Panto’s are like marmite…………you either love it or hate it. I LOVE it and always have. I have been taking my boys since they were little and this year they are 11 and 13 and are still very happy to go.
This year we have Panto overload. Not only are we going to see our usual one ( this time it has Craig Revel Hall and Ann Widdecombe so should be a giggle) but my youngest is now in one!! Yes, he is a lost boy in Peter Pan down in Chatham with Mr ‘Ice Ice Baby’ himself.
Rehearsals started at the beginning of the week and are in full swing, but thankfully we have a day off tomorrow…….YAY!
It opens next Thursday and at the moment it’s hard to see how they are going to get the show together in time. It’s interesting to see it from the other side and therefore appreciate how much work goes into it.
So we as a family have booked to go see him in it over the Christmas holidays and my Mum is up over Christmas so I have booked more tickets to go on Boxing Day too!!
So by the end of it’s run I think I will be shouting ‘BOO ‘and ‘Behind you’ in my sleep. The jokes will no longer be funny and I will probably be able to act all the parts myself ( OK maybe not the singing as I am rubbish).
So wish me luck to survive the experience, and ‘break a leg’ to my son as I’m sure he will be a fab Lost Boy……………………………………..OH YES HE WILL!
I must admit I’ve been lucky enough to have escaped my own Christmas dinner disasters as I have only been doing the dinner myself for the past few years. Fortunately while my boys were very young we always went to the in laws (no cooking required on my part……..result!).
However, there comes a time when the kids want to stay with their toys for the day and enjoy Christmas at home. This means all cooking required by me!!
Luckily for me my mum stays at Christmas so she cooks the turkey for me with years of experience under her belt……again a result!
However, after talking to a few people the stories started to come out. Things you can imagine and things you can’t.
*turkey doesn’t fit in the oven
*turkey not cooked properly
*cases of food poisoning
*oven breaks down while cooking the dinner
Or even in the style of Only Fools and Horses where the coffee gets mixed up with the gravy and they pour coffee all over their dinner, or the time Grandad left the giblets in the turkey!!
Top tips on how to avoid a Christmas dinner disaster
Let’s face it, Christmas dinner disasters are far from rare in most households. A poll just released shows a quarter of us have first-hand experience of something going badly wrong on the 25th December.
The most common mishaps are dry meat, turkey that is uncooked or hasn’t defrosted properly, people buying the wrong size bird and those that have simply left it so late that the shops have actually run out.
Cooking a feast of massive proportions for extended families of aunties, uncles, grandparents, and children is a task daunting enough to even make a top chef break into a cold sweat, so it’s no surprise three quarters of the great British public suffer stress as a result of buying and preparing Christmas meat.
But the survey commissioned by The Q Guild of Butchers to launch their ‘Meat Your Butcher Sessions’ found an overwhelming 95% of the nation has never asked for expert advice about cooking Christmas dinner whilst more than half of us just head blindly go to the supermarket, and pick meat off the shelf hoping for the best. That’s despite the fact that there is usually a butcher’s shop right round the corner, who can offer quality advice on choosing, preparing and cooking meat.
So how can a local butcher help to reduce stress, focus on value and give fresh advice for your festive feast? When should you have ordered your meat by? What’s the difference between a corn-fed turkey and a gold turkey? How much do you actually need to buy so that you don’t get stuck with masses of meat, or even worse don’t have enough to feed the family? And if you don’t even like turkey, what are the great Christmas meat alternatives?
When I was asked if my boys would like to review the new Light Strike range it was a total no brainer! Boys and their toys and all that.
Light Strike is a super-cool new interactive battle game from WowWee, makers of bestselling toys, Paper Jamz and Robosapien
Light Strike is the first interactive gaming system that brings video games into the real world, live and in colour. Fully customisable with built-in weapon choices and slots to attach accessories, players can make tactical decisions to add new features and functions on the go. Interactive light and sound effects put you in the middle of combat, creating exciting ever-changing battle scenarios!
We were sent 2 of the Light Strike Assault Strikers, 4 of the add-ons (enemy scanner, machine gun bi pod, refractor launch and scope) and a Light Strike ITS to try out.
