well they are all here in the advertising avenue. Their biggest advert of all time, the Chocolate Coronation Street is also immortalised for you to walk through. A great burst of nostalgia.<br />
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<b>Purple Planet</b><br />
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The Purple Planet is an interactive experience for children, However aside from jumping on Creme Eggs they weren't that interested. Perhaps we missed something?<br />
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<b>4D Chocolate Adventure</b><br />
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I was very excited about the 4D chocolate adventure which is exciting and fun, you dive into chocolate, fall from the sky and ride the Cadbury Rollercoaster. We all loved it. However the length of the queues was not amusing. You cannot book for this experience and as you have to take a lift to the cinema only 5/6 people can enter at a time. We waited 45 minutes - 1 hour (by which time the children were very bored), this was nothing compared to the queue at lunch time which was easily 2h long.<br />
It wouldn't be difficult for Cadbury World to book time slots for the 4D cinema when you book the tour, it can be done before or after your experience so suitable times could be booked in.<br />
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<b>Bournville museum and village</b><br />
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We really wanted to go in the Bournville museum and have a walk around the village but due to the time wasted queuing for the 4D cinema we ran out of time for this.<br />
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<b>World's Biggest Cadbury Shop</b><br />
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It is pretty big. With plenty to choose from, I was disappointed in the Factory Shop as the prices weren't much cheaper then buying anywhere else.<br />
The bars themselves were no more expensive then shops and I managed to pick up some much missed Time Out bars on 4 for £1. I also got an 'I Love Cadbury World' tote bag and a Mr Cadbury Parrot keyring, as well as a chocolate lolly for the boys to take home for daddy. Grandad's Father's Day (yes, I know, a few months late but I've not seen him for months) was also covered with 3 packs of Bassett's sweets for £3 and a Bertie Bassett mug.<br />
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<b>African Adventure Play Area</b><br />
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The kids loved the huge play area, although the day was let down as my niece got bitten by a child who was climbing up the slide. Not Cadbury's fault as it is parents responsibility to supervise their own kids, just a shame that this family thought that an appropriate way to act.<br />
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<b>Cadbury Cafe</b><br />
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Before going to Cadbury World we had a discussion about whether to take a picnic or to buy lunch there. Normally one for taking our own wherever possible (to save costs) the Cafe was so reasonably priced our decision was swayed. 2 adult and 2 kids meals, with drinks, was £24.95. We got some great thermal cups for the adults and soft drink beakers for the kids when we arrived as well which were a bit more pricey but are going to be great for camping.<br />
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Becky was really helpful taking one of the meals to the table for us as we had to wait for some more nuggets and getting us some sauce and cutlery. However the Cafe as a whole was understaffed, there was no-one to pay at the food till and when someone did arrive they were very confused how to operate a till. They were however apologetic and friendly.<br />
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<b>Kimmo</b><br />
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On the day we visited Cadbury World had a couple of magic shows going on, we were lucky enough to be told about this on our visit to the shop so took the kids along. I think we enjoyed it just as much as they did.<br />
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John put on by far one of the best magic shows we've seen in a long time, and Ben is still trying to work out how the 'baby' cried.<br />
Now I've discovered him and his wife are based in Sheffield I'll be recommending him to all who ask. Planning ahead to next year I wonder if he's free for Ben's birthday......<br />
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Check out his website <a href="http://www.kimmo.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a> for<br />
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All in a all it was a great day out, A family ticket (2 adult, 2 children) is £49.96 which is very pricey for what you get there, however for a one off experience it's something everyone should encounter at least once. Defiantly leave yourselves enough time tho, we had a 3h car journey to get there so booked our tour for 12, you do need to book in advance as if you turn up on the day there is no guarantee there will be tickets available. We were there for 5 hours but could have done with another couple.<br />
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<br />Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-26754594113232525122016-03-22T23:10:00.001+00:002016-03-22T23:12:33.078+00:00Review: Blue Kangaroo Series by Emma Chichester ClarkBack in 1998 Emma Chichester Clark wrote the first of her Blue Kangaroo books, "I Love You, Blue Kangaroo!". A delightful story about a little girl called Lily and her favourite toy Blue Kangaroo. at least he was her favourite until Wild Brown Bear comes along, and Yellow Cotton Rabbit, and the Furry Puppies, and then more and more new toys, until Blue Kangaroo feels there just isn't room for him any more. The book won the Grinzane Junior Award and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal.<br />
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4 years after the last of the Blue Kangaroo books was released Emma has a new title out and has re-released 2 of the old favourites.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJ-xGUnxvKY/VvHOlIa2fYI/AAAAAAAALSk/Zmz6MhsTIw4q-x1P5Y7kOZDxC5qHyFRKw/s1600/happy%2Bbirthday.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJ-xGUnxvKY/VvHOlIa2fYI/AAAAAAAALSk/Zmz6MhsTIw4q-x1P5Y7kOZDxC5qHyFRKw/s200/happy%2Bbirthday.PNG" width="156" /></a>As the boys grew up we read loads of books, one of which was "<b>Happy Birthday To You, Blue </b><b>Kangaroo!</b>" They loved it. In this book Lily and Blue Kangaroo share everything, even birthdays. And for her next one, Lily decided that everything must be pink: pink invitations, pink party clothes, pink wrapping paper... Even Blue Kangaroo gets a pink ribbon to wear. He isn't sure that he likes it, and once everyone starts to arrive, all dressed in pink and carrying pink presents, he thinks that Lily would prefer him if he were pink. He gets so miserable, that he creeps away. But Lily misses him, and comes to find him. She shows Blue Kangaroo that friendship is far more important then colours. This book has been re-released this year.<br />
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The other re-release is "<b>Where Are You, Blue Kangaroo?</b>". Lily loves Blue Kangaroo, but she often loses him and sometimes Blue Kangaroo wonders if he’ll ever see her again. Luckily, Lily always seems to find him, but what if one day she doesn’t?<br />
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"<b>When I First Met You, Blue Kangaroo</b>!" talks about how the friendship of a lifetime began back when Lily got a new baby brother, she soon discovered that it’s not easy learning new things and helping to look after someone so small. But when Grandma brings her a very special surprise; someone who also needs to be cared for – Blue Kangaroo her life has a meaning!<br />
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The covers of the books are really lovely, modern but still eye catching for children, it's clear they are part of the same set. The story is laid out with beautiful illustrations and just the right amount of words for a 2-5 year old to listen to. There is plenty in the pictures to talk about which is vital for a young reader. When you've finished you have the context of the book to discuss whether it is sadness, jealousy or fear.<br />
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From a first glance at the books you would expect them to be very girly orientated, but my 2 boys both enjoy them. Noah (5) loves to sit with one and read it to himself telling us what happens and Ben (7), although he won't admit it usually has at least one ear on the story.<br />
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The books are published by Harper Collins and are out now with an RRP of £6.99 each.</div>
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<b><i>Disclaimer: We were sent 3 Blue Kangaroo books free of charge to read and review. The review is our honest opinion.</i></b></div>
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:Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-40544134801774096272016-03-11T09:00:00.000+00:002016-03-11T09:00:07.709+00:00Review: Weetabix ProteinBreakfast is always a very boring affair in our house. I tend to rush off to work on a weekday, with porridge for breakfast once I get in (the benefit to an office job) whilst the kids have whatever cereal happened to be on offer that week (at the moment they are quite happy eating Value branded Cornflakes, so you can see why I'm not a fan of spending a lot of money on breakfast cereal. When we were told Weetabix had launched new Weetabix Protein and asked to try it out we said yes please.<br />
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I used to love Weetabix, but the last time I had it I was pregnant and it doesn't mix well with morning sickness (sorry, TMI?) and something niggly in the back of my head meant I subconsciously haven't bought it since. I was pleased with this opportunity as it's rekindled my taste for it.<br />
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The boys love to try new foods so when they saw the pretty shiny box Ben (7) asked if he could have some, unfortunately it was 3.30pm after school and I already had tea planned, the meanie mummy I am made him wait until the morning.<br />
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The boys munched away on not 1, not 2 but 3 Weetabix each served up with sugar and loads of milk. The first thing I noticed was how these new Weetabix don't soak the milk up as fast as the original ones do, it's a much slower process and we had to break them into a few bits to get the best absorption. I don't know about you but for me there is nothing worse then crunchy dry Weetabix.<br />
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The taste was every bit as good as the original. <br />
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The following day we went to the shops and came home with some raspberries so we ate them with the Weetabix - yummy! A really easy way to start your 5-a-day.<br />
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New Weetabix Protein is targeted at the growing market of health-conscious and active consumers who are looking for a tasty and nutritious high protein breakfast. Packed with 62% carbohydrate, which provides energy to the body, Weetabix Protein helps keep the whole family going all morning.<br />
This new cereal is not only high in wheat protein but contains all the goodness of traditional Weetabix cereal; High in fibre, low in sugar, salt and fat and fortified with Iron and vitamins. A serving (approx 2 Weetabix Protein) with milk contains 12g of protein compared to 6g from a large egg.<br />
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I would definitely be tempted to buy Weetabix more often. Weetabix Protein has an RRP of £2.99 for 24 which is only about 60p more then normal Weetabix so it's not much more for the added benefits it brings.<br />
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<b><i>Disclaimer: We were sent a box of Weetabix Protein free of charge to try and review. The review is our honest opinion.</i></b></div>
Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-48299614569171483752016-03-09T19:14:00.000+00:002016-03-09T19:14:42.481+00:00Bringing the Teddy Bears Hospital to Beavers<br />
With 2 boys of my own (1 a Beaver and 1 in training) I have spent more than my fair share of time at the Sheffield Children's Hospital in the last 2 years. From X-rays to bandages my boys haven't been scared at all, and I really do think the Teddy Bears Hospital (TBH) has had something to do with this.<br />
