Up until a few weeks ago I had almost given up hope of ever having a proper picnic this summer. Rain, rain, and more rain. And then, in true British style, the weather went from one extreme to the other! I have been desperate to take the boys over to Wrest Park in Silsoe, Bedfordshire to explore the grounds so as soon as the sun was out we packed a picnic and jumped in the car.
Days Out: Picnic at Wrest Park, Bedfordshire
Up until a few weeks ago I had almost given up hope of ever having a proper picnic this summer. Rain, rain, and more rain. And then, in true British style, the weather went from one extreme to the other! I have been desperate to take the boys over to Wrest Park in Silsoe, Bedfordshire to explore the grounds so as soon as the sun was out we packed a picnic and jumped in the car.
2016 marks 150 years since the birth of beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter, who famously wrote the PETER RABBIT™ book series. To celebrate her birthday, Quite Frankly She Said has teamed up with Willows Activity Farm, based in St. Albans, to offer a chance to win a visit to the PETER RABBIT™ Adventure Playground which opened at the popular family attraction earlier this year.
Giveaway: Willows Farm Family Day Pass to Celebrate 150th Anniversary of Beatrix Potter
2016 marks 150 years since the birth of beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter, who famously wrote the PETER RABBIT™ book series. To celebrate her birthday, Quite Frankly She Said has teamed up with Willows Activity Farm, based in St. Albans, to offer a chance to win a visit to the PETER RABBIT™ Adventure Playground which opened at the popular family attraction earlier this year.
A few weeks ago we received one of the most exciting toys the boys have ever had to review. Yep, a bold statement indeed, but this cute electronic Code-a-Pillar toy from Fisher-Price is, in my opinion, going to be THE pre-school learning toy that all children will want to have this year! It's not just adorable to look at, it's not just fun to play with, it's also teaching children early skills to coding such as programming and problem solving.
Review: Fisher-Price Think and Learn Code-a-Pillar
A few weeks ago we received one of the most exciting toys the boys have ever had to review. Yep, a bold statement indeed, but this cute electronic Code-a-Pillar toy from Fisher-Price is, in my opinion, going to be THE pre-school learning toy that all children will want to have this year! It's not just adorable to look at, it's not just fun to play with, it's also teaching children early skills to coding such as programming and problem solving.
Without a doubt, Jamie Oliver is one of my all-time favourite celebrity chefs. The Naked Chef was the first cookbook I ever bought, and I've since collected pretty much all of his other books. I love his London restaurant, Fifteen, but I'm a more frequent visitor to Jamie's Italian, a chain of affordable restaurants that feature traditional, rustic Italian dishes The nearest restaurant to us is in St Albans, and right next door is Jamie's Pizzeria, a standalone pizzeria serving handmade pizzas and yummy accompaniments. Last weekend Ian, the boys and I were invited along to review the new pizzeria and see what they have to offer.
Lunch at Jamie's Pizzeria. St Albans, Hertfordshire
Without a doubt, Jamie Oliver is one of my all-time favourite celebrity chefs. The Naked Chef was the first cookbook I ever bought, and I've since collected pretty much all of his other books. I love his London restaurant, Fifteen, but I'm a more frequent visitor to Jamie's Italian, a chain of affordable restaurants that feature traditional, rustic Italian dishes The nearest restaurant to us is in St Albans, and right next door is Jamie's Pizzeria, a standalone pizzeria serving handmade pizzas and yummy accompaniments. Last weekend Ian, the boys and I were invited along to review the new pizzeria and see what they have to offer.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Happy Days: Hello Sunshine
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
This is one of those rare times that I am tempted to step into the realm of vlogging, so that I can show you just how amazing this little speaker from Panasonic truly is. The SC-RB5 is one of the newest additions to Panasonic's range of wireless speaker systems, and the funky device works using "Resonance Bass" technology to produce quality sounds.
When the speaker is placed on any hard surface or object, such as a table, kitchen worktop or even a wooden floor, it sends vibrations through those objects which amplify the sound. Not only that, it has the unique feature of being able to adapt its noise to the surface it is placed on. I was sent one to review, and I was seriously impressed by the quality of sound it produces. Read on to learn more, and enter the giveaway to win one for yourself!
Review & Giveaway: Panasonic SC-RB5 Bluetooth Speaker
This is one of those rare times that I am tempted to step into the realm of vlogging, so that I can show you just how amazing this little speaker from Panasonic truly is. The SC-RB5 is one of the newest additions to Panasonic's range of wireless speaker systems, and the funky device works using "Resonance Bass" technology to produce quality sounds.
When the speaker is placed on any hard surface or object, such as a table, kitchen worktop or even a wooden floor, it sends vibrations through those objects which amplify the sound. Not only that, it has the unique feature of being able to adapt its noise to the surface it is placed on. I was sent one to review, and I was seriously impressed by the quality of sound it produces. Read on to learn more, and enter the giveaway to win one for yourself!
