365 #35

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And that was the end of that. Another wonderful Summer holiday draws to a close, and the next half-term begins!

The 365 linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Join in by entering the URL of your favourite photograph of the week (either a 52 or a 365 photo) and show some comment love to everyone else in the community. We've got a Facebook group, and now I've created a collaborative Pinterest board (if you'd like to collaborate, let me know and I'll add you).

  1. Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
  2. Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
  3. If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
365



Days 237-243 of Project 365

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237-243 of 365

237. Fortress (A beautiful Sunday afternoon on August Bank Holiday weekend, saw us pack up our beach stuff and venture to Barry Island for the afternoon. And for once it wasn't crowded! We decided to make the biggest castle ever, and this was our finished product; gargantuan isn't it? This is the castle I've always wanted to make and it was brilliant fun, people along the beach stopped to take photos and comment.)

238. Practise (The biggest concern that I have for The Boy going to school is coping with lunchtimes. He currently has a cooked meal at lunchtimes, but won't be having school dinners as I don't think he'll eat them. I decided it was time to practise eating from a lunchbox, as I know how chaotic it is at lunchtimes in a dinner hall with minimal staff around. We packed up our tea and took it to the nature reserve for a picnic practise. I don't want The Boy to struggle with anything so we've spent this week practising opening and not spilling food, eating things in the right order, and working out what type of yoghurt is the best to send in for him.)

239. Climbing Boy (We headed out for another picnic lunch, this time in the park. And what better way to burn off that energy afterwards that tree climbing?)

240. Squelch (We had a very exciting morning visiting somewhere special in Cardiff, but I can't disclose any information about it until later in the year and it's under embargo until then! We had lunch in Pizza Hut and I spent the whole time staring at The Boy, absorbing ever cell of his face, trying not to cry about missing him in school. Then we went down the beach for some plopping fun, although The Boy has discovered sandballs are far more fun to throw than pebbles, filthy child.)

241. RUN! (My mum was looking after my niece and nephew for the day, so we took all three children to Barry Island, somewhere they don't go very often. Reluctantly at first The Boy's cousins entered the water, then his Boy Cousin came back out to remove his trousers so he could paddle more freely, while Girl Cousin just sat down in the sea fully clothed instead. All three had a whale of a time; all you need is sand and water, and they're happy!)

242. Ritual (Today was the last day of our old routine. Our last day together, just me and him, without being stuck in the rigmorale of bowing down to the constraints of school holidays. Our last day of him being my little shadow and us having the freedom to not rush and just do what we want. Just typing that makes me cry. I know we'll have half-terms and school holidays, but it is not the same. Every day for four years and two months, he has waited on our bed (sometimes with or without Mr. TBaM, depending upon age) while I shower and get dressed. Then Mr. TBaM goes to work and we have cuddles in bed for half an hour. Every week day (that I've not worked) for four years and two months. This was our last day doing this. And I am counting down the days until October half-term until we can do it again.)

243. ARGGGGHHHHH! (We took The Boy to Peppa Pig World for our last Summer treat and had a brilliant time exploring old favourite rides and new treasures. This was an old favourite and I took about fifteen photos of them on this ride, from top to bottom. I can't show later ones as Mr. TBaM would divorce me, but this was right at the top, just as they both realise how steep the drop is!)

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TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

Harumika Party (Or How To Be The Best Aunty Ever)

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I have a ten year old niece and I know the way to her heart…

Harumika party 1

I know! Enough mini mannequins and material to make the toughest ten year old girl melt!

At the beginning of the Summer holidays I was provided with a Harumika party package for twelve children. The package included two dress forms with stylus per guest, a pack of materials and stickers per guest, a selection of additional materials, creative tips, and one Petite Harumika per guest as a party bag giveaway.

BEST. AUNTY. EVER!

My niece arranged for eleven of her friends to come over and spend a very pleasant hour and a half exploring the world of Harumika. For those not in the know, Harumika is a world of fashion design involving small mannequins and no sewing, no scissors and no glue. Each mannequin has a slot on the back which allows for the end of the fabric or ribbon to be tucked in securely using the stylus provided. It's simple and ingenious.

My niece and I introduced the concept of Harumika to her friends; most already knew about it but there were three girls who'd never come across it before. They all quickly picked up the idea and I challenged them to make a simple dress for the Summer from the available fabrics; lots of collaborative work and discussion later and we had a great selection on the table.

Next I showed the girls some of the tips of using the belts as straps, wrapping the fabric squares diagonally around the mannequin, twisting the fabric and pleating, and they came up with a great range of ball dresses.

Harumika party

I like Harumika for one big reason; it allows girls to continue playing with dolls in a cool way. And in an age when they are supposed to have moved on from dolls at the tender age of around seven, to see ten, eleven and even a thirteen year old still playing with what is essentially a doll, made me smile. Of course my niece and her friends didn't see their activity as that, for children who play with it they are being allowed to explore the world of fashion, able to make decisions and test out what works and what doesn't.