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2 years ago I took them along to Western Park Museum where the Teddy Bears Hospital was being held the boys loved it and came away knowing so much more about what they could expect from a trip to the hospital. When I was told that the students wanted to branch out to Youth Groups I couldn't get the contact details fast enough to invite Jess, Ally and the rest of the team along to one of our nights for the introduction of our Emergency Aid badge.<br />
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To find out what happened head over to my Scouting Blog <a href="http://scoutingmummy.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/teddy-bears-hospital.html#more" target="_blank">here</a>.Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-72983574606655186812016-03-02T21:03:00.000+00:002016-03-02T21:03:04.254+00:00Review: BikyBiky Kids Cycle HarnessWe've been pulling our hair out with Ben (7) last Summer. He decided he was too old for his stabilisers but trying to teach him to ride without was frustrating us as much as him. We tried everything recommended; holding his shoulders, holding the saddle, holding handlebars ... we bought a balance bar but still we had tears and tantrums every time we let go and he wobbled.<br />
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His confidence, it's safe to say, was pretty shattered. So when we are asked if we wanted to try the BikyBiky Kids Cycle Harness I thought, why not. Things can only get better.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Hg52-rhg9nguAXzhztYG4KaR4X7zoqtZnPyU6o6UqpJ3l4G0n5XDPuie82It0I1PtlhWZkuniAYfXxycy1eTfsnQ3vmRqqV6UcjePVRjL3bFDpvOChyId-xTKenhZ-zsgBXVuX4AJ18/s1600/bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Hg52-rhg9nguAXzhztYG4KaR4X7zoqtZnPyU6o6UqpJ3l4G0n5XDPuie82It0I1PtlhWZkuniAYfXxycy1eTfsnQ3vmRqqV6UcjePVRjL3bFDpvOChyId-xTKenhZ-zsgBXVuX4AJ18/s320/bike.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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The BikyBiky Child Safety Harness was designed in The Netherlands and has been tried & tested by thousands of parents over the last 10 years. It is an ergonomically designed jacket, the waist belt is doubly secured with very strong velcro strips as well as a safety belt with quick release safety clip meaning it won't open accidentally. Its soft to touch materials and padding makes it fit comfortably while the handle is padded for you to support your child while you help them find their own balance on a bike.<br />
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The harness is designed for the parent to walk (or run), in an upright position, alongside their cycling child by holding onto the handle on the back of the vest. In the event of any major wobbles or incidents you can simply lift up your child safely preventing any painful scrapes and falls and avoid getting tangled up with the bike. It's designed to hold a weight of up to 50kg or 7½ stone.<br />
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We've not had much time to try it out (despite having it for a month now) thanks to the great British weather, only making it outside for 10 minutes before Ben decided he was too cold to carry on (kids!). I could tell tho in these 10 minutes that not only was he more confident wearing the harness but I found it soo much easier too. With the bar I was, subconsciously, trying to keep him upright whereas now it's a case of holding on and steadying when needed. I let go once and he managed a couple of peddles which is a huge breakthrough in my eyes. I can't wait for the warmer weather when we can head to the park and give the BikyBiky harness a real run for it's money.<br />
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As for the colour and design Ben loves it and wears it whenever he can! They come in 4 different colours in the UK and Ireland, blue, pink, green and purple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mmtQgTv1BXMBMJufswnTnrDyI1aIA672mTw0j_Zi4RzY24QQXa58Kw0tRRbOJPxQDHiEYKEdolRFOZe-8urC3ZPRufbc8e7fRKqMm2AWwxoIzUerX0WlUxWHP7Hp4zMdRzdXC0YijHk/s1600/12783267_921054688013776_274418250_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mmtQgTv1BXMBMJufswnTnrDyI1aIA672mTw0j_Zi4RzY24QQXa58Kw0tRRbOJPxQDHiEYKEdolRFOZe-8urC3ZPRufbc8e7fRKqMm2AWwxoIzUerX0WlUxWHP7Hp4zMdRzdXC0YijHk/s320/12783267_921054688013776_274418250_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If your kids are like mine they love an Ice Cream at the park which invariably ends up covering them? Not to worry, the BikyBiky Kids Cycle Harness is machine washable at 30°C!<br />
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To find out more, or purchase one for yourself (RRP: £24.95) visit one of their social media channels.<br />
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<a href="http://bikybiky.uk/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bWFN5eE_Smh62KyXFwjDVu_1SPCVzF4ig9HWg2xQCnqdKE7luANhHhMHcu7Ht1mBpJDs4A-cKmqBBXOUih4lRq2OtI9W7MHFLZam5qVo88pAKaQpaeq-2GBNH7E_1cm-Zpq69hv6IT8/s1600/black_watercolor_website.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bikybikyuk" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGgWlmIujjMKtjG2vq44r1ZvRLKbUW0qp5VdAT4XWXPiVhzSriuMI_qafif5GSnC_SuUu4sEtDoip6AKYKmPr56qptNsxWaPd7yKoplOTEYupiyHBhA3hYXszxGz-23vnNUOCa8sMRio/s1600/black_watercolor_facebok.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bikybikyuk/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR1Ekmjh8Uc/VBMwheWrLcI/AAAAAAAADY8/ncLnPE1V_TM/s1600/black_watercolor_instagram.png" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Disclaimer: We were sent a BikyBiky Kids Cycle Harness free of charge to try and review. The review is our honest opinion.</i></b></div>
<br />Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-62667157698195748912016-02-05T12:12:00.005+00:002016-02-05T12:24:24.813+00:00Review: Storytime Magazine30 years ago I remember sitting with my sister and mum and reading <a href="http://chickywiggle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/Story-Teller.html" target="_blank">Storyteller </a>Magazine, Disappearing into a world of Gobbilino and My Naughty Little Sister and learning new rhymes and songs. When I was needed a change there were activities to do ........... Fast forward to 2016 and say hello to Storytime.<br />
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A small, independent publisher, Luma Works, had much the same views as me, magazines aimed at children nowadays are full of adverts and plastic toys. I don't like them and my children don't like them! They get bored within 2 minutes and abandon it in the corner of the room and lets face it most magazines nowadays cost more than a paperback book (I know which I'd rather spend my money on). They remembered Storyteller fondly and thought it was high time the world had another story magazine for the new generation.<br />
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Storytime is about parents and children reading together, sharing great stories without an advert break. YES - the only advert you will find in this 50 page magazine is how to subscribe for even more great issues.<br />
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I was excited when I heard about this magazine but I was worried .... what if it didn't live up to my childhood memories? What if it was soo much better and tainted my memories? What if my children didn't enjoy it as much as I used too?<br />
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Storytime sent us a couple of issues so we could see for ourselves and make a decision, we are hooked (and considering buying the back issues as we've missed a whole year of stories).<br />
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From the moment you see the front cover with it's bright illustrations you know this isn't going to be a run of the mill magazine. Add to that the thick, high-quality matte paper ensures the magazine will last after being read (and read .... and read) not like most run of the mill magazines that almost rip before you start. <br />
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Each issue has different genres of story, fairy tales, poems, myths and legends and folk tales which fit really well with the curriculum in schools, it also gives me an option to share the type of story I'd not normally read with the boys. With short, snappy, stories even the more reluctant of readers are encouraged to dip in and out of it.<br />
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Not every story is 'finihsed', some of the more famous ones, for example 101 Dalmations and Peter Pan, ask the children to think how they will end. This has it's pros and cons. I love the fact it gets children to think and make predictions but it could deter parents. Noah immediately wanted to know how the story ended, fortunately it was time for bed. We do have the story on our bookshelf (well currently in a box until the playroom is finished) so we can share it together when the time is right. For other parents this may not be as easy, they may not be able to afford to buy a copy of the book which could make them question themselves, hopefully this will lead to them taking their child to the library to find it instead. <br />
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The back of the magazine has pages of all the things children love, puzzles, quizzes, activities and colouring in, related to the stories with the same beautiful, fun and colourful illustrations that are shown throughout the magazine to bring it all to life. <br />
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Log in online and there are plenty of free downloads to accompany the story. For example Issue 11 tells you how to make finger puppets to accompany their Animal Fair rhyme, these can be printed off the website.<br />
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There are also recipes and masks to enhance the storytelling experiences.</div>
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The editors and publishers at Luma Works run Storytime as a social enterprise meaning the money they make goes back into producing the magazine and ultimately getting more and more children reading. 40p from the sale of each issue 11 went to Book Trust in support of Book Week. <br />
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Storytime is priced at a really reasonable £3.99 per issue and can be delivered all over the world. We've signed up for the next 16 months, if you want to do the same a years <a href="http://www.storytimemagazine.com/friends" target="_blank">subscription* </a>starts from as little as £33.99 for 12 months. Now I just need to get hold of the back issues.<br />
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I really hope they decide to realise audio CD's alongside the magazines, I'd happily pay an extra £1 or £2 per issue for this addition.<br />
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<a href="http://www.storytimemagazine.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bWFN5eE_Smh62KyXFwjDVu_1SPCVzF4ig9HWg2xQCnqdKE7luANhHhMHcu7Ht1mBpJDs4A-cKmqBBXOUih4lRq2OtI9W7MHFLZam5qVo88pAKaQpaeq-2GBNH7E_1cm-Zpq69hv6IT8/s1600/black_watercolor_website.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StorytimeMag/?fref=ts" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGgWlmIujjMKtjG2vq44r1ZvRLKbUW0qp5VdAT4XWXPiVhzSriuMI_qafif5GSnC_SuUu4sEtDoip6AKYKmPr56qptNsxWaPd7yKoplOTEYupiyHBhA3hYXszxGz-23vnNUOCa8sMRio/s1600/black_watercolor_facebok.png" /></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/StorytimeMag" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkXWFid-3iCFvCfamwr9Kf6fLeMWlDGbEtDDmfwIi836veRsAdQphadCPtEESOxN7xLF1o3GPKvSOWGRDTkOA9o5YC27-nsLCFn1RWFdoTP5QSL7hSa25tjru9BIXcsGqEgVTzg0QEMg/s1600/black_watercolor_twitter.png" /></a></div>
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Disclosure: Storytime sent us 2 complimentary issues to review. All words and opinions are my honest thoughts.</div>
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<i>*I would love you to subscribe through my link, if you do please let me know so I can provide you with the requested friend information.</i></div>
Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-7708324925160158922016-01-22T12:11:00.001+00:002016-01-22T12:11:50.703+00:00Review: Mega Marshmallows by Innovative BitesMe and my boys love marshmallows so when we were asked if we wanted to try the new Mega Marshmallows from Innovative Bites the boys were very quick to reply "yes".<div>
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These marshmallows certainly live up to their name, at 5 centimetres high, they really are MEGA! </div>
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Mega Marshmallows are a guilt-free snack for mummy too, containing 0% Fat and just 84Kcal per serving</div>