Last year I introduced you to Nibbling, a new brand of baby-safe jewellery designed right here in the UK, in London. The range includes bracelets, necklaces, teethers and dummy clips, all made with 100% silicone which means they are perfectly safe for little ones. The jewellery is available in a huge range of shapes and gorgeous colours, and the soft silicone beads are ideal for babies to hold, chew and play with. All of Nibbling’s jewellery is free from BPA, phthalates, and heavy metals. They’re also dishwasher safe, and can be popped in a steam steriliser.
Giveaway: Nibbling Teething Rattle & Bracelet
Last year I introduced you to Nibbling, a new brand of baby-safe jewellery designed right here in the UK, in London. The range includes bracelets, necklaces, teethers and dummy clips, all made with 100% silicone which means they are perfectly safe for little ones. The jewellery is available in a huge range of shapes and gorgeous colours, and the soft silicone beads are ideal for babies to hold, chew and play with. All of Nibbling’s jewellery is free from BPA, phthalates, and heavy metals. They’re also dishwasher safe, and can be popped in a steam steriliser.
It's no secret that I am fascinated by pregnancy and childbirth, you only have to take a look at my Beautiful Births section to see that I love to read all about it. My ideas, opinions and knowledge of birth have changed a lot since I was pregnant for the first time though. Before the arrival of my first baby, I assumed I had to do as I was told by my midwife and the obstetricians. So many of the books I read seemed to reinforce this idea. In hindsight I realised that actually, it's me that is in control, and it is me that can choose the kind of birth experience I want to have. This empowerment led to me getting the birth I really wanted with my second baby.
Kicki Hansard is an award-winning birth and postnatal doula and she has been helping parents prepare for the arrival of their babies since 2002. As a mother of two herself, Kicki believes that childbirth is a completely normal event, that our bodies are more than capable of physiological birth, and that good support, knowledge and defined but flexible expectations can really make the difference. Kicki sent me a copy of her book, The Secrets of Birth, to review after discovering my keen interest in pregnancy and childbirth.
Review & Giveaway: The Secrets of Birth by Kicki Hansard
It's no secret that I am fascinated by pregnancy and childbirth, you only have to take a look at my Beautiful Births section to see that I love to read all about it. My ideas, opinions and knowledge of birth have changed a lot since I was pregnant for the first time though. Before the arrival of my first baby, I assumed I had to do as I was told by my midwife and the obstetricians. So many of the books I read seemed to reinforce this idea. In hindsight I realised that actually, it's me that is in control, and it is me that can choose the kind of birth experience I want to have. This empowerment led to me getting the birth I really wanted with my second baby.
Kicki Hansard is an award-winning birth and postnatal doula and she has been helping parents prepare for the arrival of their babies since 2002. As a mother of two herself, Kicki believes that childbirth is a completely normal event, that our bodies are more than capable of physiological birth, and that good support, knowledge and defined but flexible expectations can really make the difference. Kicki sent me a copy of her book, The Secrets of Birth, to review after discovering my keen interest in pregnancy and childbirth.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Happy Days: Summer Fun
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
July's Bostik Blogger craft box has a sport theme and with the Olympics approaching next month we have all been feeling motivated to get more active and into more sports. I took up running about 3 months ago, and both of the boys do swimming and football every week. I'd love to do more sports and activities but time is not on my side so running is all I can do for now! With our box of crafts we have been inspired by the Olympics and decided to make a toddler-friendly flaming torch. If you want to see last month's animal themed craft idea you can find it here.
My craft ideas are always really simple as I want them to be easy enough for toddlers and preschoolers to do, and this flaming torch is definitely the easiest one we've ever done! I could probably do it in a minute if I did it on my own, but with Little N's assistance it took us more like five minutes.
To make a toddler-friendly flaming torch you will need:
- Several pieces of orange and yellow tissue paper
- a cardboard cone
- a cardboard cone
Here's how we made it
- Using the wide end of the Bostik Fine and Wide Glu Pen put a small amount of glu in the middle of the first sheet of tissue paper and stick the next sheet to it. Repeat until all of the sheets are stuck together.
- Using the fine end of the Bostik Fine and Wide Glu Pen draw a wiggly line of glu around the inner edge of the cardboard cone.
- Bunch the tissue paper together and stick it to the glu on the cardboard cone.
- Once it has all dried your flaming torch is ready to play with!
- Bunch the tissue paper together and stick it to the glu on the cardboard cone.
- Once it has all dried your flaming torch is ready to play with!
What other jungle-themed crafts should we try? Let me know in the comments below!
