17/05/201501/01/2019 by jo

Project 365 Week 20

Sunday 10th May. Today was ‘Rainbows Go Global’ at the Girl Guiding South HQ and fun outdoor area, which also happens to be right next to Painshill Park. It was awesome and exhausting. I’d put a picture in, but it involves other kids so I won’t be, so instead you can see the badge I was awarded for going!

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 10, 2015 at 9:44am PDT

Monday 11th May. Rainbows again. The joys of a warm day meant H’s shirt from the previous day was washed and dry, her new badge sewn on. She had lots of fun tonight and I could see a more confident H emerging – she stood up and talked about things rather than being shy. It makes me so happy as she is a shy girl, it feels like a breakthrough. We got home and put on the Matilda soundtrack I’d bought from eBay. She particularly liked that she had the words to read along to on the CD booklet.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 11, 2015 at 10:09am PDT

Tuesday 12th May. This was easily the busiest day of the week and Sunday was stupidly busy. From rushing to the Osteopath, H’s swimming lesson, PIlates and more, somehow I found the time to also make tea for everyone, even if it was just chopping up vegetables and putting them into the Soup Maker.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 12, 2015 at 2:03pm PDT

Wednesday 13th May. Ocado had Douwe Egbert’s on offer for £4, which included the limited Edition Orla Kiely jars. So I ordered two. I figured if they picked two of the same I might be able to swap one, but if I ordered three and got three of the same that would be tricky. So I saved myself £5 – I’ll still have to buy the other jar at full price, but oh, the pretty!

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 13, 2015 at 8:58am PDT

Thursday 14th May. The latest issue of Storytime Magazine arrived. I asked H a question to be met with silence. My baby bookworm was so engrossed in her magazine. Magazine subscriptions are the best presents you can get, I think. H is subscribed to Storytime, Okido and Anorak magazines, and has been getting the free Lego ones since she was born, pretty much!

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 14, 2015 at 8:57am PDT

Friday 15th May. At knitting on Thursday night my friend Katharine gave me a pile of Brownies and Guides annuals – some of which I remember owning back when they came out. H loves them – she’s been engrossed in the Brownies annuals, and has already started asking when she can join. She’s got a Very Long Wait.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 15, 2015 at 8:08am PDT

Saturday 16th May. It was our first Summer School Fair today – it was busy, hot and tiring – four hours on the raffle was not good for my back. I had to pop to the shops afterwards and went to Lidl as I’d heard they had Jeeves in stock – their bargain priced Pimm’s-A-Like – and there it was in all its glory. We had a couple of glasses later on and I can confirm it is just as good as the proper stuff. It also costs half as much, if not more. Bravo Lidl! As they say, ‘Get it while you can!’ – so I did…!

15/05/201515/05/2015 by jo

Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon

As you may guess, we do rather like books by Frann Preston-Gannon a lot. They’re written and beautifully illustrated by the author, and the latest book Sloth Slept On is yet another fabulous book to add to our collection.

Some children find a creature in a tree in their garden, and they have no idea what it is. ‘He wasn’t like any other creature we had ever found in the garden. What was he? And where had he come from?’

The children let their imagination try to work out where this animal could have come from, the pictures are so beautifully illustrated and gave us lots to talk about alongside the story. Eventually they do find out it’s a sloth, where you get a page full of interesting facts. I quite like that a sloth sleeps for up to 20 hours a day – that would suit me nicely. It was also good to talk about what we’ve learnt.

Sloth Slept On is a great story which shows children’s curiosity and imagination – as well as them trying to help. The final seal of approval goes to H who sat reading it in her head giggling away. “this book is really funny mummy” she let me know.

So how do they get the sloth back home to where it belongs? You’ll just have to buy the book to find out – it’s available now via Pavilion Children’s Books with a RRP of £10.99. I think it would make a lovely present too.

We were sent a copy of Sloth Slept On for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Special note – we were sent this book to review ages ago. I mis-placed the book and held the review until I could find it to get some decent photos. Apologies for it being so late!

13/05/2015 by jo

Plasticine

I’m a child of the seventies, and for a large part of that time my creative play revolved around plasticine. Seventies plasticine was the kind which didn’t mix into nice colours, and just went brown. Thankfully, things have changed. We have been sent a selection of Plasticine goodies to see what we think.

Plasticine brings back so many memories for me – I remember getting pots full of various colours back when I was young and making loads of things until you couldn’t use the stuff any more. These days things have improved.