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Remember those <a href="http://chickywiggle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/melted-snowman.html">melted snowmen biscuits</a> we made at Christmas, well these marshmallows are twice as big as the ones we used, they would have made the task of icing faces so much easier.</div>
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or perhaps Storm Trooper cupcakes on 4th of May.</div>
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There is so much you can do before you eat these tasty treats.</div>
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We covered them in chocolate which we left to harden, YUM. Add a biscuit base for home-made teacakes.</div>
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Put them in our hot chocolate</div>
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and turned them into marshmallow ice creams</div>
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We've still got loads left and may attempt some S'mores or cake frosting out of them. Have you got any other suggestions?</div>
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Of course, I'll be buying a bag for my Beavers to take on sleepover in the summer for toasting over the campfire.</div>
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We've spotted these extra tasty, extra fluffy, extra large, Mega Marshmallows in loads of UK stores so far; Tesco, Sainsbury's, Ocado, Bargain Buys, B&M, Family Bargains, Poundworld & Farm Foods priced at around £3.00 per pack (700g). </div>
Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-34809089950669552412015-12-27T15:05:00.002+00:002015-12-27T15:05:37.683+00:00The Big Beaver (Scouts) Postcard Swap - part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A month ago I wrote about finding some swaps for our Beaver Postcard Swap to mark 30 years of Beavers being recognised in Scouting. You can find it <a href="http://chickywiggle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/postcard-swap.html">here</a>. As part of this I mentioned that Stress Free Printing were doing us a huge favour and printing our postcards free of charge, as a charity (not many people know that) this meant a lot to us as stamps alone will be setting us back a few quid (around £20 by my estimate as some are going overseas). <br />
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<a href="http://www.feefo.com/feefo/getnonpublicfile.jsp?vendorimage=406142&vendorimageext=file.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.feefo.com/feefo/getnonpublicfile.jsp?vendorimage=406142&vendorimageext=file.png" /></a></div>
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Not only did they print them by Kev couldn't have been more helpful. We knew from the outset that we wanted to design our own postcard showing all the fun things our colony do, I'm used to doing all this online but with Stress Free Print you send them your design. I decided to use Publisher to create our design in but when I sent them the image they let me know that it wouldn't have made a good postcard as it wasn't a high enough resolution. Fortunately Kev was on hand to let me know which programme they use (yes, if you send them your images they will put them together for you!) and kept checking that I was ok and whether I needed any more support to create the design. It was like having my own consultant, and a virtual kick up the bum :)<br />
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So Adobe Creative Cloud downloaded, a screen open with the dummies guide on and armed with phtoto's I set about designing our card. Many days and a few choice words later and I was able to save it as a high resolution PDF, as recommended, and sent it off. <br />
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Stress Free Print's postcards are printed onto sturdy 380 micron board and have a semi-glossy finish to the front and a matt finish to the reverse. We went for A5 postcards but you can also have A4, A6, A7, DL or your own custom choice. You also decide whether you want full colour or black and white and which type of paper to use.<br />
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Once you've placed your order Stress Free Print will post a free printed proof out via First Class Royal Mail post (you can also opt for an on-screen (PDF) proof which will be emailed). Once you've made any changes or given your approval to proceed the postcards will be printed and delivered within 3 working days (Monday to Friday, 8.30am -5.30pm, requiring a signature). Therefore less then a week later my goodies arrived, and they really did look better then I could have imagined.<br />
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We were given the option of making the back look like a postcard but as we're sticking a template on once the Beavers have completed it we'll be posting them off in envelopes, instead they printed us a 'tagline'.<br />
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I can't wait to show the other leaders and our Beavers when we go back in the New Year and will definitely be popping back to Stress Free Print when I get round to designing my next set of Business Cards.<br />
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<a href="https://www.stressfreeprint.co.uk/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bWFN5eE_Smh62KyXFwjDVu_1SPCVzF4ig9HWg2xQCnqdKE7luANhHhMHcu7Ht1mBpJDs4A-cKmqBBXOUih4lRq2OtI9W7MHFLZam5qVo88pAKaQpaeq-2GBNH7E_1cm-Zpq69hv6IT8/s1600/black_watercolor_website.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StressFreePrint"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGgWlmIujjMKtjG2vq44r1ZvRLKbUW0qp5VdAT4XWXPiVhzSriuMI_qafif5GSnC_SuUu4sEtDoip6AKYKmPr56qptNsxWaPd7yKoplOTEYupiyHBhA3hYXszxGz-23vnNUOCa8sMRio/s1600/black_watercolor_facebok.png" /></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/StressFreePrint"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkXWFid-3iCFvCfamwr9Kf6fLeMWlDGbEtDDmfwIi836veRsAdQphadCPtEESOxN7xLF1o3GPKvSOWGRDTkOA9o5YC27-nsLCFn1RWFdoTP5QSL7hSa25tjru9BIXcsGqEgVTzg0QEMg/s1600/black_watercolor_twitter.png" /></a> </div>
<br />Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-48318593218805630382015-12-10T20:39:00.000+00:002015-12-10T20:41:12.862+00:00Review: Lapland Mailroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are plenty of Christmas websites where you can ask Santa to send your children a letter, this year Santa contacted me and asked us to return to the Lapland Mailroom, after last year I couldn't say no.<br />
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<a href="http://www.laplandmailroom.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_CO-Jsna-U0/VEWDn7_u6eI/AAAAAAAAEns/Ti5Fd3f6_LE/s1600/logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The Letters</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BxLC3FEgAfc/VEV-UA_Ls9I/AAAAAAAAEl0/i1c5IHhCE10/s1600/personalisation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BxLC3FEgAfc/VEV-UA_Ls9I/AAAAAAAAEl0/i1c5IHhCE10/s1600/personalisation.JPG" width="303" /></a>What I love about Lapland Mailroom is that there are 4 template letters you can personalise (one being baby's first Christmas) so, as long as you have 3 children or less, they can all have a unique letter. </div>
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Not all the letters can be personalised in the same way, but among the options are the obvious; your child's name, age, sex and where your child lives. </div>
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You can add additional information to some to make the letter; the name of your child's friends and what present they'd like this year.</div>
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The bit I really love is the special notes or achievements section. I used this area to write to my youngest about how his mummy and daddy are so proud of how brave he was when he broke his arm. </div>
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Finally you can even select whether you want the letters signed by Father Christmas or Santa Claus depending on how he is referred to in your house. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DApudVB54Bo/VEV-UXhj0MI/AAAAAAAAEl8/YhHLkrBUN4U/s1600/noah.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DApudVB54Bo/VEV-UXhj0MI/AAAAAAAAEl8/YhHLkrBUN4U/s1600/noah.png" width="193" /></a></div>
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Once your letter is personalised you are asked to review it. The writing is very small, but fortunately you can use the magnifying glass to read it. Don't be concerned, like I was, if your text appears to go off the centre of the page into the borders, when it is printed this is rectified. Names however are printed exactly as they appear. For some reason Santa will write Ben with a capital B but insisted on writing Noah's name all the way through in lower case (we think it's the font used rather than a deliberate lower care).</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ClKaG43z8ns/VEV-lJvLFoI/AAAAAAAAEmU/iFhuxdjVFe8/s1600/DSCF4815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ClKaG43z8ns/VEV-lJvLFoI/AAAAAAAAEmU/iFhuxdjVFe8/s1600/DSCF4815.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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Every letter costs £7.95 and comes with a Nice Certificate (normally priced at £2.99) which is a really great addition and looks very professional.</div>
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For an extra pound you can upgrade to include the Activity Pack, which means in addition to the letter and certificate you get the following all on thick white card:</div>
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Santa Stop here colouring in sign</div>
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Elf Yourself Activity Sheet</div>
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Colour in Christmas Card</div>
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Door hanger for the child's bedroom</div>
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Colour and Keep Christmas decoration.</div>
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<b>Checkout</b></div>
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The checkout process is very simple with Santa accepting debit or credit cards or paypal, and will email you to confirm the order.</div>
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<b>Delivery</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXTywrWyQI0/VEV-k1uWkuI/AAAAAAAAEmQ/hjJ0oAq6Kz4/s1600/DSCF4813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXTywrWyQI0/VEV-k1uWkuI/AAAAAAAAEmQ/hjJ0oAq6Kz4/s1600/DSCF4813.JPG" width="200" /></a>I like to intercept the letters and keep the activities for a 'loose end' day, with the nice list appearing closer to Christms. However Santa does post the letters out directly to the child for an added magical touch.</div>
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Letters are postly weekly with the last UK posting date being 20th December. Worldwide delivery dates are also on the website.</div>
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Don't forget tho, even the big man himself can't compensate for the postal service so order in plenty of time.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M-n7zHbBdao/VEV-k83aQ2I/AAAAAAAAEmc/KaXykYXigQY/s1600/DSCF4814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M-n7zHbBdao/VEV-k83aQ2I/AAAAAAAAEmc/KaXykYXigQY/s1600/DSCF4814.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<b>Verdict</b></div>
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I really loved these letters and am sure the boys will too (I'll let you know). If I could make any suggestions for Lapland Mailroom it would be to consider writing the letter in other languages (it's in English) and extending this selection to include other names such as Pere Noel and St. Nicholas as they offer a worldwide delivery and this little touch would go down so well in other countries.</div>
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If you'd like to stay in touch with Santa you can do so by clicking through the following links<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lapland-Mailroom/379199362209655" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGgWlmIujjMKtjG2vq44r1ZvRLKbUW0qp5VdAT4XWXPiVhzSriuMI_qafif5GSnC_SuUu4sEtDoip6AKYKmPr56qptNsxWaPd7yKoplOTEYupiyHBhA3hYXszxGz-23vnNUOCa8sMRio/s1600/black_watercolor_facebok.png" /></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/officiallapland" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkXWFid-3iCFvCfamwr9Kf6fLeMWlDGbEtDDmfwIi836veRsAdQphadCPtEESOxN7xLF1o3GPKvSOWGRDTkOA9o5YC27-nsLCFn1RWFdoTP5QSL7hSa25tjru9BIXcsGqEgVTzg0QEMg/s1600/black_watercolor_twitter.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.laplandmailroom.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bWFN5eE_Smh62KyXFwjDVu_1SPCVzF4ig9HWg2xQCnqdKE7luANhHhMHcu7Ht1mBpJDs4A-cKmqBBXOUih4lRq2OtI9W7MHFLZam5qVo88pAKaQpaeq-2GBNH7E_1cm-Zpq69hv6IT8/s1600/black_watercolor_website.png" /></a></div>