They delved in straight away and unpacked everything. Then we sorted the batteries and in true boy fashion ( I don’t need the instructions……they were off). But then they decided to check out the instructions that I had thankfully kept hold of.
Anyway, they went full into action mode. Testing the noise, the aim, the strategy and ultimately who can win! They are boys after all, the alfa male gene kicked in.
So here’s the technical bit:
Light Strike brings video-game action into the real world—live and in color. Assault Strikers and Strikers are customizable with built-in weapon features and add-on attachments that give players a tactical advantage. Play one-on-one tournaments or create up to 4 teams of unlimited players for free-for-all or Capture the Flag battles. Action at the speed of light™
They range from £9.99 up to around £40 with the guns obviously costing the most.
The extras are just that- extras. But they certainly enhance the game between the players.
They have brilliant sound affects which the boys loved, especially the fingerprint analysis. But even better for us parents wanting a bit of quiet time they have the option of plugging in your headphones! GENIUS
My boys in truth don’t play very well together, but because of the nature of these toys they were perfect for my two. Although we were lucky enough to be sent a lot of the Light Strike range you wouldn’t necessarily need all of them to start with. Therefore, it would be something you could add to along the way, for birthdays etc.
They are available from their website and other good toy retailers
I don’t know about you but I do love novelty Christmas chocolates, you know the stuff I’m talking about- coins, mini Santa and Snowmen, mini Christmas puds etc. I tend to buy a lot of these in order to fill up my boy’s advent calenders each year, which they love by the way.
But as far as chocolate goes I have my favourites and I’ve got to say Hotel Chocolat is one of them! OK I know what your thinking and your right they are very pricey!! But if you receive something from Hotel Chocolat you at least know people have made the effort ( as I don’t know about you but I literally could spend hours in there looking at everything!)
However, I’m on a serious budget over Christmas and have been for a few years now after having to give up work through illness. So I have had to rethink Christmas presents especially all the added ones, such as teachers etc. I tend to go for more homemade stuff, eg: hot chocolate cones, making my own gingerbread men and wrapping and Hampers etc.
But what I do to add a little something special is to go to Hotel Chocolat and invest in their little slabs or their mini packs of 6 choc’s to use in these. So I would put 1 or 2 mini chocolates at the top of the Hot Chocolate cone. Or a little slab inside a family hamper. I tend to find that these are on offers most of the time!
But I do love their novelty gifts at Christmas, Mini Santa’s/ Snowmen/Reindeer’s etc!
So take a look at their website for their Christmas range this year:
Christmas Gifts
Stocking Fillers
The links above cover everything from the very special and expensive to the smaller, more affordable but still very special!!
DISCLOSURE: I was sent a box of their Sleekster chocolates to try as a gift for a sponsored post.
You may not know but I was a member of the Royal Air Force for almost 7 years. I joined up when I was 18yrs old and worked in the world of Air Traffic Control. It was during this time that I met my ‘now’ husband who also served 7 yrs too.
I would not have changed my time in the RAF. I had fun living away from home, meeting new people, working in the world of Air Traffic, and of course meeting my husband!
But I also value what I got personally from being in the ‘forces’. Discipline, a sense of pride in myself and my appearance in uniform, a feeling of belonging, meeting lifelong friends from all walks of life. But most of all I took away a respectful view of authority. Something that I feel is totally missing from today’s society. Whether you liked it or not you had ‘signed on the dotted line’ and therefore your ass was theirs ( so to speak!!). I learned very quickly that I had to do what I was told when I was told. In training it was to ‘break’ you in order to build you up to respect those in authority. Outside of training that would carry on but not to the same extent, only enough to keep the day to day running of the station smooth and purposeful.
Today though, I believe that not only is there a total lack of respect from the up and coming generation ( not all of them obviously) towards society itself but even to those who fought for our country through 2 world wars, Northern Ireland, the Falklands conflict, the Gulf and now what is going on in Afghanistan etc.
It is becoming a regular occurrence on the news hearing another soldiers name, someone who was a husband, or a son, or a dad leaving children and family behind doing something that they believed in, hoping they were going to make a difference.