The first, most important thing is that Plasticine does not dry out! I wish we’d had some when some friends stayed over earlier this year. Our friend made an elephant head with that similar other stuff that begins with P, but after a week it was crusty and dry – and eventually it had to be thrown away which was sad.

The second thing which is also very important, you can blend Plasticine together really easily to mix colours. We put this to the test when H made a Squidgems Donatello Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle model (rrp £1.49) – which came with really easy to follow instructions. Mixing the brown and green for the shell brings out a great shade – see the pictures above.

Next we put the Plasticine to the test with an Animal Creations kit (rrp approx £4) – you add various colours to parts of the plastic legs, tail and head, then blend what is left to make the body. We got a dog and H really wanted to copy the picture on the box – it could have done to be a little bit bigger (my poor eyesight there), but H still got on with it and was pleased with the results.

The thing which appeals the most to me about the Plasticine range we were sent is how affordable it is. H enjoys doing crafty things and liked trying out the range we were sent. We still have some packs to work through, but I know she will have lots of fun – the Fluro (rrp £1.99) looks bright and good for working with, and the Basix range (rrp £0.99) is a perfect pocket money price and a good starter point.

Something we weren’t sent but that caught my eye was this fabulous Morph plasticine kit – after all, who wouldn’t want to make their own Morph? That’s the beauty of Plasticine – there’s such a big range you can make whatever you want!

We were also sent the Funtubulous (rrp £6.99) – a tub full of Plasticine and some cutters – we haven’t played with this properly yet, but I know it’s something H will enjoy playing with a lot – probably to make me all kinds of ‘delicious’ food… I like that the kits come with tools which help with modelling. H is rediscovering her love of making things!

We were sent a fine selection of Plasticine products for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

10/05/201502/07/2015 by jo

Project 365 Week 19

Sunday 3rd May. After the hectic Saturday it was a rainy Sunday so we decided to have an easy one. So we went to Ikea then on to Carshalton Park afterwards for a bit of calm. H was wearing her Nirvana t-shirt and some denim, plus an oversized check shirt and she was in an absolute stinker of a mood – a proper emo-child. We decided it must be her chosen outfit which sent her a bit doolally, as she’s never normally as grumpy as she was.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 3, 2015 at 7:37am PDT

Monday 4th May. We went to Hatchlands Park, primarily to spend some money which would benefit Clandon Park, but also because the bluebells are out in force right now. It was packed – so much so that we gave up on eating there and decided to go to Winkworth Arboretum which isn’t just up the road, but isn’t that far away. They didn’t have much food there though, but we had enough – plus got to see more bluebells and the azalea steps. Anyway, Winkworth had one of the new ’50 Things to do Before You’re 11 3/4′ books so H got a new one.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 4, 2015 at 8:24am PDT

Tuesday 5th May. If I don’t take a photo of anything, I’ll take it of my food. So here’s my soup as made in the Morphy Richards Soup Maker (Butternut squash, red pepper and broccoli), and some bread from the breadmaker. I like having machines that do all the hard work for me.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 5, 2015 at 12:25pm PDT

Wednesday 6th May. I am not vegan, but I do eat vegan food, what with having been a vegetarian since around 1983. Fry’s foods are my favourite – their curry pies are amazing. I discovered the coconut oil spray in Tesco so thought I’d give it a try – the two go well together as well!

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 6, 2015 at 10:18am PDT

Thursday 7th May. Yeah, that. We did it. H said “you ONLY have to put a cross on a piece of paper?!”

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 7, 2015 at 9:09am PDT

Friday 8th May. Finally after several months of trying and H getting angry and frustrated, she showed me how to tie a bow on her school dress. She worked it out at school and I’m relieved – she got so cross with herself when she couldn’t do it straight away.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 8, 2015 at 7:43am PDT

Saturday 9th May. We took H to Carshalton Athletic this morning after recommendations for football groups you don’t have to commit to. It’s really close to our house so walkable, but for her first week we drove, mainly as I was sure it was going to rain anyway – it did, but nothing to get wet with! H was paired up with another girl and really got stuck in. When she did Crystal Palace lessons she would often get frustrated by things, but today she was so much happier and confident, and got on with it. She was put in the older kids group too – and her coach said she has good skills, we just need to work on her thinking which was encouraging! The best bit of all? Girls go free. How awesome is that? So we have no excuse not to go.