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Santa has offered 1 winner the chance to win up to 2 letters for their family, simply enter using the rafflecopter below*.</div>
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<i>*T&C's apply</i></div>
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Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-27002271502131548922015-12-02T09:00:00.000+00:002015-12-02T09:00:03.818+00:00Review: The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold<i>"Amanda was dead"</i><br />
Like most (strange) 7 year olds this opening line was enough to draw Ben into The Imaginary, a world of love, loss, new starts, old endings and imagination. <br />
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Amanda, like most children has a best friend, Rudger, She found him one day in her wardrobe and he becomes her companion, there for all her adventures, dangers and challengers. Amanda's mother is quite accepting of Rudger, her friends less so. You see only Amanda can see him, he doesn't exist. At least Amanda thinks only she can see him until one day Mr Bunting arrives informing her he hunts imaginaries and knows about Rudger. With the rumour being that Mr Bunting eats them Rudger finds himself alone and running for his imaginary life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rudger was being forgotten. He was disappearing. Evaporating.<br />He walked into the shade of a tree and touched its thick patchwork bark with his fingertip. It looked rough, gnarled, hard, but it was like marshmallow.</i></td></tr>
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But can a boy who isn't there survive without a friend to dream him up? What happens to our imagainary friends from when we are little when we are too old to rememebr them any more?<br />
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The books is complemented by some of the best illustrations I've seen in a while by Emily Gravett, they help bring the story alive, and not just black and white but colours to bring imagination to life.<br />
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They say never judge a book by it's cover but I do, if I don't like the cover or it doesn't attract my attention I won't bother even reading the blurb on the back. It was also the first thing Ben commented on when he opened the parcel.<br />
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Take a look - even the chapter numbers are beautiful.<br />
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A lovely story, perfect for children 8+.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It wasn't going fast, just pootling around the car park, but sometimes slow is fast enough.</i></td></tr>
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<b style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Disclaimer: We were sent us a copy of The Imaginary in return for an honest review.</i></b></div>
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Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-39109541234815395172015-12-01T10:30:00.000+00:002015-12-01T10:30:01.683+00:00Christmas: Book AdventThis has become another tradition in our house. We've gathered books as we go along and add new ones each year.<br />
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Every day in December the kids open a parcel and we share that book.<br />
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Here's this year's 24 books we are using for Book Advent, in no particular order.<br />
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The Dinosaur that pooped Christmas - Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter<br />
Is it Christmas Yet - Jane Chapman<br />
One Magical Christmas - Alice Wood<br />
Grumpy Badger's Christmas - Paul Bright and Jane Chapman<br />
The Jolly Christmas Postman - Janet and Allan Ahlberg<br />
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Olaf's Night Before Christmas - Disney<br />
Baboushka - Arthur Scholey<br />
Santa's Letters<br />
I've Seen Santa - David Bedford<br />
Silent Night - Juliet Groom<br />
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Mr Men: Meet Father Christmas - Roger Hargreaves<br />
Mr Men: The Christmas Party - Roger Hargreaves<br />
Mr Men: A Christmas Carol - Roger Hargreaves<br />
Mr Men: The Night Before Christmas - Roger Hargreaves<br />
Santa's Sleigh is on it's way to Sheffield - Eric James and Roger Dunn<br />
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Santa is Coming to Sheffield - Steve Smallman<br />
Father Christmas - Raymond Briggs<br />
A Letter to Santa - Gaby Goldsack<br />
Christmas in Puddle Lane - Sheila K. McCullagh<br />
The Christmas Story<br />
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A Christmas Carol<br />
A Magical Night Before Christmas<br />
Little Star and the Owl: A Christmas Story - Mary Murphy<br />
Christmas with you - Julia Hubery<br />
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Do you do Book Advent? Which books make your list every year? We'd love some suggestions for new ones, especially as the boys are getting a bit older.<br />
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<br />Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-34496872280588386142015-11-29T14:35:00.000+00:002015-11-29T14:35:39.415+00:00Christmas Craft: Melted Snowman BiscuitsI saw these going around the internet on various sites and we had to have a go too. I'm terrible at making dough - I've lost count of how many gingerbread men got binned as it wouldn't roll, I even burnt homemade playdough!!! So thought it best to buy some rich tea biscuits...... except I forgot and ended up hunting the internet for an easy recipe even I couldn't mess up, and it worked, the biscuits were perfect (well they could have done with more flavour but hey ho can't win 'em all).<br />
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These biscuits are perfect for cookie cutters as they do not get any bigger during the cooking process (yes I have also made GIANT cookies after forgetting this detail!)<br />
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<b>Ingredients </b><br />
Makes approx 30 good sized biscuits<br />
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500g plain flour<br />
250g butter or margarine<br />
140g icing sugar<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I didn't have any so made them a bit more festive with mixed spice)<br />
1 tablespoon milk<br />
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<b>Method</b><br />
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Preheat the oven to 160'C.<br />
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Place the flour, butter and sugar in a bowl. Put into a food processor (or if you are old school then rub together with your fingers) until it forms fine breadcrumbs.<br />
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Add the vanilla extract/ ,mixed spice and a little milk until the mixture sticks together.<br />
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Combine together to form a dough.<br />
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Place on a floured surface and roll out to about 5mm thick (1/4 inch).<br />
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Cut out your shapes and place on a baking tray with some greaseproof paper.<br />
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Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and harden.<br />
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<b>Decorate</b><br />
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Ice the biscuit when cool - we used icing pens (because I'm lazy) but you could make up some icing sugar, which will probably work better as it will be runnier.<br />
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Sprinkle edible glitter to make the 'snow' sparkle.<br />
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Put a marshmallow on top (the Haribo Charmellows are a perfect size and shape). <br />
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With an icing pen draw on the details.<br />
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Have you made Melted Snowman biscuits? Please share your pictures.<br />
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<br />Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-16787261572323573372015-11-28T09:00:00.000+00:002015-11-28T09:00:00.346+00:00Christmas: Portable North Pole (PNP)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've never set foot in the Portable North Pole (and I cannot believe after raving about it every December I am still finding people I know who don't know about it!!) then get ready to step into Santa’s enchanted universe. A virtual gateway that reveals stories about the North Pole that now, thanks to the PNP Console and the power of the Internet, are available for all the world to share.<br />
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PNP is now in its 8th year and I've been using it for the last 7! Every year the videos get better and better with new scenarios year on year. A few years ago you'd have never caught me spending money on a message from Santa but this is worth every penny when you see the look on your child's face.. there is a free version as well.<br />
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I tried out the Gold Pass which was great value as it meant I could create video's for both boys before Christmas and Christmas Eve videos, I am also planning on ordering them a phone call (or 2).<br />
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This package uses the premium video and it's so simple. You answer a few basic questions; child's name, date of birth, gender and where they live. You are also asked to upload a photo of your child.<br />
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Now you can start with the personalisation element.<br />
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<b>Scenario</b><br />
Choose which of the scenarios you would like Santa to appear in, I love the 2 new ones for this year Post Office and Elf House.<br />
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<b>Verdict</b><br />
There are 3 verdicts to choose from; naughty, naughty/ nice or nice. I always opt for the middle one (Santa isn't mean he simply tells them to try harder and that he believes they can make the nice list). This works really well because I then log in again a few days before Christmas and make them a nice one.<br />
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<b>Child's Daily Life</b><br />
Do they go to school? nursery? stay at home with mum/ dad?<br />
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<b>Effort asked of the child</b><br />
What have they been trying hard to do? Again another huge drop down including: pee in the toilet? be nice to their sister? put away toys? help at home?<br />
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<b>Gift</b><br />
You can choose from a vast drop down list of gift categories such as video game, makeup, dolls or a musical instrument that the child has asked for.<br />
You can also upload a picture of the present.<br />
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<b>Child's Friends/ Relatives</b><br />
You can pick 4 names of people your child knows to appear on books on the shelf next to theirs.<br />
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<b>Photos</b><br />
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Choose photos of the child doing something such as a trip, holiday, special occasion. Or if you take part in Elf on the Shelf this is now an option too.<br />
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The last one you are asked to upload is of the child's home (I find Google Street View very handy for this)<br />
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There are loads of package<b> </b>options available on the Portable North Pole ranging from free to an unlimited gold pass to suit every family and budget.<br />
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<b>Normal Video - Free</b><br />
This option has only 1 storyline, can be personalised in 8 ways (such as the child's name, location and daily activities) and is up to 3 minutes long.<br />
These videos can be watched on line and downloaded until the end of June 2016 so you can save them in case your child asks to watch it in August (as mine did this year)*.<br />
In the free video Santa does not deliver his naughty/ nice verdict.<br />
<i>*additional cost applies</i><br />