Each year now at the Remembrance parades our heroes numbers from the 1st and 2nd World Wars are dwindling as the years pass. But it is necessary to keep remembering those who gave their lives either many years ago or more recently. We must never forget that they have paid the ultimate price for their country
Maybe if a few of those in society who consistently offend and who generally sponge off society believing that they are owed a living rather than earning one, got off their arses and joined the forces, they could not only make something of themselves but earn the respect that they seem to demand for nothing at the moment!!
But don’t just remember the fallen just on the 11th November or Remembrance Sunday, remember them always. They gave their most precious thing for us to live in a ‘free’ society……………………………………….their lives!!
Don’t forget you can also follow Honour Our Forces on twitter too.
Does the sight of Christmas cards send you into a frenzy of stress? Or are you revelling already in all the Christmas spirit that is already available in the shops? Do you stress over what to buy as gifts?
Christmas…………………love it or loathe it, it will soon be upon us. So tune in and put your questions to the panel or get the advice you need.
FRIDAY 11th @ 1330pm!!
Join us live for the Final Episode of Mums Half Hour The panel discuss how to manage Christmas stress, the perils of present buying and Christmas party outfits
Christmas can be a stressful time for all, especially for Mums. There is the expense of buying gifts, the rush of last minute shopping and the work and preparation that goes into making the perfect family meal – which includes entertaining and dealing with over excited children!
But it isn’t just the cost of buying gifts worrying Mums; there is also the issue of jealousy between children. It is natural for children to show some envy of another’s toys and presents, but how do you avoid your child turning into a green-eyed monster? Whether it is teaching your kids to share or general manners, our Mums have all the answers!
No one understands these issues more than our panel of mums for the next, and final, episode of Mums Half Hour. Joining us live and answering your questions, are Antonia Chitty, Sam Heynes and Janet Inglis who will be discussing Christmas and everything that goes with it, including what party outfits to wear for you and your child and if buying new outfits is even necessary.
This webTV show will be live and interactive for the last time, with the panel taking your questions and thoughts so if you have something to say, they want to hear it!
WHO:
Our panel join us live online atwww.youtube.com/startriteshoeson Friday 11th November at 13.30 to discuss Christmas stress, the perils of present buying and how to deal with behavioural problems.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For another chance to win a year’s supply of Start-rite shoes, log onto www.youtube.com/startriteshoesand submit a question along with your contact details
Kids care about their pets more than their siblings
I think this is definitely true in our household!! I have 2 boys who literally cannot breathe the same air ( I’m SO not joking). However, they both love our lovely cat Tilly more than anything. They are happy to feed her, let her in and out, brush her, give her treats and play with her. In fact I don’t really have to ask them to do any of it, apart from fill her food bowl!!
This is her the day she arrived at our house aged 12 weeks old!!
How could anyone resist her?? You would have to be heartless!!
This is her in her favourite sleeping place! But don’t be fooled by the cute face she has worked hard and now at the grand age of 1 1/2 yrs she has earned the title ‘Tilly the Terrorist’!! ( from the neighbours).
She has been spotted on my neighbours roof at the top of her chimney!! She terrorises next door’s cats from their own garden, and don’t even start me on the birds!!!
I’m sure you all have your own pet stories to tell, but surely you will agree well cared for pets aren’t pets at all but part of the family!!
Wilkinson Petcare found the following results after a survey about children and animals, and also provided Top Tips for Petcare below:
We’re often referred to as a nation of animal lovers and now a new study shows that our love of all things furry is firmly being passed on to our kids with a poll of children revealing they care more about their pets than they do about their brothers and sisters and their friends.
Over 70% of the children surveyed have a pet, with cats and dogs and goldfish the most likely animals to be found in British homes, but snakes, lizards, frogs and sheep are also getting pampered by their youthful in homes around the UK.
When asked what animal they would most like to have, dog’s were a clear winner, followed by followed by rabbits, hamsters and cats.
But it’s not just their own animals that British children care about with. Our fauna also looks to be in good hands for the future with over 90% of kids saying they are concerned about wildlife.
And their knowledge of what can be found in our backyards is also excellent with the majority saying they would recognise a robin, pigeon, blackbird, magpie, blue tit and a sparrow if they saw one frolicking outside.
Over 90% say they have visited a farm and more than 70% a wildlife sanctuary.
Nearly half of the 7-15 year olds surveyed by Wilkinson Petcare have helped an injured animal, while a quarter have fed a wild hedgehog.