Harumika sets come in a variety of designs and themes, the guests at my niece's party each received (what seemed to be) the Surfer Style Starter Set which comes in at £11.00. I think that's a good price to get a budding fashion designer started, there are various add on sets for fabrics or dress forms, and investing in one or two of them from pocket money is a good idea to further the Harumika play potential.

I was sent the above party package for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

The Woodland Trust & Yeo Valley

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Yeo Valley

Ever since the first time I visited the Yeo Valley farm overlooking Blagdon Lake last Summer, I have had a fondness for the dairy company which has seen my shopping tendencies change. Gone are the Onken yoghurts, gone is the cheap milk for £1 and blocks of butter produced by a company which doesn't pay British dairy farmers a fair price. In has come Yeo Valley. It's not only a company which I'm proud to associate my blog with, but a range of products which I'd rather have in my fridge and our tummies. And ultimately, on my conscience.

As an ethical company, Yeo Valley have teamed up with The Woodland Trust to plant 10,000 trees and help preserve Britain’s wonderful woodland. On the underside lid of the special packs of Yeo Valley (marked with the Woodland Trust campaign) is a code which when entered onto the Yeo Valley & Woodland Trust page could result in one of 10,000 trees being won, either to plant in your own garden or donated to The Woodland Trust.

However, their partnership goes much further than that, and that's why a bunch of parent bloggers (including us) were invited to a Woodland Trust day at the Yeo Valley headquarters to meet with the people behind the campaign, and introduce our children to learning about their world via forest exploration and play.

We were welcomed to the Mendips by the larger than life Les, the head ranger at Yeo Valley, who explained to the children all about the different rocks that make up the strata of the hills. Introduced to the forested area by the Woodland Trust, we were invited to complete a leaf trail and a bug hunt which the children were completely engaged in. I was very surprised just how interested The Boy was in the different leaves around, and we quickly identified about ten different trees and bushes in a very small section of wood. Enlisting the help of the kind lady behind the Nature Detectives (the children's Woodland Trust club), he was able to find several different minibeasts as well.

Woodland Trust

After a luscious lunch prepared by the chefs at the Yeo Valley kitchen, we were revived enough to create dens for woodland creatures (or tiny aliens as Les told the children), and then produce a truly wonderful wizard's wand using detritus from the forest floor.

The wonderful sheets we used are available to download for free from the Nature Detectives website here. They are great generic sheets, and I would really recommend downloading them and using them during the forthcoming Autumn months.

The Woodland Trust have a club for young explorers called the Nature Detectives Club, which has a wealth of resources and challenges available for children. Membership is as little as £12 for one child for a year, as little as 25p a week.

Woodland Trust & Yeo Valley

We received a goody bag of Yeo Valley yoghurts to try out, marked with The Woodland trust campaign (and we've entered in our codes and donated trees) and a selection of the wonderful wildlife identification swatch books available to buy from The Woodland Trust directly. The Boy finds these fascinating, in particular the leaf book; it was his bedtime reading for a week after our trip to the farm!

We were invited as guests to the Yeo Valley farm to help promote their campaign with The Woodland Trust, and received the above items free of charge.

Far Away…

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Far Away

The irony that we are pointing to a plane in the sky is not lost on me, as thirty years later my brother is currently taking off for a new life in Australia.

I wish we'd stayed as close as we were in that photo, but with him joining the ambulance service just a few short years later, it meant that our lives have followed two very separate paths. Were it not for the blood tie binding us, I'm not sure how strong our relationship would be.

And I think the reality of that breaks my heart more than the 10,444 miles that will separate us for the next few years.

Thomas & Friends: 'King Of The Railway' DVD (Review & Giveaway)

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Last year we took The Boy to the cinema for the first time to see the Thomas & Friends film 'Blue Mountain Mystery', which was a complete delight. He was enchanted and, as we were then lucky enough to receive a copy of the film on DVD to review, we have been able to enjoy the film plenty of times during the past year.

Well Thomas & Friends have done it again with another cracking feature-length CG film, currently in VUE cinemas until Sunday 1st September, the day before the DVD is released in shops.

'King Of The Railways' is an even more captivating film introducing several new characters with plenty of personality. The main new engine is Stephen, an ancient steamie brought to the island by the Earl of Sodor who is rebuilding the ruined castle. Stephen was one of the first steam engines, aptly nicknamed The Rocket at the time (a lovely reference to George Stephenson's Rocket, Stephen is even the same design and colour) because of his speed. Rather than being grumpy at not being needed anymore, Stephen endears himself to Thomas and his friends with his good-natured humour and journey to find a purpose on the island, and to help the Earl with his project. Unfortunately, the day before the opening of the castle, Stephen goes missing mysteriously; can Thomas be a really useful engine and save the day?

We took The Boy to see the film in the cinema on Sunday, and despite having seen it several times via our review copy last week, he was wowed by the big screen and spotted new aspects to the story. At only £4.50 a ticket for adults, it was well worth the trip and I'd recomment it before it comes out on DVD. This is definitely a classic Thomas & Friends film, really enjoyable for both adults and children.