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<b>Grown-ups video - Free</b><br />
Perfect for the young at heart! Reach out to loved ones or spread merriment through the office with personalised messages from Santa.<br />
This is the same as the children's video but aimed at adults. The video is 2 minutes in length but does deliver a verdict at the end.<br />
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<b>Premium video - £3.99</b><br />
<b><i>You can only create 1 premium video, if you have more than one child I would suggest upgrading to an unlimited pass.</i></b><br />
Premium Video Messages offer almost 6-minutes of screen time and include up to 5 photos!<br />
There are 5 different scenarios (2 new, 3 from last year), each with unique story lines and environments.<br />
The videos include up to 16 personalised items, such as the child's name, location, desired gift, and Santa’s Verdict is included to each scenario!<br />
The personalised Premium Video Message can be saved as a keepsake in HD file on a local device (desktop, laptop, mobile device, tablet, etc) as a separate purchase.<br />
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<b>Premium Christmas Eve video - £3.99</b><br />
<i>The Christmas Eve video is a bonus message available only to those who have purchased the Pre-Season Fan Offer or a Gold Pass</i><br />
Parents can use this message to prepare their children for the arrival of Santa on the night of the Big Delivery around the world, where he flies from his village in the North Pole to the child's house.<br />
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This video messages is about 2 minutes long and includes up to 6 personalisation's. <br />
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<b>Call from Santa - £2.99</b><br />
Santa will call your child. There are 32 story lines to choose from and up to 4 personalisation's.<br />
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<b>Call Pass - £5.99</b><br />
Create & send unlimited personalised phone calls from Santa during the holiday season<br />
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<b>Video Pass - £7.99</b><br />
Create & send unlimited premium personalised video messages from Santa during the holiday season<br />
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<b>Gold Pass - £9.99</b><br />
Create & send an unlimited number of premium videos & calls from Santa during the holiday season. This pass includes Free HD downloads of your videos to keep.<br />
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<b>Birthday video - Free</b><br />
This is one special birthday storyline with 1 photo and up to 5 personalisation's. <br />
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<b>Premium Birthday video - £TBC</b><br />
This is one special birthday storyline with 5 photos and up to 5 personalisation's. <br />
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The apple and android apps are coming soon and promise lots of exciting games and videos.<br />
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The boys Christmas Elf will be bringing their videos at the weekend on a memory stick and I can't wait to see their reaction. I only have a couple of years left of Ben believing and not much longer for Noah. This is a tradition I'll be really sad to have to finish.<br />
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Whilst I could share Ben or Noah's video with you that would give too much away, instead please enjoy <a href="https://www.portablenorthpole.com/en/player/56539245777bc-5653924577873" target="_blank">this </a> one.<br />
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<a href="https://www.portablenorthpole.com/en/player/56539245777bc-5653924577873" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/a8/d7/99/a8d799e9fc043e1a56c03238b86a4d6e.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_561533011"></span><span id="goog_561533012"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">***Discount Code***</span></b></div>
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You can also enjoy 20% off digital products (including premium video upgrade) in the PNP store by using the code: BLG20BKP</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">So make Christmas magic this year</span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Create a video from the Portable Nor</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">th Pole.</span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Website: http://www.portablenorthpole.com</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer: I was given a free gold pass for this PNP review however all views and opinions are my own.</span></i></b><br />
<br />Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-23921693174109380042015-11-27T09:10:00.000+00:002015-11-27T09:10:06.787+00:0012 days of (Lush) ChristmasThis year Lush have released their <a href="https://www.lush.co.uk/products/over-30/12-days-christmas">12 Days of Christmas Advent Calender</a> which looks amazing. But I thought I'd create my own version of the song.......<br />
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On the twelfth day of Christmas Lush treated me to 12 Candy Mountains<br />
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On the eleventh day of Christmas Lush treated me to 11 Dashing Santas<br />
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On the tenth day of Christmas Lush treated me to 10 Lord of Misrules<br />
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On the ninth day of Christmas Lush treated me to 9 Golden Wonders<br />
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On the eighth day of Christmas Lush treated me to 8 Milky Baths<br />
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On the seventh day of Christmas Lush treated me to 7 Snow Angels<br />
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On the sixth day of Christmas Lush treated me to 6 Dragon Eggs<br />
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On the fifth day of Christmas Lush treated me to 5 Gold Rings<br />
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On the fourth day of Christmas Lush treated me to 4 Father Christmas'<br />
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On the third day of Christmas Lush treated me to 3 French Kisses<br />
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On the second day of Christmas Lush treated me to 2 Cinders Bath Bombs<br />
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On the first day of Christmas Lush treated me to the Magic of Christmas<br />
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Is your favourite there?Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-54934617433067241952015-11-26T20:44:00.000+00:002015-11-27T20:45:38.097+00:00A Vintage Christmas Party for our Elderly in SheffieldI stumbled across this lovely idea last week and contacted Sarah with an offer of help from me and my boys. We'll be popping along to set up and support through the evening and the boys have a huge stack of cardboard ready to make some Christmas cards to take along.<br />
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Woking in the public, elderly, sector I come across those who are alone not just at Christmas but during the year. They love to talk and share their experiences, I can't contemplate how hard it must be to spend Christmas on your own with no family or friends.<br />
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If you are in Sheffield and free on the 13th December, please consider volunteering your time to help Sarah.<br />
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There are also limited spaces left for guests, so if you know of an elderly person who may be spending Christmas home alone who would like to attend please get in contact with <a href="mailto:Sarah.Bridge@hotmail.co.uk" target="_blank">Sarah</a>, <br />
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<b>Press Release</b><br />
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Many elderly are alone at Christmas because their families are no longer in the community or spouses have passed away.<br />
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I am hosting a Christmas party for the elderly on 13/12/15 at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield to try and alleviate the pain of loneliness. Volunteers will give our elderly guests the gift of smiles, laughter and companionship whilst donations will give the volunteers the tools to provide this gift. I hope to host up to 100 elderly guests who would otherwise be spending Christmas alone. I will also be fundraising for Age UK's most recent campaign 'No one should have no one' at the event. My aim is to turn this into an annual occasion that our elderly can look forward to and to provide a platform for elderly people to exchange contact details so that they have some-one to talk to all year round.<br />
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The plan for our elderly guests include:<br />
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A Christmas sing-along<br />
A wonderful pianist and classical singer<br />
A male swing singer<br />
A female vintage 1940's singer<br />
A jazz dance performance<br />
A tea dance performance<br />
A Christmas buffet<br />
A Christmas raffle<br />
Tea, coffee, biscuits and a bottle of wine on each table to bring in the Christmas cheer<br />
A Christmas gift for each elderly guest, presented by Santa himself.<br />
Transport to and from the event<br />
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Businesses including Live Nation, Bawtry Forest, House of Fraser, Tesco, Morrisson's, Hillsborough Stadium, Haggler's Corner, Bloo 88 and Napoleons Casino have been very generous in donating raffle prizes, decorations, gifts and venue at a reduced rate. The local community have also come together to find 100 brilliant gifts for our elderly guests so that each and every one of them has something to open on Christmas day. However, with only 19 days until the event, there is still so much left to do. I urgently need volunteers and donations to ensure that this event can go ahead and to make sure that the event is as special as possible.<br />
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Donations will help to cover the cost of catering and transportation- without help from us, most of our elderly guests wouldn't be able to get to and from the venue, meaning that they'd be spending Christmas alone and missing out on a wonderful opportunity to make friends and enjoy some companionship.<br />
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To donate what you can, please go to: <a href="http://gogetfunding.com/a-christmas-party-for-the-elderly-in-sheffield/">http://gogetfunding.com/a-christmas-party-for-the-elderly-in-sheffield/</a><br />
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There is also a Facebook group at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Christmasforourelderly/?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/Christmasforourelderly</a><br />
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Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-86781079857288202272015-11-22T17:19:00.000+00:002015-11-22T21:13:43.130+00:00Recipe: MInce MealsGosh it is SOO cold. My hands are going numb just typing this. If you're anything like me money is getting tighter with Christmas presents, school events, Beaver events and work outings to pay for that the food shopping budget feels the cut.<br />
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I'm really lucky that the kids have discovered they like mince. Normally I buy the stores value range but last month I found Aldi mince was better value and tasted so much nicer so whenever I'm near one of their stores I pop in and stock up. <br />
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Here's some cheap meals that can be rattled off using it that will keep everyone warm, full and the purse strings happy. Do you have a favourite mince meal?<br />
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<b>Shepherds/ Cottage pie.</b><br />
Mince cooked up with any vegetable you like topped with mash potato. We like to sprinkle with cheese before browning under the grill.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/shepherdspie_2077" target="_blank">recipe here </a><br />
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<b>Mince and Dumplings</b><br />
I've not had these for ages. I'll admit I don't make my own dumplings, Aunt Bessie does a far better job.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mince_and_dumplings_47431" target="_blank">recipe here </a><br />
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<b>Home-made burgers</b><br />
Hide a bit of cheese inside for a surprise centre<br />
