With thanks to Orchard Toys for sponsoring me and making it possible for me to attend.
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Linked to the Britmums: I Was There! linky
365 #25
I know, I know!
Most of us are at Britmums Live! however this linky continues regardless. I shall be sat there on Saturday evening during the keynotes finishing off my post (I'm writing this at 1am on Thursday night) and trying to get the linky script to work on my iPad.
(If it all goes spectacularly wrong, I won't have my laptop to fix it so leave your link in the comments and I'll deal with it later.)
And for those who aren't invading London, please join in! I'm keeping the linky open until midnight on Monday night to allow for those who are away at the conference this weekend, but that doesn't mean you don't have to bother you know!
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).
- Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
- Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
- If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
Days 167-172 of Project 365
167. Drip! (We spent the day at Legoland Windsor as guests of the MAD Blog Awards for their family fun day. Late on the Saturday night, reviewing the purchases and outgoings over the previous week, we had actually realised that we weren't able to pay for the petrol to get there! Luckily a sponsored post opportunity came in on the Sunday morning and we were able to peg it up to Windsor before you could shout, 'I'm a MAD blogger!' I'm so pleased we did, because we had a brilliant time, and The Boy thoroughly enjoyed the Duplo Valley waterpark.)
168. Horsey, horsey (We spent a very quiet day playing in the house and garden to recover from the weekend's events. The Boy adores his new hobby horse we're reviewing from Great Little Trading Co.)
169. Squidge! (The one thing that The Boy asked for on his birthday list was the PlayDoh bakery playset which he'd seen in countless shops and on television. Mum bought it for him and he was over the moon, and spent most of the morning making cakes and icing them.)
170. Joy! (This is my favourite photo of the week, and possibly of this year's project. On Wednesday we took The Boy to his new school for an induction session. He adored the facilities and wanted to get stuck in to everything. Afterwards, the three of us walked home hand-in-hand and decided to go to Barry Island. It was a glorious afternoon with temperatures at 27°C at 4pm! We anchored the kite to the parasol, played frisbee, football, built sandcastles and ate chips on the sand. It felt slightly bittersweet to go from the introduction to the school – which will put a stop to these spontaneous afternoons – to being so carefree, but the sunshine soon wiped that feeling away.)
171. I will fit! (Packing for Britmums Live! and The Boy was trying to squash the important things into his rucksack, like him!)
172. Contortionist (Today was the first day of the Britmums Live! blogging conference. I took a lot of photos of yummy food and various bit and pieces, but thats not what my 365 is about. Instead I've chosen a photo of my shattered boy who went to the Maritime Museum with daddy and spent a restless night in his Premier Inn bed.)
173. Famous? (Another full on day of blogging advice in excellent sessions, and also brand schmoozing in The Hub. Coca-Cola have a stand here offering personalised labels; this makes me chuckle!)
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My Britmums Live! Sponsor: Orchard Toys
Today I'll be attending the Britmums Live! blogging conference in London, very kindly sponsored by Orchard Toys.
For those who regularly read my blog, or for those who occasionally saunter over here, you'll have noticed that I review a lot of puzzles and games from Orchard Toys. And every single one of those reviews is glowing, for three reasons:
- they're bright and colourful, fun and engaging;
- there is always an educational aspect which doesn't overshadow the fun factor;
- The Boy loves them.
Now when I say I have a lot of them; I'm not actually joking:
This collection has been built up over several years from review products, those scavenged at nearly new sales, and bought for The Boy's birthday and Christmas presents. We play one a day at least and The Boy alternates between them as to which his favourite is; at the moment it's 'What's Rubbish?', last week it was 'Baa Baa', and we're taking 'Shopping List' with us this weekend to Britmums Live! Even we have favourites; mine is 'Round and Round' and Mr. TBaM is 'What a Performance'.
My 'love affair' with Orchard Toys started many years ago, long before I had The Boy. I was visiting an ex-colleague and her two year old daughter who wanted me to play a game with her which involved rolling a dice to collect up different ingredients to make an ice-cream sundae. That was an Orchard Toys game (long since retired) and I made a mental note of the company for use with my own child. Little did I realised I'd be trying to collect every game they make, ten years later!
So who are Orchard Toys?
Orchard Toys are a British company located in Norfolk with a purpose built factory and office complex; meaning a low-carbon foot print and employment stays within the country. In addition, they also create new products from their own ideas using its team of in-house designers. Manufacture of components is subcontracted to a UK supplier base, some of whom have supplied the company throughout its history. They are also made from 75% recycled materials.
A leading manufacturer of educational puzzles and games for children aged between 18 months and 10 years, Orchard Toys has a reputation for excellence of design, manufacture and service. I'd be very surprised if most homes don't have at least one of their games or puzzles! Established in 1971 by Keith Harvey (who remains a director today), the company has stayed in the family passing down to the next generation.
Orchard Toys award-winning products are all designed with the ethos of “learning made fun” and combine bright, innovative design, durability and quality with sound educational principles. They completely support the Foundation Phase ethos of learning through play, and that's why as a teacher as well as a mum, I know how much they benefit The Boy's learning.