With thanks to Bostik for providing the craft materials. This post contains affiliate links. Quite Frankly She Said is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk
Craft Idea: Toddler-Friendly Flaming Torch
July's Bostik Blogger craft box has a sport theme and with the Olympics approaching next month we have all been feeling motivated to get more active and into more sports. I took up running about 3 months ago, and both of the boys do swimming and football every week. I'd love to do more sports and activities but time is not on my side so running is all I can do for now! With our box of crafts we have been inspired by the Olympics and decided to make a toddler-friendly flaming torch. If you want to see last month's animal themed craft idea you can find it here.
My craft ideas are always really simple as I want them to be easy enough for toddlers and preschoolers to do, and this flaming torch is definitely the easiest one we've ever done! I could probably do it in a minute if I did it on my own, but with Little N's assistance it took us more like five minutes.
To make a toddler-friendly flaming torch you will need:
- Several pieces of orange and yellow tissue paper
- a cardboard cone
- a cardboard cone
Here's how we made it
- Using the wide end of the Bostik Fine and Wide Glu Pen put a small amount of glu in the middle of the first sheet of tissue paper and stick the next sheet to it. Repeat until all of the sheets are stuck together.
- Using the fine end of the Bostik Fine and Wide Glu Pen draw a wiggly line of glu around the inner edge of the cardboard cone.
- Bunch the tissue paper together and stick it to the glu on the cardboard cone.
- Once it has all dried your flaming torch is ready to play with!
- Bunch the tissue paper together and stick it to the glu on the cardboard cone.
- Once it has all dried your flaming torch is ready to play with!
What other jungle-themed crafts should we try? Let me know in the comments below!
With thanks to Bostik for providing the craft materials. This post contains affiliate links. Quite Frankly She Said is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk
Several weeks ago I received an email from Oblumi, a relatively new company based out in Spain, inviting me to review their innovative Tapp device. The Oblumi Tapp is a small device which connects to your mobile phone through the earphone jack and becomes a digital infrared thermometer,allowing you to quickly check yours or your child's temperature on either their forehead or their ears, and you can also check the temperature of liquids. Intrigued, I said yes!
Review: Oblumi Tapp Family Thermometer
Several weeks ago I received an email from Oblumi, a relatively new company based out in Spain, inviting me to review their innovative Tapp device. The Oblumi Tapp is a small device which connects to your mobile phone through the earphone jack and becomes a digital infrared thermometer,allowing you to quickly check yours or your child's temperature on either their forehead or their ears, and you can also check the temperature of liquids. Intrigued, I said yes!
To support the launch of their new Xperia X smartphone, Sony have asked bloggers to share some of our most precious, fleeting moments; those blink and you'll miss it moments that help define who you are and the life you lead, or as Sony is calling them, 'X Moments'. As as a parent, we have so many X Moments throughout our children's lives, and it is those moments that define who I am as a mother. I often think how lucky we are to live in the digital age, with the technology that we have at our fingertips that allows us to capture so many of these moments.
My X Moment with Sony Xperia
To support the launch of their new Xperia X smartphone, Sony have asked bloggers to share some of our most precious, fleeting moments; those blink and you'll miss it moments that help define who you are and the life you lead, or as Sony is calling them, 'X Moments'. As as a parent, we have so many X Moments throughout our children's lives, and it is those moments that define who I am as a mother. I often think how lucky we are to live in the digital age, with the technology that we have at our fingertips that allows us to capture so many of these moments.
At the start of this year, Katy & I launched our new Instagram project, #MyHappyCapture. The aim of the project is to celebrate your happy moments, those that make you smile. We want to use the hashtag to build an Instagram community where you can share photos that encompass happiness. Every month we choose our favourite photos that have been shared using the tag and round them up on our blogs and Instagram feeds!
My Happy Capture: June Round-up
At the start of this year, Katy & I launched our new Instagram project, #MyHappyCapture. The aim of the project is to celebrate your happy moments, those that make you smile. We want to use the hashtag to build an Instagram community where you can share photos that encompass happiness. Every month we choose our favourite photos that have been shared using the tag and round them up on our blogs and Instagram feeds!
Recently Ian and I have been trying to make more time for us. It's not an easy thing to do when you have children, and I've never been keen on leaving the boys with a babysitter for a night, so instead of date nights we have date days. Last Sunday we went to Moggerhanger Park in Bedfordshire for afternoon tea.
Afternoon Tea at Moggerhanger Park, Bedfordshire
Recently Ian and I have been trying to make more time for us. It's not an easy thing to do when you have children, and I've never been keen on leaving the boys with a babysitter for a night, so instead of date nights we have date days. Last Sunday we went to Moggerhanger Park in Bedfordshire for afternoon tea.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Happy Days: Peas, Tea & Car Shopping
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
I absolutely love reading birth stories as every experience is so unique, and after sharing my own two very different birth experiences [emergency c-section and natural VBAC] I decided to ask other mums and dads to share their beautiful birth stories with me, too. If you’d like to share your birth story, send me an email or get in touch via Twitter or Facebook.