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<a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cheese-stuffed-burgers-for-two" target="_blank">recipe here</a><br />
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<b>Lasagne</b><br />
I love making it in the slow cooker, so easy and tastes great.<br />
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<a href="http://chickywiggle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/slow-cooked-lasagne.html" target="_blank">recipe here.</a><br />
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<b>Minced Beef Pie.</b><br />
My mum makes the best minced beef pie, it's even better cold to take on picnics.<br />
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<a href="http://bakinglady.webs.com/apps/blog/show/9670823-my-mums-curried-minced-beef-pie" target="_blank">recipe here</a><br />
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<b>Spaghetti and Meatballs</b><br />
The boys love to help roll the meatballs.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mos_magic_meatballs_53940" target="_blank">recipe here</a><br />
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<b>Turkey Twizzlers</b><br />
That childhood favourite, we had loads of fun re-creating these.<br />
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<a href="http://chickywiggle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/turkey-twizzlers.html" target="_blank">recipe here</a><br />
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<b>Spaghetti bolognaise</b><br />
Another favourite in our house<br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/easy_spaghetti_bolognese_93639" target="_blank">recipe here </a><br />
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<b>Mince and chips</b><br />
Because we may have run out of pasta one day....<br />
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<a href="http://chickywiggle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/mince-and-chips.html" target="_blank">recipe here</a><br />
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Mince 'n' Taco's<br />
Put mince in taco shells - do you really need a recipe?<br />
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<br />Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-17023387604934313762015-11-21T09:58:00.000+00:002015-11-21T09:58:18.675+00:00The Big Beaver (Scouts) Postcard Swap2016 sees Beaver (Scouts) 30th anniversary - 30 years of being recognised as an official Scouting unit, they have in reality been running a lot longer then that.<br />
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To celebrate the Scouting movement is doing .... nothing. So a group of leaders called the 1st Facebook Beaver Colony have arranged a postcard swap. The leaders have, between them, messaged 30 other colony leaders within the group who they will send a postcard too, getting one back in return.<br />
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We're super excited, we have swaps arranged in the UK, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand and will be writing and posting them in January.<br />
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By sending and receiving these postcards it will help the children realise they are part of a much wider movement around the world. By finding these places on the map and learning about other groups traditions, uniform, meetings it will tick off elements of their Navigtor and International badges. The more postcards we get the more they can learn about the world they live in.<br />
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We'd love to say a big Thank You to Stress Free Printing who are helping us out by printing our postcards for us. I'd better get a start on creating them. <br />
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We'd love to extend our range tho so if you are in Germany, Spain, America, Italy, Canada, Russia, Norway, Sweden, South Africa ... or well.... anywhere outside UK/ Ireland to be quite honest we would really love it if you could pop us a postcard so we can find you on our map. Even better if you are a figure that the children might know (e.g. from TV or Children's books). I can be contacted through the link in the toolbar. I can't guarantee you a postcard in return (we've got a limited number) but if you are on Twitter or Facebook let me know and we can certainly give you a shout out there.<br />
Thank you.Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-21658956911572891772015-11-20T21:43:00.000+00:002015-11-20T21:43:37.475+00:00The Body Shop at ChristmasLast week Sophie at The Body Shop in Meadowhall invited Sheffield Bloggers to a closed door event where we could try their newly launched make up range for Christmas as well as their everyday body products.<br />
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It was love at first sniff when I discovered their Glazed Apple range and even more excited when I found out the body mist and lotion had glitter in.<br />
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This new range offers "A sweet treat for your skin with the fragrance of green apple sweetened by candy-like notes and vanilla". The fragrance comes from the apple seed oil sourced from the Italian Alps.<br />
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I couldn't choose between the Sugar Scrub and the Shimmer Lotion so I opted for the Christmas "Feel Good Tin" Gift Set which has mini (50g/ 60g) versions of both in as well as Body Butter and Shower Gel. It comes in this really cute metallic apple shaped tin which makes Christmas gifting all that more attractive.<br />
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<em>Glazed Apple Shimmer Lotion is a lightweight moisturiser which gives a touch of sparkle alongside a crisp apple scent to leave your skin feeling festive and soft. </em><br />
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<em>Glazed Apple Body Scrub has a sugary texture and fresh fruity scent which lingers as you use it and leaves skin feeling softer and smoother. </em><br />
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<em>Glazed Apple Body Butter is a festive bath and body indulgence for soft, sweet smelling skin.</em><br />
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<em>Glazed Apple Shower Gel is a fresh cleansing gel is scented with a sweet fruity fragrance that makes bath time that bit more indulging.</em> <br />
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The Body Shops Christmas range also features Frosted Plum and Frosted Cranberry products.<br />
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The ladies at The Body Shop also demonstrated how to create a lovely smoky look from the new festive make up additions, great for those parties.<br />
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Eyeshadow Palette - comes in Grooving Gold (Warm gold and copper metallics meet rich earthy tones) and Swinging Silver (Metallic silver teamed with smoky blues and fresh coral hues). It's got a really pretty case too with a mirror and angled brush.<br />
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Colour Crush Nail Sequins is the prettiest sparkliest nail varnish I've ever seen. They are complimented with a gorgeous range of metallic nail colours and would look great alternated, or the sparkles can be used as a top coat. <br />
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The Sparkler is a glittering mist in silver or gold which can be used on the body, face or hair.<br />
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If you like eye-liner the metallic silver glitter is the best way to complete your party outfit, you only need a tiny bit to go a very long way. <br />
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Here's some of the other items I found my eyes drawn to in store...<br />
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My kids love these cute bath sponges that The Body Shop release at Christmas, they actually take them to bed with their cuddly toys. This year there are 3 to collect; Robin, Owl and Bear. A great stocking filler.<br />
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Shade Adjusting Drops - do you struggle to find the perfect colour foundation for your skin? The Body Shop have released their new Lightening and Darkening drops to help. <br />
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If you have light to medium skin then foundation may look too dark or orange. The Lightening Drops helps neutralise yellowness while lightening. ark skin foundation may appear too light, 1 drop of the Darkening drops will turn it half a shade darker. <br />
These works with most liquid foundations.<br />
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Countdown to Christmas with 24 Days of beauty treats with The Body Shop advent calendar. Treats include; Frosted Cranberry Heart Soap 25g, Elderflower Unperfumed Eye Gel 15ml, Shea Body Butter 50ml, Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream 15ml,<br />
Eyelash Curler, Strawberry Hand Cream 30ml, Honeymania™ Lip Balm 10 ml and Frosted Plum Body Lotion 60ml<br />
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Invite the girls round for a Christmas meal and set the table with these Festive Crackers. Choose from Shea or Strawberry ones filled with a Hand Cream 30ml and Heart shaped Soap 25g<br />
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<b><i>Disclaimer: I was invited to The Body Shop at Meadowhall where I got 40% off purchases and a goody bag. This has not influenced my review which is my honest opinion of the evening and products.</i></b>Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-84835312265217598982015-11-19T10:00:00.000+00:002015-11-19T10:00:06.891+00:00Only a Leader .......... <b><i>Someone brought this to my attention this week and I love it.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>For all you Beaver/ Cub/ Scout/ Rainbow/ Brownie/ Guide etc leaders out there who sometimes feel unappreciated ......</i></b><br />
<b><i> .... or when you are looking at the training manual going "I do that - I shouldn't have to prove it! :)</i></b><br />
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Dont judge scouting til you read this....<br />
<br />We are only leaders - we are not experts – we are your next-door neighbours – we are not perfect we are parents just like you. We don’t have any more spare time or energy than you do, we all work full time and juggle out families and our schedules and try to keep it all together as best we can.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />The only difference between us is that we believe passionately about what Scouting has to offer. So much so, that we contribute our time, our efforts and our talents to help our children - and your children - grow in Scouting.<br /><br />We complete authorisation forms, budgets and records and fill our homes with boxes of paperwork you will never see. We are required to take 13-20 hours training in our first year as well as planning meetings every month so we can meet our greatest challenge – providing a variety of programmes and activities which meet the needs and interests of very individual boys and girls. We try to involve parents who want us to understand that they don’t have the time to drive on outings or help at meetings. We rejoice in the generosity of others.<br /><br />Sometimes we find ourselves going in too many directions – we run out of steam – we have memory lapses - communication lines break down – time slips by – but that doesn’t mean we don’t care. So many evenings we spend on the phone seeking help and advice from other leaders when disappointments or problems occur. “How do I hold my Scouts attention?”. “How do you cope with Scouts of different skills levels?”<br /><br />Our dining tables are covered in bits of rope, menus, permission forms and record cards for each and every member of the Group. A couple of them won’t show up and don’t think to call to let us know – sometimes we feel unappreciated.<br /><br />Yet these boys and girls can fill us with pride at their determination and accomplishments. Their smiles and laughter fill up a room, and when they say “thank you” it makes it all worthwhile. We help these boys and girls build relationships. Some struggle more than others. Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly….all these traits are encouraged by the Scout Promise and Law – and sometimes we too must learn these lessons over and over again with the Scouts – but we are willing to keep learning.<br /><br />Please be patient if we appear distracted or frustrated or overwhelmed at times. Forgive us if we are not always the kind of Scout Leader you would be - if only you had the time. Instead, provide us with your encouragement – a kind word, a thank you – or offer us your help. Keep us always in your thoughts and prayers.<br /><br />We are, after all, only mentors…role models…leaders…volunteers who have made a Promise to give these young people, your children, the most precious gift we have to offer – the gift of timeScouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-44215067028304975092015-11-18T09:00:00.000+00:002015-11-18T09:00:00.148+00:00Christmas Craft: Paper Plate TreesWe're making this one at Beavers as part of our Christmas Craft night so thought I'd share it with you as it's so quick and easy but looks fab.<br />