This is why I'm so very proud to be sponsored by Orchard Toys to attend Britmums Live!
If you could spare two minutes to nip over to the Loved By Parents awards site, Orchard Toys have been shortlisted in the Best Activity Toy 3-6 yrs category and the Best Board Game or Jigsaw category for the fabulous 'Old Macdonald Lotto' and they'd love a vote from you please!
"Change The Page": Do We Need Graphic Images On Newspapers' Front Pages?
I don't approve of violent toys, I won't allow them in my house.
The Boy was given some Playmobil pirate toys for his 4th birthday and I removed the swords, guns and canons before they were passed to him.
Am I over-reacting? Some may think so and that boys will be boys, I disagree.
I read a recent post about how we should allow children (boys in particular) to play with guns and swords as it allows them to process what they've seen in real-life or on the television. Why would my son see these? I don't have non-children's television on around him (apart from The One Show occasionally) and actually he doesn't like any form of malevolence or bad behaviour and asks me to turn it over.
I especially don't have the news on when he's around, and in fact why would I want to watch it anyway? It is full of death and destruction, wars, violence or critical analyse of a celebrity. Hardly the world I want to show my son, not what I want him to grow up in.
I can control that, yet what I can't control is what he sees in a supermarket or newsagent. I can't control the bloody images of dictators hanging or mutilated in death. I can't control the tabloids showing a man with blood-drenched clothes and a machete in his hand who has just beheaded another human being. And I can't control the thought processes that are then inflicted on my child and the nightmares that he then suffers.
Why is is necessary to show such graphic images?
OneDad3Girls has created an e-petition to ask the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to force change. To stop Newspapers from being allowed to print graphic images that can easily be seen by young eyes. To protect our young.
Please sign it here, it takes 20 seconds.
Sodastream Summer Drinks (Review)
One of the best parts of Summer is the prospect of the cool Summer drinks full to the brim with springs of mint and chunks of strawberries, vying for attention with the clinking ice-cubes in the tall glass.
Yep, a bit like that…
Therefore when Sodastream sent me their new collection of Summer flavours to review, I was more than happy to give them a good try out. Light and tangy, the fruity drinks are perfect for a refreshment on a warm day or a balmy Summer's evening.
Flavours like Pink Grapefruit, Elderflower, Lemonade, Orange, and Peach and Pear are ideal at this time of year.
I've been experimenting with some of the flavours and really like the Peach and Pear syrup, and I've knocked up an Elderflower spritzer using this syrup.
Sodastream always goes down a treat with my family at our clan gatherings; they like the light and invigorating fruit flavours and with a Sodastream they are so easy to whip up at the drop of a hat. We don't keep bottles of fizzy drinks in this house (we don't have space for it to start with), and aside from that the chances are we never have the one we want. 750ml Sodastream syrup bottles make up to 6 litres of fresh soda, equal to 16 cans, and three bottles take up the same space in a cupboard as a normal 1 litre bottle of lemonade or cola, but produce six times as much.
From £3.49 a bottle of syrup, they are also cost effective saving a few pounds on conventional brands. With over 50 flavours in the Sodastream range, there's certainly something for everyone.
I was sent a selection of the syrups to try, my opinions are honest and unbiased.
An Interview With Alex Winters (LolliBop 2013)
At what age do children develop the tendency to hero-worship?
Because The Boy is there, and I can think of worse people in the world to hero-worship than Alex Winters from CBeebies. It started when we were invited to a Cardiff City football match which had him compering the backstage children's entertainment, it developed when we saw him at LolliBop last year, was further compounded when we snatched a quick hello at the celebration of Cardiff City reaching the Premier League last month, and culminated when he sent a birthday e-mail to The Boy last week.
Quite frankly, The Boy is not the only one to hero-worship him!
It takes a genuine and special kind of person to go to that much effort to make one little boy happy. That's why we're over the moon to be returning to the LolliBop children's festival this year as official LolliBop bloggers, where Alex will be returning to host all the action on the LolliLive stage at LolliBop 2013.
Last week, I posed one or two questions to the popular CBeebies presenter (or Mr. CBeebies as I call him) and here's the answer, along with one or two others from the other LolliBop bloggers.
- Hi Alex, how did you became involved with children's television? Also, do you have any intention of developing your own show as other presenters have, or do you prefer being the consistent face in the links?
My background is drama and theatre studies and I have always fancied being on children's television. I love being around kids and making them laugh so when I was told that CBeebies were publicly advertising for presenters, I thought I'd give it a go. My wife had a lot of belief in me and really encouraged me to go for it because I wasn't really sure that I would ever get such a job, after all I was just Alex from Cardiff. I'm sure everyone thinks that but here I am and loving it.
As for developing a show, I would love to do that. That's all down to the producers and the controller of the channel so we'll see!
- What are you most looking forward to about LolliBop?
As the returning compere of the LolliBop Main Stage, I cannot wait to get on there and entertain the crowds. The past two years have been so much fun and have made me laugh so much!! This year I'll be bringing new games, jokes, dances and daft fun so be prepared for more fun than ever!