Sadie from The Secret Life of Mum is sharing her birth story today. You'll never guess what happens in this one, oh it's a good one. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say I've not read a birth story quite like this before!
Beautiful Births #19: Sadie's Induction
I absolutely love reading birth stories as every experience is so unique, and after sharing my own two very different birth experiences [emergency c-section and natural VBAC] I decided to ask other mums and dads to share their beautiful birth stories with me, too. If you’d like to share your birth story, send me an email or get in touch via Twitter or Facebook.
Sadie from The Secret Life of Mum is sharing her birth story today. You'll never guess what happens in this one, oh it's a good one. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say I've not read a birth story quite like this before!
Last month the brand new Thomas & Friends babywear collection was launched at Tesco, with a range of adorable daywear, sleepwear, accessories and gifts all featuring the iconic little blue engine. Both of my boys are mad about Thomas & Friends, and J was really excited when his new pyjamas arrived. He wanted to try them on straight away, but then refused to take them off again, meaning I had to do the school run - the afternoon school run! - with him in his pyjamas. Toddlers, eh!
Mini Style: Thomas & Friends Babywear
Last month the brand new Thomas & Friends babywear collection was launched at Tesco, with a range of adorable daywear, sleepwear, accessories and gifts all featuring the iconic little blue engine. Both of my boys are mad about Thomas & Friends, and J was really excited when his new pyjamas arrived. He wanted to try them on straight away, but then refused to take them off again, meaning I had to do the school run - the afternoon school run! - with him in his pyjamas. Toddlers, eh!
I never really suffered with my skin during my teenage years. Aside from the occasional spot, I got away with having relatively clear skin and this continued throughout my twenties. Then I reached my thirties, and had two children, and since then I've been struggling to keep the breakouts under control. I recently learned that this is called adult acne.
Acne is really common, it affects over 80% of people at some point in their lives. It's not something that only teenagers get; many suffer in their 20s, 30s and even 40s. It is caused by hormones and bacteria which lead to oiliness, spots and blemishes. In my case, my skin breaks out once a month, just before my period is due. The acne is horrendous for several days, with my skin becoming oily and with red, inflamed spots mostly on my cheeks. After a week or so, my skin starts to calm down, but it takes me the rest of the month to really get my skin smooth and under control again, and by that time I am due another breakout. I also scar easily, and have lots of little marks on my cheeks caused by acne scarring. It really, really gets me down.
My Struggle with Adult Acne
I never really suffered with my skin during my teenage years. Aside from the occasional spot, I got away with having relatively clear skin and this continued throughout my twenties. Then I reached my thirties, and had two children, and since then I've been struggling to keep the breakouts under control. I recently learned that this is called adult acne.
Acne is really common, it affects over 80% of people at some point in their lives. It's not something that only teenagers get; many suffer in their 20s, 30s and even 40s. It is caused by hormones and bacteria which lead to oiliness, spots and blemishes. In my case, my skin breaks out once a month, just before my period is due. The acne is horrendous for several days, with my skin becoming oily and with red, inflamed spots mostly on my cheeks. After a week or so, my skin starts to calm down, but it takes me the rest of the month to really get my skin smooth and under control again, and by that time I am due another breakout. I also scar easily, and have lots of little marks on my cheeks caused by acne scarring. It really, really gets me down.
Most of my readers know that I have two very young children, aged three and one, but what you might not know is that I also have two older stepchildren. They don't feature as frequently on my blog, being so busy with school and clubs, but our family has grown a lot recently with all four children now living under the same roof, and our five-seater cars are just not cutting it anymore. Whenever we want to go out as a family, we have been having to take both of our cars. Two lots of fuel, two lots of parking, it's just daft. We're a family and we want to travel together! So Ian and I have been looking at compact MPVs, and one that immediately caught our attention was the Peugeot 5008. Peugeot sent us a 5008 Allure BlueHDi so we could see how it suited our blended family needs.
Review: Peugeot 5008 7-Seater Compact MPV
Most of my readers know that I have two very young children, aged three and one, but what you might not know is that I also have two older stepchildren. They don't feature as frequently on my blog, being so busy with school and clubs, but our family has grown a lot recently with all four children now living under the same roof, and our five-seater cars are just not cutting it anymore. Whenever we want to go out as a family, we have been having to take both of our cars. Two lots of fuel, two lots of parking, it's just daft. We're a family and we want to travel together! So Ian and I have been looking at compact MPVs, and one that immediately caught our attention was the Peugeot 5008. Peugeot sent us a 5008 Allure BlueHDi so we could see how it suited our blended family needs.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
"Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them but you know they're always there.”
Happy Days: Sleepy Smiles & Date Days
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
"Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them but you know they're always there.”
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