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Take a paper plate and paint it green. <br />
Tip: If you use sponges and some different shades of green then it looks more 'leafy'.<br />
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When dry cut into 3 of 4 pieces depending how tall you'd like your tree (each slightly bigger then the one before).<br />
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Stick the tree together placing one layer on top of the other. <br />
Tip: Glue didn't hold very well so I would suggest using double sided tape.<br />
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Spread glue over and sprinkle with glitter.<br />
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Add any decorations of choice - sequins, pom poms, gummy stars...<br />
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<br />Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-60635838560403204762015-11-16T20:04:00.000+00:002015-11-16T20:04:08.669+00:00Event: The Cake and Bake ShowYou may have already read my post about my trip to Manchester last week for the Ideal Home Show at Christmas, which this year had decided to co-locate with the Cake and Bake Show. This post is all about the Cake and Bake Show element of the day, as my first visit to one of these I really enjoyed it, although it was a little smaller than I expected.<br />
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Here are my highlights.<br />
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<b>The Great British Bake Off Live</b><br />
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We were lucky enough to see Flora Shedden from this years GBBO cook her Sugar Free Pistachio and Apple Cake. She gave a brilliant demonstration and answered questions. There were some TV's so you could see what was going on on the stage.<br />
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After the demonstration she happily chatted and signed autographs, making my 7yr old very very happy when I took him his present home (he loved her on GBBO).<div>
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<b>The magical story book cake designed by Jacqui Kelly</b><br />
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How amazing is this chair .... and it's actually cake!! <br />
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Jacqui Kelly, a food artist at Totally Sugar, has designed these life size children's story book characters in cake!<br />
Can you spot the following all crafted in sugar? Paddington Bear, Grandma Wolf, Jack and The Beanstalk, The Gruffalo, Cinderellas Pumpkin carriage, a Harry Potter spell book, wand and wizard’s hat, The Hungry Caterpillar and Mother Goose.<br />
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Fantastic storybook cake facts<br />
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• It took 4 weeks - around 340 hours to make all the characters<br />
• 72kg of Renshaws Sugarpaste was used to make the characters, including 14kg of Renshaws Chocolate Paste on the Gruffalo alone!<br />
• The characters contain a mixture of cakes - including Vanilla cake, Toffee cake, Ginger cake and Chocolate cake<br />
• The characters also contain rice krispie treats, rocky road and tiffin cake for the more structural elements<br />
• 9kg of chocolate, 3 litres of double cream and 20kg of buttercream was used to create the characters<br />
• The characters have polystyrene bases supplied by Dummies Direct to help with transportation between the shows<br />
• The life-size Grandma Wolf stands at 5ft 8in!<br />
• Grandma Wolf head is made out of toffee cake and arms are ginger cake!<br />
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<b>Home made cakes</b><br />
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The Cake and Bake show had a competition for armature, home bakers to display their creations and there were some amazing offerings.<br />
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<b>Sponge</b><br />
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How cute are these tiny mini cakes. I bought one for my mum as a thank you for babysitting but wish I'd got one to try. I must have been stood there for 15 minutes trying to decide which flavour I wanted.<br />
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Sponge Special: Mince Pie, Salted Caramel and Toffee, Spiced Orange & Cranberry, Strawberries & Cream<br />
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Traditional: Chocolate, Coffee, Elizabeth, Lemon, Victoria<br />
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Quirky: Apple Crumble, Bakewell, Carrot, Chocolate & Orange, Sticky Toffee Pudding<br />
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Sponge Stars: Caramel & Peanut; Coconut & Chocolate; Millionaires; Rocky Road<br />
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And these baby ones were soo cute at £1 each - they also do larger ones on their website <a href="http://www.sponge.co.uk/">www.sponge.co.uk</a></div>
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Big Bakes Bakery</div>
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The boys loved their 'small' gingerbread men we took home for them. I tried a bit and can honestly say it was some of the best gingerbread I've ever had.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bigbakesbakery.co.uk/">http://www.bigbakesbakery.co.uk/</a></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Disclaimer: I was offered a pair of tickets to the Cake and Bake Show, Manchester in return for writing a couple of posts, All opinions are my own, the companies mentioned are my own selection and have not been consulted about this post.</i></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Apologies for the slightly off photo's my screen has gone funny in my digital camera which makes focusing challenging... I've asked Santa for a new one.</i></b></div>
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Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-13374025340364432482015-11-15T09:00:00.000+00:002015-11-15T09:00:01.309+00:00Event: The Ideal Home Show at ChristmasLast week my mum babysat while myself and hubby took ourselves off to Manchester for the Ideal Home Show at Christmas, which this year had decided to co-locate with the Cake and Bake Show. With hundreds of cooking at Christmas ideas to explore of course I had to go.<br />
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There was so much to see and do, 4 different stages of talks and demonstrations that fitting it all in was going to be tight, so I had to be selective. Here's my favourite things that grabbed my attention from the Ideal Home Show at Christmas (I'll add another post for some top pics from the Cake and Bake Show).<br />
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<b>Spacerframe</b><br />
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If like me you get bored of looking at the same pictures on your wall Spacerframe have the solution - an innovative picture framing system which uses clear acrylic pockets. The frames are fitted with a specially formulated re-positional self-adhesive tape, giving you the flexibility of being able to move and reposition your display. They also have a spacing tool which means you can consistently space your frames with your choice of either a 10mm or 30mm gap and enables you to ensure that your frames are always level by using the spirit level incorporated in the tool.<br />
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Spacerframe's come in a variety of sizes too.<br />
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I wasn't allowed to buy any but have definitely added them to my Christmas wish list.<br />
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Check them out here: http://www.spacerframe.co.uk/<br />
Twitter: @Spacerframe1<br />
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<b>Riverco Trading</b><br />
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I love furniture and this kids bench was soo cute (excuse the blurry picture). At £199 it was a little out of our budget (and may have been interesting taking home on the train).<br />
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You can find them here: http://www.riverco.co.uk<br />
Twitter: @RiverCoUk<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sorry for the blurry picture, silly auto-focus/ broken screen camera</td></tr>
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<b>Bus Bar</b><br />
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The husband spotted this and told he to pick him up when I'd finished..... no chance .... who's carry my bags.<br />
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The Bus Bar Company own and operate two 1960’s Routemaster buses which have been converted to fully functional mobile bars. They have a fully licensed mass serving bar on the lower deck and on the upper deck there is an open top hospitality seating area. A great idea to book for a party as they are fully licensed, insured, come with all their own equipment and have hard working reliable staff on hand to take care of your event.<br />
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Their website is: http://www.busbarcompany.com/<br />
Twitter: @RoutemasterBar<br />
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<b>StudyBed</b><br />
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The StudyBed is amazing. I saw this in June and tried to explain it to the hubby, but this time he could see it with his own eyes.<br />
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The StudyBed combines a full-size bed with a very large desk and converts quickly and easily in just a few seconds without the need to remove any items off the desk nor any of the bedding.<br />
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The boys are in bunk beds at the moment but what a great idea for when they are older.<br />
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Website: http://www.studybed.co.uk/<br />
Twitter: @StudyBeds<br />
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<b>Christmas Theatre - Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen</b><br />
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Laurence was back for the Christmas show to tell us how to decorate our trees and tables in a coordinating but nontraditional way using wallpaper as a starting point.<br />
I was sceptical but the results really worked and I came away with loads of ideas to try from snow in baubles to home-made crackers and napkin rings.<br />
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A great day out and have promised my mum she can come along with me next year.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Disclaimer: I was offered a pair of tickets to the Ideal Home Show, Manchester in return for writing a couple of posts, All opinions are my own, the companies mentioned are my own selection and have not been consulted about this post.</i></b><br />
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Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-16339246576745448002015-11-14T11:29:00.000+00:002015-11-14T11:35:34.118+00:00Tesco 60-Minute Roast ChallengeI love a Roast Dinner, however it's not always been that way. Sure when I lived at home my mum cooked one every weekend but when I moved away to uni they went by the way. I worked on a Sunday and even if I didn't there was no point making a roast just for me. The only Roast Dinner I remember having during my time there was Christmas Day in my second year when I worked at the pub my boyfriend (now husband) worked in, it was a great community experience and a fab roast.<br />
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Then I moved in with my husband and for some reason I forgot about Sunday Dinner, we would have just 'normal' food (mainly because he worked on a Sunday). Fast forward a couple of years and I fell pregnant with Ben, by month 3 I was having the strongest cravings for chicken to the point where I bought one on my way home one night .... then realised I didn't know where to start with cooking it.</div>
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I soon learnt, and over the next 5 years added beef and pork to my repertoire. Lamb will always remain my favourite but my husband doesn't like it so I can't cook it :( .</div>