A photo posted by Jo Brooks (@mumfriendlyjo) on May 9, 2015 at 2:48am PDT

10/05/201510/05/2015 by jo

Petits Filous Magic Squares

Today was the ‘Rainbows Go Global’ day for our county Rainbows group, one which has left H and I exhausted. When we got home our food was made for us, placed in front of us and we opened our mouths at the correct time to eat it. Tired would be an understatement. When it came to pudding, H insisted on having ice cream. I was having none of it as I didn’t want to load her up with sugar. Which is where I patted myself on the back at my foresight – I made some Lego Lollies using Petits Filous Magic Squares!

Petits Filous Magic Squares are new, available in Strawberry & Vanilla and Raspberry & Vanilla flavours, with a square of each in each corner. We’re a yoghurt loving family, so when it gets to this time of year I tend to get the lolly moulds doing what they’re meant to. I’ve found fruit juice isn’t playing ball at all right now, but yoghurt works a treat.

Which is where the Petits Filous Magic Squares come into it. One scoop of pink for the feet, a blob of yellow for the trousers, pink for the top, and yellow for the head, then expect a bit of a merge of colours in there somewhere – it’s inevitable. I’m not *that* tidy.

So actually, when H demanded ice cream, I offered her a Petits Filous Magic Squares ice lolly, and that was quite possibly the best option of them all.

“you’re the best mummy in the world!” she said, as she bit the Lego Man’s head off.. I’ll take that!

Available in two delicious varieties, Strawberry & Vanilla Flavour and Raspberry & Vanilla Flavour, the unique quadrant shape of the Petits Filous Magic Squares range creates a new eating experience and allows kids to mix up the magic. Whether they taste one flavour at a time, experiment with a mouthful of each, or totally mix it up, kids will love exploring the delicious new flavours. Not only is it great tasting, Petits Filous Magic Squares provides calcium and vitamin D for strong bones. Fresh dairy products contain calcium, but not all of them have Vitamin D, which helps absorb the calcium. Petits Filous contains both calcium and Vitamin D which help build strong bones.

We were supplied with vouchers to buy the Petits Filous – all opinions are our own! One pot of Petits Filous Magic Squares made each lolly.

This post is an entry for BritMums #MagicSquaresPlaydates Linky Challenge, sponsored by Petits Filous.

08/05/201509/05/2015 by jo

Lots Going on at Hatchlands Park

Hatchlands Park has a Sylvanian Families trail, free for kids. H did it and enjoyed it – but remember to take a pen! It’s fun and informative – and gave us a walk through a different area of Hatchlands too. It’s very suitable for little ones too – nice paths though a few trip hazards – but lots of fun!

The bluebell woods are in full bloom too – Hatchlands Park is famous for the bluebells, and they never disappoint.

Best of all though, Hatchlands Park has fairy doors in some trees – there are seven in all. We found five – and it was a good distraction for H who was feeling tired and hungry at this point – expect more to appear at random times!

“I don’t believe in fairies, apart from the Tooth Fairy” my five and a half year old told me. She still tried to have a look behind the doors – so there’s still some magic there.

A quick play in an empty field with H’s boomerang, and a wander around the grounds, before making our way to the play area with plenty of things to play and balance on, and H was pretty tired.

Hatchlands Park was rammed when we went – but we luckily managed to find a parking space. I think a lot was due to it being the Bank Holiday, but also I think the fire at Clandon Park just up the road contributed to the numbers. The Sylvanian Family trail was quick, and follows the one track but was well suited for H. The bluebell woods have several pathways to take (hint – the ones along the bottom have the fairy doors, but the best bluebell views are on the longer pathway).

The pony trekking was there again too – but again we didn’t get a chance – next time – we’ll always go back to Hatchlands!

07/05/201508/05/2015 by jo

Jord Wood Watch

I was approached late last year to review a Jord Wood Watch. I’m the kind of person who is allergic to most watches, so hasn’t really worn one for a long time – but a wooden watch? I was intrigued. Mostly as I wanted to find out exactly what a wooden watch actually looks like!

Jord Wood Watches are US based, and approached me last year to see if I’d like to review one of their watches. I have a nickel allergy so haven’t worn a watch for years. My Jord Wood Watch is a lovely sturdy one – and it is lasting well. I’ve used it daily and it shows little sign of any wear and tear – especially on the glass face.

When my Jord Wood Watch arrived, I was impressed with the packaging. It’s presented in a stylish way – complete with a wooden tag and little cushion for it to rest on.

The main test of time would be wearing it constantly. At work I’m finding I do take the watch off as I wear it on my mouse hand as the clasp rubs against my wrist, no allergic reaction, that’s just because of the way I sit at work.

