LOVELY-JUBBLY JUBILEE (kids' playhouses)

Look at the monkeys - cheeks flushed and grinning like loons. 


These girls aren't just happy - they're delirious with excitement. Wouldn't you be too, if YOU had this amazing playhouse set from Worlds Apart?! 


My exceptionally lucky monkeys were given the chance to try out the Sweetheart Cottage and Cupcake Corner - two of the pop-up playhouse from the fab new Love My Street range, which also includes Little Miss Boutique and the Penpal Post Office. 

So began a wonderfully make-believe afternoon, filled with lots of squealing and laughing (for them) and many MANY cups of pretend tea (for me). 

They were easy to put together (I even put Cupcake Corner together without instructions!!) and fold down really small, so they're not taking up half your lounge room when not in use. Best of all, they encourage hours of imaginative play. 

Don't forget, you can enter to win the entire Love My Street range of playhouses by entering my Best. Giveway. Ever! HERE. The comp closes midnight, Wednesday, 6th June, so do not, under any circumstances, miss out.

And if you want to have some Royal Jubilee fun this long weekend, Worlds Apart are holding their very own Twitter Street Party. Join the fun on Sunday and Monday simply by following @WorldsApartKids and using the hashtag #LoveMyStreet. 

You could even win some fab prizes - just for taking part. Does it get any better? I can't think how?!

Happy Jubilee weekend everybody!

• the worlds apart playhouses were supplied for the purpose of review

BLOW YOUR OWN BLOG-HORN! (1 june, jubilee weekend)

It's that time again, time to:

'BLOW YOUR OWN BLOG-HORN' 

Tweet

For those of you not yet familiar with the concept - simply write your regular post, or flag up an old favourite, then enter your URL details with Mr Linky below, and he'll do the rest of the work.

Follow me if you feel so inclined (you don't have to, but if you do you'll receive the weekly BYOB reminders) and share the love by visiting the other entries on the list. If you like what you see, subscribe or follow them too, or pop them in your reader. 

If you comment on anyone's blog, remember to let them know who you are, and how you found them. Tell your friends about it too, and encourage them to join in.

If you spot my tweets, RT them to all your Tweet Peeps, so we get lots of lovely new readers for all our blogs. The list starts fresh every week (usually Friday morning but don't hate me if I'm tardy...) and the idea is to come back again and again to relist your details.

There are absolutely no limits to the number of times you can 'Blow Your Own Blog-Horn'. In fact I hope to see you all every single week.

You don't have to comment every time (even though it tells you too). If you want to include a brief description of your blog, or your chosen post, in the comment section instead, please feel free!!

Right, enough dilly-dallying - click on Mr Linky below, get posting, and get reading!

SPARKLY DELIGHTS (qvc press day)

In the time BK (before kids) the Big Smoke was literally outside my front door, but trips to London are far and few between these days *sad face*. 

Big Sis starts school this year, which means a big Sayonara to whipping her out of Playgroup to go gallivanting for the day. So I figured I needed to make the most of our remaining days of freedom before we were all locked into school hours for the next 14 years. Eeek! 

I'd been flat out with work for a few weeks, so decided to take Big Sis with me to London for the day, to the press launch of the new QVC AW12 range. A bit of Mum and Monkey bonding time!

Now for my confession - I wasn't hugely familiar with QVC beforehand. I knew it was a hugely popular shopping channel and online site, but didn't really know what kinds of products they sold.

So I was rather excited to see all the lovely goodies they had - from funky bakeware, and fun crafts kits (LOVED their cupcake airbrushing kit!) to make up and jewellery. 

I'm a bit of a magpie and love sparkly things - look at these little lovelies! BTW: the Diamonique crown at the bottom is worth more than £10,000. Yes, you read right - ten THOUSAND pounds... 

I was in heaven, but once she'd polished off two cupcakes in quick succession, the sugar rush, then the novelty wore off for Big Sis...

One last surprise as we left to find some lunch... a selection of fab little treats and samples from QVC's makeup and skincare range. Squeeeeee! 


And, as I found out on their website later (when I was checking out the AMAZING Emma Hardie plumping serum that I'd tried from the goodie bag) they'll even let you pay by instalments on some products.


Which just begs one question - how the heck did I last 39 years on this planet without knowing about QVC before now?!




• I was NOT paid for this post, but received a goody bag after attending the QVC AW12 Press Day. 

GETTING BUSY WITH THE FRIZZY

While you've been sitting out in the hot sun, getting a tan, drinking beer, laughing... spare a thought for those people, big and small, whose hair frizzes up at the merest whiff of humidity.

They're not laughing. 

L: Lil Sis; R: Mick Hucknall's love child?

I'M A BARBIE GIRL

When I was a kid I adored my Barbie doll. 


I'd play with her for hours on end, dressing her up and going on all these imaginary adventures. Once, I even froze a bowl of water, so she could go ice skating. OK, that sounded a lot less nerdy in my head. 


And before the stereotyping police start in on me, I'd like to point out I had also had a garage with Matchbox cars that I played with just as often. In my view, the whole point of gender equality is that girls can play with dolls, and boys can play with trucks. Or girls can play Pirates, and boys can dress up as Princesses, if they want. 


Anyway, Barbie dolls have changed since I was a kid. Not just a pretty face, they now have high falutin' careers too. Barbie now comes as, among other things, a computer engineer, a pastry chef, an architect, and a race-car driver. There's even a President of the United States Barbie. No joke. 


So the girls and I were very lucky to be able to try out the fab new dolls in the 'Team Barbie' range. To coincide with the Summer Olympics these four dolls come in sporting incarnations - a swimmer, a gymnast, a track and field competitor, and a tennis player. 

I'm a big advocate for encouraging children to have an active lifestyle, so I love that these Barbies are promoting sport - and what a great way to get younger children into the spirit of the Olympics. 

I knew Big Sis would love Barbie, but was surprised by how much Lil Sis has taken to them too. Her 'Doll-Doll' now goes everywhere with us. It's the first thing she asks for in the morning, and the last thing she asks for at night, and woe betide Big Sis if she dares to touch precious Doll-Doll.


We're all officially Barbie Girls!


www.fisher-price.com/uk

• the Barbie dolls were sent for the purpose of review

SILENT SUNDAY (27 may)

SCARY MONSTERS

It was a gorgeous day - 27 degrees, blue skies, with just the hint of a cooling breeze.

'Why don't we sit outside while your sister is having her nap, and you can draw some nice pictures?' I suggested to Big Sis. 

'Yes please, Mummy!' she replied.  

Big Sis loves drawing rainbows, circles, smiley faces - sweet, girly things like that. 

Usually. 

This time I came back to find these...

'What are they?' I gasped, shuddering.  

'Scary Monsters with sharp teeth,' Big Sis replied. 

Of course. Silly me.