Top Tips for Pet Care:
1. Pay your pet attention. Pets need love and affection as much as people
2. Exercise – The more exercise the better prevention of your pet becoming overweight
3. Visit a vet regularly to maintain your pets health
4. Get your pet Vaccinations. This will prevent them from catching any diseases that could affect their health.
5. Give your pet a comfortable and spacious home/bed – This is where they will sleep and get the rest they need so it needs to be somewhere they want to go
6. Go to a Vet to check you are feeding your pet the right food for them. I.e. the food you give your dog depends on the breed of the dog you have, so it is vital you check.
7. Allow your pet to adapt to its new environment and dogs/cats/horses allow to interact with other animals at an early stage in order for them to know how to react in social situations properly.
8. Watch your pets teeth, bad breath could mean digestive problems
9. Give your pet toys, your pets need to have something to interest them as you cannot be there 24/7
10. Clean and groom your pet regularly, this will maintain their health and help prevent catching disease
For more information visit : Website:http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/pets/icat/catdog/
Parents reveal the top tricks they still use to get their kids to eat their greens
Hiding veggies, bribing with dessert, and creating pictures still used by modern day parents
It’s an age old struggle for parents around the world. How do you get your kids to eat their vegetables instead of pushing them around their plates, hoping you’ll give up?
Well, according to a new poll out today, classic tricks and old fashioned subterfuge are still being used by parents, with number one on the list the simple camouflaging of veg within other foods and sauces.
Second on the list is the threat of no dessert if veggies aren’t eaten first, while third was telling children that vegetables would give them special powers such as the old ‘carrots will help you see in the dark’, or ‘spinach will give you muscles as big as Popeye’.
Further down the list were rewarding children for polishing off their greens with toys and stickers, making it into a competition between siblings and friends as to who can eat their veggies first, and telling their children their favourite superheroes or characters loves their vegetables.
And it’s no surprise parents are going to such lengths still to get vegetables into their children in any way they can, with only half of all children eating veggies willingly and one in ten actively avoiding them, according to the survey of more than 1,000 parents by Green Giant.
Four out of five parents admitted their children don’t get their advised five portions of fruit and veg a day, while one in five parents will allow their children to leave their veggies – sometimes just to avoid the stress that goes hand in hand with meal times when vegetables are involved. A number of parents stated that their children eat vegetables so rarely that they feel elated if they even eat a mouthful. In turn, parents can spend on average up to two hours on top of mealtimes each week trying to prompt their children to eat their vegetables.
So how difficult is it for you to get your kids to eat what they should and what tactics do you use to get them into your children? Colin Jackson always ate his vegetables when he was a youngster and was told by his mum that if he did, he would grow up to be a World Champion athlete and Olympic Medalist…..and we know how that story ends!
Colin has joined with Green Giant to help parents come up with ways to educate their kids on healthy eating and even get them to grow to love their veggies.
I managed to get some questions put to Colin Jackson about getting involved with Green Giant’s initiative to help encourage parents to make sure their children are getting their 5 a day!!
How did you become involved with the Green Giant 5 a day initiative?
‘I’m heavily into my dieting so when they explained the whole concept it was an obvious choice for me- I felt I could be an ambassador’
So as a world class athlete, do you follow a healthy diet yourself?
‘Reasonably, your needs are different now. Now I’m not so exclusive and happy to have a little more pasta and a little more treats. But a lifetime of healthy eating has stayed with me.’
What do you think of mums and dads who disguise fruit and vegetables to encourage kids to get their 5 a day?
‘I think it’s a great idea-if it works-wonderful’.
What fruit and vegetables, do you now as an adult, still refuse to eat?
There’s no real fruit I don’t like and even vegetables……I even eat brussel sprouts! I’m not fearful of any fruit or veg’.
How did your mum encourage you to eat more fruit and vegetables as a child?
‘Putting me in front of the TV and saying- Look what Popeye is eating!! Also I’ve always wanted to visit the land of the Jolly Green Giant!’
One of my tricks is to blend fruit I know they would generally refuse to eat, raspberries being one of them, and mixing them into natural yogurt!! It works too and especially if I allow them to sprinkle on a little sugar!
So what tricks do you use on your children to get them to have their 5 a day?