I like that the watch is bigger – while it’s a Women’s watch, it has a bit more ‘bulk’ to it – it doesn’t look dainty, it has a good colour and style, and I’ve had comments from people admiring it.

The clasp on the back is a very simple one – both sides clip into the middle and are released by pressing a button – you can see on the picture above. I did remove the blue protective plastic, but it does help show how it works. So far it has been nice and strong and hasn’t popped open at unexpected moments, so that’s good. In fact, the only unexpected thing which has happened is H popping it open – it seems it’s quite appealing for a five year old – so it’s wearing well!

I was sent the Fieldcrest Jord Wood Watch – you can find more information about it over here. It is designed to be a classic midsize watch, and I feel like it’s the perfect size for me.

Jord have many different designs of watch, so don’t rule them out – and especially don’t if you have a nickel allergy like me – six months later and still no reactions which is amazing! The only exposed bit of metal is on the clasp at the back – the other side of the watch face has a wooden back – and it’s usually there where I have the reaction.

I found my watch was a little bit big, but it was easy enough to remove one of the links from the band (as long as you have some tiny screwdrivers!) – though you can now get your watch custom-sized by Jord before despatch.

I think the true test of how impressed I am with the watch is that I’m still wearing it six months on, I haven’t had a reaction to it, and the face of the watch doesn’t have a single scratch – and there has been plenty of times I thought it might. At around £60ish with the exchange rate, this is a watch which is built to last.

You can find Jord Wood Watches over here – as well as on Instagram where loads of people are uploading their watches.

I received a watch for the purpose of review, all opinions are my own.

Watches Made From Wood

06/05/201506/05/2015 by jo

Clandon Park Fire

We were saddened to hear the news about the Clandon Park fire last week. We’re lucky that we have so many National Trust properties, gardens and land near here. Clandon Park need your help. Please read.

South Front of Clandon Park

The National Trust today revealed a significant amount of the collection had been saved from the Clandon Park fire during the salvage operation.

Crews from Surrey Fire Brigade were continuing to dampen down the stately home, following the blaze which ripped through the 18^th century stately home, near Guildford, Surrey, on Wednesday afternoon.

The house has been left a burnt out shell by the blaze and a cordon remains in place around the site.

Staff are now assessing what they have been able to save and determining what has been lost.

Among the items that have been saved are:

Painting depicting Speaker Arthur Onslow calling upon Sir Robert Walpole to speak in the House of Commons, by Sir James Thornhill and William Hogarth 1730, from the Library
Board listing the rules to be observed in the servants’ hall at Clandon, eighteenth century.
Painting of an ostrich in a classical landscape, oil on canvas, by Francis Barlow (c.1626–1704), probably painted in the 1670s, from the Marble Hall.
Bible printed by John Basket in 1716-1717, from the Library
Folding screen incorporating Victorian and Edwardian Onslow family photographs, from the Library
A pair of giltwood side tables in the manner of John Gumley and James Moore, made in about 1725, from the State Bedroom
Silver, including some pieces by the noted silversmith Paul Storr, from the Speaker’s Parlour
The hangings of the Clandon state bed, made in about 1710. The hangings had just returned to Clandon following conservation treatment and were still packed up.
Set of hall chairs with the Onslow crest, from the Marble Hall at Clandon

Until a full assessment is done it will not be possible to confirm objects that did not survive.

The Trust’s Director General, Helen Ghosh said: “Although the house was pretty well burned out, the operation rescued a significant amount of the collection, and we are hopeful there will be more to recover when our specialists are able to get inside the building and start the painstaking archaeological salvage work. But there is a lot that we will never recover.

“The immediate sense of shock and loss amongst staff working at the property has quickly been replaced by a steely determination. The team at Clandon, staff from other properties and local volunteers – have responded with tremendous fortitude, calmness and professionalism to the event.

When the overall impact of the fire is clearer, we will be able to decide on the longer term future of the house.

“I’d like to again thank the magnificent job the Surrey Fire Brigade. Their team-work and professionalism has been awe-inspiring.

“We’ve also been very touched by the offers of support, concern and good will from all over the country – we appreciate those messages.”

We cannot say at this stage what the future holds but donations raised will help Clandon Park face its uncertain future. To make a donation please call 0344 800 1895 or donate online.

03/05/201503/05/2015 by jo

Great Fosters – Afternoon Tea and a Wander

Recently it was my birthday, and to celebrate, Shaun and I took the day off work. He did lots of research and booked us in for Afternoon Tea at Great Fosters, a gorgeous big house near Egham and Virginia Water.