- What was your favourite TV show when you were a kid?
Ooooh, tough question that as I remember being in love with so many. Here goes… Mr Ben, Button Moon, Jamie & The Magic Torch and Blue Peter. There are so many others I could mention too. PLAYSCHOOL of course!
- You're a dad and you bring your kids to Lolli what's your top tip?
My children LOVE coming to LolliBop. They ask me and their mum "How long is it until Lollibop" for 11 months of the year!!! My advice? Prepare to let your hair down. If you've got any! Join in and have fun, you won't regret it and your children will love you forever!
LolliBop this year takes place on August 16th, 17th & 18th in its new home; Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.
Ticket information is available here, hurry while Early Bird ticket prices are still available and have a fabulous day out with entertainment for everyone!
365 #24
We've past day 165 and that means less that 200 days left of the project; we're racing ahead to the halfway point!
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).
- Choose your favourite photo from the past week and link it up below.
- Please add the badge to your linked-up post so that other people know how to find all the other fabulous entries.
- If you can spare five minutes to comment on a few other entries I know they'd appreciate it!
Days 160-166 of Project 365
160. Ground Force! (Little did The Boy know that the groundwork that he and daddy were doing on Sunday was for the area that his climbing frame – his birthday present – is destined for. We've done some relocation work of some fairly permanent features to accommodate the frame, this area used to be a patio which housed his Little Tikes house.)
161. Retro (The four eyebrows and tongue of concentration make a reappearance in this photo. I'd bought him one of those snake twisty things (that could make telephones and balls and stuff) that were all the rage in the 80s and he was absolutely fascinated with it.)
162. Shadow (Today was one of those deceptive days where it seemed mild and cloudy, yet when the wind blew the clouds away, the heat was extradordinary. We had to do a lot of shopping for his birthday party and as he'd been such a good boy we went up to the clifftop park. It's very peaceful up there looking over the Bristol Channel, and the skies cleared to reveal a scorching heat and the most amazing late-afternoon shadows.)
163. Surprise! (The Boy's birthday! Unfortunately I had to work, as did Mr. TBaM. This is a new one for us on The Boy's birthday as I'm usually off work, Mr. TBaM takes the day off and we have a family treat day out somewhere, but not this year and it made me sad. However, I raised home from work and we led The Boy into the garden with his eyes covered by his woolly hat. This photo was taken the very moment that he whipped it off to reveal his birthday present; a climbing frame.)
164. Adventurer (The climbing frame is going to play a huge part in our play I suspect! His confidence has grown in just one day from slowly stumbling from one rung to another of the jungle run, to walking over and barely holding on!)
165. Monkey Boy (I wondered when he'd discover the monkey bar aspect to the jungle run, it seems it was to be today. He's swinging from a single bar, he can't move himself onto the next rung yet, but he is enjoying hooking his legs over the frame – to take the weight – and moving his hands along to the next rung. He's certainly building his technique though.)
166. Blow (Today was the big day, The Boy's Pirate Party. Up to goodness knows what time last night baking a cake, decorating it at 7.30 this morning, running around like a blue-arsed fly all morning, and it all paid off as the party went brilliantly. It did rain for the first hour, but stopped and brightened during lunch. They were able to get outside and play – on the climbing frame – once the birthday cake had happened.)
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Are You A 'Wild Thing'?
In the past few months you might have noticed a slightly different tilt on my blog; there's a lot more outdoor play activities with a whole section dedicated to promoting a 'Natural Childhood'.
We had been trying to spend time outside anyway, usually so that we had content for our 'Country Kids' posts, but ever since we were invited to attend a National Trust bloggers' event in March, it's become embedded in our daily behaviour to get outside as much as possible. We've gone from having the television on in the background during play, to watching around thirty minutes worth a day, and that is mainly due to the actions of one man; David Bond.
Marketing manager for Nature, David attended the NT Bloggers' Day and introduced us to Project Wild Thing which is a feature-length documentary that examines the dwindling connection between children and nature. He showed us a clip from it, asked us to discuss why parents are reluctant to allow their children to play outdoors, and then shared some chilling facts with us (obtained from a UNICEF study).
- Children in the UK are the most depressed in the western world.
- The roaming distance that children play from their home has shrunk by 90% in 30 years with time spent playing outside down 50% in just one generation.
- The UK is the third worst country in the developed world for getting children outdoors and playing (after USA and Australia).
- Our children's generation has a lower life-expectancy than us.
And that last point, coupled with two videos that David showed us is the main reason why our play has changed. Why we now spend a good few hours outside each day. Why we are all happier feeling the effects Mother Nature has on us after only minutes outside. I didn't go through that birth to bring a child into the world who is unhappy, disconnected from his environment and who won't have the full life that he should.
The Project Wild Thing 'promise' involves pledging to spend equivalent 'outdoor time' as 'screen time'. It seems impossible? It's not. It's daunting at first, but it's not impossible. Furthermore Sunday is a screen free day in our house (for The Boy); no television, iPad, Kurio, nothing electrical.
And this is why…
PROJECT WILD THING – official trailer from Green Lions on Vimeo.
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