King Of The Railways

'King Of The Railways' is out on DVD on Monday 2nd September with an RRP of £12.99, and is currently showing at VUE cinemas daily until Sunday 1st September.

However, I have one copy to give away to a lucky reader. Simply fill in the Rafflecopter form below to be in with a chance of winning 'King of the Railway' on DVD.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a copy of this DVD for the purpose of this review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

Easy Summer Craft Kits From Yellow Moon (Review)

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We've recently been sent some products from Yellow Moon, the arts and crafts suppliers, to try out over the Summer holidays. With a week still left of the holidays, there's still plenty of time to get crafty with your children using these simple Summer craft kits; they range from ten minutes to hour long activities which are easy time-fillers and don't cost the Earth.

Carnival Glasses

Carnival Glasses

In the foam glasses kit there are six different coloured foam glasses, it doesn't come with decorations supplied so it does mean having to find sequins, feathers, etc to decorate them with. However, this then means for greater personalisation depending upon the occasion. We decided to make carnival glasses, but they could easily be used for a clown party, etc. The best part about these glasses is that the arms fold out on a hinge, rather than bend like some cheaper plastic glasses. It means they stay on a lot more easily when worn!

At £3.60 for six glasses, these would be perfect as an activity at a birthday party, creating an instead party favour!

Ice-Cream Windmills

Paper windmills

This paper windmill kit comes with six windmill templates in two colours, six plastic sticks in two colours, six ice-cream fasteners in two designs, and six plastic stoppers or hinges. It's relatively easy to make and take approximately five-ten minutes to construct one, depending upon how much assistance is given. The Boy needed a little help to stop the windmill sections from pinging off the central spoke once attached, and to accentuate the curve a little more to allow the windmill to spin.

A well-priced kit at £2.99 with everything included to make six attractive ice-cream windmills.

Bunting T-Shirt

Bunting t-shirt

Using the Berol fabric crayons and the 3D fabric paints, we decided to create some bunting for the front of one of The Boy's old t-shirts. The crayons were a little tricky to use over the fabric and so I had to hold the fabric tight for The Boy but they were very easy to colour with, not stiff and gave a deep vibrant colour. The fabric paint pens were easy to control and dried leaving a three-dimensional appearance.

Berol fabric crayons are £3.99 and contain 12 colours, the Carioca Art 3D fabric paints cost £3.99 for six.

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I was sent the above products to review as part of the Yellow Moon Craft Bloggers Network. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

365 #34

by 3 Comments

Almost at the end of the Summer holidays and I can feel that Autumn is ready to knock on the door and ask for a turn!

The 365 linky only works because of people linking to it and then contributing their thoughts to others' posts via comments. I can't emphasise this enough, it's the whole point of the linky!

Join in by entering the URL of your favourite photograph of the week (either a 52 or a 365 photo) and show some comment love to everyone else in the community. We've got a Facebook group, and now I've created a collaborative Pinterest board (if you'd like to collaborate, let me know and I'll add you).

  1. Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
  2. Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
  3. If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
365



Days 230-236 of Project 365

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230-236 of 365

230. Plopping (Following on from my brother's goodbye before he emigrates to Australia, I phoned my eldest brother to ask if he'd like to do something. We went to Southerndown beach further long the coast, which is one of my favourite beaches in Wales. The Boy and his Fiery Cousin plunged straight into the enormous rockpool splashing about, followed by a brief picnic and a quick departure from the beach as the tide was rapidly coming in; thank goodness for the RNLI warning klaxon. We then explored the ruined castle on the cliffs before plopping some stones into the tumultuous waves. One sibling may be moving to the other side of the world, but I still have two here to appreciate.)

231. The End Is In Sight (We went to Longleat for a Jungle Dogs event, and although we didn't venture into the safari, we did decided to have a go at the hedge maze. Big mistake. It's supposed to take 45 minutes, but after 55 minutes we were losing the will to live I was beginning to feel tetchy and claustrophobic, when fortunately The Boy found the 'This Way Out' sign. We finally crossed the final bridge to freedom!)

232. Small World (Tuesday was a quiet day after the frantic weekend travelling around the country, involving lots of outdoor play with The Boy's Playmobil pirates and the tuff spot. I love the reflection in this photo.)

233. Full (I decided to finally try out my hand at taking a photograph of the full moon using my tripod and the long – 55-250mm – lens that my husband bought me for my birthday. I'm quite pleased with the clarity of it, what do you think?)

234. Grip (We had a go at decorating a t-shirt for a review and I had to hold the fabric down and stretch it out to make it possible for The Boy to draw on. I like this photo for a few reasons; his pencil grip is cute, and I love the way he's holding my hand, his hand looks so small against mine.)

235. Manual (That photo there of The Boy balancing on a blue pole? I took than on manual settings. Fully manual. Not TV or AV or P. But M. For manual. Me.)

236. Drill (We've been doing a craft activity today which involves The Boy using a hand drill for the first time. I was stretched upwards with my camera pointing down to take an overhead view, and hadn't realised that he was so curious about it coming through the underneath, he'd ducked down. I like his inquisitive nature.)

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TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

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