Great Fosters was my birthday destination this year – I decided I wanted Afternoon Tea, and Shaun decided where we would go – but things didn’t go quite to plan. We were about a minute from the venue and my phone went – H had fallen over at school and bumped her head, with a golf ball sized bump on it which they were applying a cold pack to – and could we come and pick her up please?

So we had to turn around. We went somewhere else locally (and eventually ended up in A&E – poor H!), but as we were so close when we got the call, I popped into the venue to tell them we couldn’t make it, and managed to reschedule so we all went two days later.

You turn up the drive into the car park, entering the grounds and straight in front of you is the building – a grade 1 listed building at that – and oh, how gorgeous. To enter the house is a door which you need to duck down to get through – not ideal for tall people! Once inside the smell of burning log fires greeted us.

We were early for our Afternoon Tea, so had a wander around the grounds – pathways and streams, beautiful topiary, plants and flowers. Ducks, swans and even little baby chicks – they were all there. I had the worst shoes imaginable for walking around the grounds – but did it. H ran, ran, ran more while I became the helicopter parent “watch out for those raised slabs!” I’d call, as I ended up being the one who tripped over. Silly me.

And then – the Afternoon Tea. Great Fosters treated us amazingly – I felt so special! The most delicious sandwiches, followed by warm scones, cream cakes, more cream cakes and even more cream cakes. We took a box home. We were then told our portion size was for two people – not three!! Delicious though, with divine Jing teas to accompany them – I had Blackcurrant and Hibiscus, followed by a pot of Rooibos.

Afterwards, completely stuffed we wandered around the grounds again, this time H and Shaun went all the way to the auditorium at the end of the grounds – with the M25 just the other side! There are beehives and pigs too – we went to visit them, H was super impressed and chatted away to them for a bit.

Great Fosters website is here. Our Afternoon Tea came in at around £56 which I think is a bargain considering what you get.

03/05/201501/01/2019 by jo

Football For Everyone

We were invited to a training session at Petts Wood FC near Orpington with Casey Stoney, the Arsenal and England footballer. It was the launch of McDonalds Football Mum of the Year – there will be a proper writeup to follow, but H has rediscovered her love of playing football thanks to Casey.

Football Mum of the Year is a chance for you to vote for a mum who you feel inspires you, who helps the game of football happen – be that driving a child to matches or just washing their kit. I’ll write up more about this, but right now I’m slightly emotional – as this morning H rediscovered her love of playing football, after swearing blind she hated playing the game, something I suspected wasn’t true.

We used to do football lessons with a local team – H really enjoyed going, and didn’t seem too fazed that she was the only girl there. Things were going well and everything was good – but then they changed the coach to a more shouty one, her school friends all stopped going and it wasn’t quite so much fun for her.

H decided from that point onwards she didn’t like playing football any more. She would happily watch it (and we would have gone to England v Germany Women at Wembley had she not been unwell) but actually playing games wasn’t happening any more.

That was until Saturday; something reawoke in H. Once the ball was at her feet she got on with it – and did really well. Despite not having had any classes for a long time now she played and had confidence. It made me SO happy! I’m wondering if it was because she was one of the older children there so wasn’t as shy about things.

Afterwards I interviewed Casey Stoney (which will appear in the full writeup next week). You can see how passionate she is about the game – and how much she enjoyed encouraging the young ones to play. It was a different style of coaching to the kind we’d previously experienced and it worked for H. I felt like she had a little more spatial awareness and any initial shyness she had felt was gone quickly – she wanted to join in.

Women’s football is getting popular – and rightly so. But most importantly of all, the games are affordable. We’ve just bought three tickets for Wembley for the FA Cup Final for £25 with postage. I don’t care who is playing, we’re going to have fun and help introduce H to the fact that women can play football and they do it well. After all, it was H herself who told me once that a boy said “girls can’t like football” – I’m not sure why they thought that.

This is where the McDonald’s Football Mum of the Year comes in. If you know any mums out there who encourage their children, who support them, who make it happen, you can vote for them. This isn’t about women’s football, or men’s football – it’s just football – for everyone. How it should be – and celebrating the mums who help make it happen. Casey Stoney is also on the panel who will judge all the entries.

This afternoon once we’d had some lunch, H turned to Shaun. “Daddy, can we go and play football in the park?” – I think something has been reignited in her love of playing football. I’m going to find a local group which has plenty of girls in there, where she can just turn up and play.

You can vote on the McDonalds Football Mum of the Year over here.

We were given a goody bag to attend today, all opinions are my own.

Mum Friendly

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