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Over the Summer our Sunday Roasts have remained, but only once every 4 weekends, the rest have been filled with salad, pizza or other 'treat' nights. But the nights are drawing in and my urge to spend Sundays in a warm kitchen cooking a roast are slowly returning.... but life takes hold and before I know it I have half a day and no inspiration so need quick meals I can whip up in a hurry.</div>
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To help British families make the most of their roasts this autumn, Tesco has teamed up with a selection of chefs and foodies, including TV personality and home cook Nadia Sawalha, who will share their favourite recipes and tips for creating the perfect weekend showstopper, they have also asked bloggers to get involved and attempt the 60-Minute Roast Challenge. I was a bit apprehensive when my invitation came through as normally my roasts take about 2 hours to cook. <br />
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I scoured the Internet for recipes, the obvious were out - there was no way of cooking a roast joint in an hour. I almost thought gammon would be a go but then remembered it had to boil before the 40m+ cooking time so again that one was thrown onto the floor. This challenge was tougher then I thought.<br />
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It made me think outside the box, just what is a Roast Dinner?<br />
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"A traditional hot meal consisting of roast meat, usually with potatoes, vegetables and other trimmings." (www.yourdictionary.com) </div>
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So I looked at smaller options. We often have BBQ chicken breasts so why not roast these instead? And so the menu was created....</div>
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Roast Chicken Breasts wrapped in Bacon</div>
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Sausages</div>
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Roast Potatoes</div>
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Yorkshire Puddings</div>
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Carrots</div>
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Stuffing</div>
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We even had money left for a dessert of Ice Cream.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span></b></div>
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I preheated the oven to 180' while I prepared the food.</div>
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<b><i>Chicken</i></b></div>
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I wrapped the chicken breasts in streaky bacon before placing them into a Pyrex roasting dish. I then made up a Colmans chicken casserole sauce mix (we love these as they have an amazing flavour) and poured this over the chicken breasts before popping them into the oven and setting the timer.</div>
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<b><i>Sausages</i></b></div>
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I used Tesco's Cumberland sausages as we find these have a stronger flavour then normal ones and again placed in a Pyrex dish and put into the oven with the chicken.</div>
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<b><i>Potatoes</i></b></div>
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I have cooked my own roast potatoes in the past and they have turned out really well but this weekend I was all about ease and quickness so we treated ourselves to Aunt Bessies duck fat basted roast potatoes. These again went in alongside the meats on my new roasting dish. It was also at this point I realised I needed a bigger oven!<br />
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<b><i>Carrots</i></b></div>
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We peeled the carrots and cut into batons, seasoned with parsley and boiled on the hob.</div>
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<b><i>Yorkshire Puddings</i></b></div>
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I'm scared of Yorkshire Puddings. I used to cook my own but then we had an 'incident' where I may have used too much fat one day and set fire to the oven. Ever since then I buy my yorkies. We found these ones in our local Tesco which we'd not tried before and they were lovely. So crispy on the top yet soft in the centre and with only 8 minutes cooking time I could put them in while dishing up. </div>
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<b><i>Stuffing</i></b><br />
I love stuffing so I made up a box (well most of a box) of stuffing and popped in the oven too - I was getting good at oven Tetris by this point.<br />
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<b><i>Gravy</i></b><br />
Good old Bisto.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cooking</span></b><br />
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The chicken breasts (according to my recipe) were supposed to take about 30 minutes to cook. Unfortunately I'd not factored in that a) I had put them in a gravy mix to cook and b) my fan oven was pretty full. <br />
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When the timer went off and I took the meat out the oven I was very grateful for the meat thermometer Tesco had sent me as it told me the chicken was very undercooked! Back in it went. 20 minutes later it was ready to be served.<br />
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Technically a fail as I was serving up in 1h 10 minutes but this was close enough for me. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Eating</span></b><br />
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Everyone loved the food. Thes roast potatoes with their crispy outer and soft centre went down a treat with everyone asking for seconds, The yorkies were demolished at a rate of knots and the meats were succulent, juicy and flavoursome.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Dessert</span></b><br />
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Every Sunday dinner has to be followed by dessert doesn't it and when we found these mini Ben and Jerry Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream pots in Tesco reduced (clearance) to 31p each that made the decision very easy.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Costing</span></b><br />
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Aunt Bessies Roast Potatoes basted in duck fat (700g) - £2 (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=289044223" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
The Real Large Yorkshire Pudding (200g) - £1.50 (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=287006595" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
Tesco British Chicken Breast Portions (769g) - £5 (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=288879550" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
Tesco Butchers Choice British 8 Cumberland Sausages (454g) - £1.50 (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=267446616" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
Tesco Smoked Streaky Bacon 14 Rashers (300g) - £2 (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=281037392" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
Tesco Carrots (1kg) - 60p (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=253560588" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
Colman's Chicken Casserole Recipe Mix (40g) - 75p (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=254882228" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
4 x Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream (100ml) - reduced to 31p each (now discontinued? <a href="http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/brands/ben_and_jerrys_in_tesco.html" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
Tesco Everyday Value Sugar Free Lemonade (2l Bottle) - 17p (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=253654443" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
Tesco Sage And Onion Stuffing Mix (85g) - 20p (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=254881385" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
Bisto Favourite Gravy Granules (170g) - £1 (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=254880806" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
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Total: £15.96<br />
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I also treated myself to a Tesco Non Stick Large Roaster 38cm X 30cm - £4 (<a href="http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=264160929" target="_blank">link</a>)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict</span></b><br />
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I really enjoyed this challenge and realised it IS possible to cook a roast in around 60 minutes with careful planning and for a budget £4 a head. This is certainly a meal I'll be making again one day (perhaps using leftovers on Boxing Day)<br />
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To make the most of your family time at home there are loads of recipes and tips for creating the perfect Sunday roast on Tesco's website <a href="http://realfood.tesco.com/roasts.html" target="_blank">realfood.tesco.com </a> for you can try or get inspiration from.<br />
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<b><i>Disclaimer: Tesco sent us a £30 gift voucher to cover our meal as well as a lovely hamper containing a Pyrex dish, baster, timer, oven gloves and meat thermometer.</i></b><br />
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Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232039241597518321.post-91963184981185674232015-11-09T09:00:00.000+00:002015-11-09T23:42:03.582+00:00Review: The Nonsense Show - Eric CarleMy boys talk gobbledegook on a daily basis, they are extremely creative and have fantastic imaginations and they both love to read. Noah was really excited therefore when a book arrived for him (normally the books are afrom Penguin Random House, The Nonsense Show. This book really made the boys laugh out loud as they read it from cover to cover and then started again.<br />
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One of their favourite books, that they've grown up with, is the classic The Very Hungry Catterpiller by Eric Carle. I've not read many of the new ones but The Nonsense Show has shown he;s not lost his creativity in the last 45+ years.<br />
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With ducks growing out of bananas? A mouse catching a cat? A snake with 2 heads.... there’s something strange, funny or downright preposterous on every page of this book. But it’s not a mistake – it’s nonsense!<br />
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Eric Carle designed this book as part of his trilogy, of sorts, introducing children to the concept of surrealism. Nonsense lies at the heart of many nursery rhymes. how easily children accept that the “the cow jumped over the moon” or “the dish ran away with the spoon.” or that an egg can sit on a wall, that's exactly the same concept Carle hopes to introduce here,and a great introduction to the world of imagination. <br />
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Alongside the text are bright creative illustrations paying tribute to Rene Magritte, a Belgian surrealist artist. It's the books artwork that adds this additional dimension, they are not drawn illustrations but instead tissue-paper collage creations.<br />
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The Nonsense show is aimed at children aged 3-7 and will make them laugh and think, preparing them for a lifetime of loving both words and art. As you can see in the below video Noah has taken his knowledge of songs and realised he can set the text to a tune. For some reason (perhaps their knowlwedge of circus ringmasters?) they decided they had to sing the first page 3 times before moving on.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>"It's about nonsense marching, not real marching, and pointing up to the ceiling with both hands" Noah, aged 4.</i></span></blockquote>
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The Nonsense Show is published in Hardback with 40 pages and was published on the 13th October 2015.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><i>Disclaimer: Penguin Random House books sent us a copy of The Nonsense Show in return for an honest review.</i></b></div>
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Scouting Mummyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02272960409681867933noreply@blogger.com0