In more ways than one. Actually it was the 6th Annual ‘Wicked’ day in London. If any of you have seen the hit musical then you will know what I’m talking about. It has become a bit of a phenomenon and I was taken by surprise at really how serious the fans take this!
The queue outside just before opening was huge and not your regular queue, no it was full of people dressed up in full costume (and not just for Halloween!).
On entering everyone was given a style of goodie bag, with details of the day and advertising for the musical itself. There were real costumes from the show on display along with other props.
Paul Phear from Magic FM was there on the day as our main host, with performances from some of the cast throughout the afternoon. They then mingled around the crowd posing for pictures along the way.
There was an endless queue for eager beaver fans (young and old) to sing their hearts out defying their own gravity for top spot in the karaoke competition at the end. The 3 finalists were truly unbelievable singing on the main stage in front of the crowd.
It was advertised as a family day and there were lots of children around! they provided activities for younger children in the way of face paintings, workshops and games.
There was a quiz to find the fan who knew the most about the show overall who had to go ‘head to head’ with some of the cast in order to win!
My youngest was filmed with an up and coming 17 year old magician who managed to wow him with a fantastic trick!
Anyway, all in all it was a great afternoon. However, I think next year I will round up a few girlies and head down there for a nice lunch, a civilised glass of wine and then into the 7th Wicked Day- who knows enough wine and I might attempt Defying Gravity on the karaoke!! Ok maybe not!
So for those of you who haven’t actually seen this musical so far, well shame on you! You must try and see it, go with the girls for a great night out.
For more information check out the Wicked website.
It all happened over half term when we were invited to and event at the Guinness World Records HQ, and maybe in true Guinness World record style I will round up the day in the fastest time possible!!
Set your watches…………………and here goes:
Arrive GWR HQ
Meet and greet with other lovely bloggers
Eat some yummy food
Meet Worlds Biggest rabbit, Darius
Listen to Craig Glenday our very funny host for the day
Watch a few pics of weird record breakers
Demonstration by the World’s Fastest talker
Demonstration by John Farnborough
Tour around office
Sam Sam The Bubble man
More Tea and food
Attempt at breaking world record
Watch a real life Record breaker at work
Ride on the world’s fastest sofa
PHEW………..done it but it doesn’t do it justice!
We really did have a fantastic day and it was just as enjoyable for the adults too. It was lovely to meet some lovely bloggers to Rosie Scribble, Violet Posey, How I like my Coffee, Jo Beaufoix , Are we nearly there yet Mummy, Sticky Fingers and I am Wit Wit Woo .
The World’s largest rabbit , Darius, was a real hit with the kids who swarmed it initially
and then we all got to get up close.
Yes nearly as big as a normal dog!
Craig Glenday the Editor-in-chief who was our main host for the afternoon was just brilliant. A real funny guy who was simply a mind of information with everything World Record related. He talked us through how they approve (or not) any new attempts- even the weird ones.
Sean, from Canada who is the world’s fastest talker was amazing and managed to recite ‘Bohemian Rhapsody in just 47 seconds!!
John Farnborough was a real hit with his football skills, although I think the adults appreciated this more as they knew how difficult it was. He holds a total of 5 world records for ‘keepy uppy’ ( not the technical title obviously) style football tricks!!
Not forgetting Sam Sam the Bubble man!! He did a great show and the kids absolutley loved him although some just couldn’t contain their excitement with the huge bubble…….just hilarious.
Oh and did I mention I now know a real Record Breaker? Yes I witnessed it with my own eyes that day as Kate from I am Wit Wit Woo became the world record holder for Domino Stacking!! No easy feat I can tell you. Other attempts from the rest of us were at Dice Stacking and Mr Potato Head ( putting him together the quickest!)
Me and OH with matching competitive streaks!
Youngest doing Mr Potato challenge!
Eldest trying the Dice Stacking
So, just as though we thought it couldn’t get any better we managed a ride on the World’s fastest Sofa! A real highlight of the day, we loved it.
I know it’s dark……..but it’s the FASTEST SOFA!!!
So a big thank you to the Guiness World Records HQ for a fantastic event!
Disclosure: I was sent a 2012 GWR book and my children left with fab gift bags!! So they were very happy.
