Thursday 30 April 2015

Becky's Summer Clothing Wishlist....

Becky loves to do a bit of virtual shopping.....She will go online and find clothes shops and add things to the basket....Most of the time it's toys and electrical things which we won't be buying......

Recently she has been shopping for summer clothes.....Here are some of her items she has added to lists. I think she has chosen well....I wouldn't mind quite a few of the things she's picked.....


 Bird Jumpsuit - £14.00  //  Natural Beauty T-Shirt - £6.00  //  Umbrella Print Playsuit - £8.00  //  New York Print T-Shirt - £7.00  //  Plaited Corsage Sandals - £11.00  //  Denim Shorts Dungarees - £12.00

Jersey dress - £5.99  //  Sleeveless denim shirt - £9.99  //  Fine-knit jumper - £7.99  //  Trainers - £6.39  //  Skinny Fit Jeans - £17.99  //  Twill shorts - £5.99


Board Angels Girls T-Shirt Pink - £4.99  //  Board Angels Girls Long Shorts Pink - £5.99  //  Animal Girls Regular Fit Denim Jeans - £14.99  //  Converse Girls Super Skinny Joggers - £14.99  //  Converse Girls T-Shirt - £9.99  //  Girls Bow Trim Jelly Sandals - £3.99

Have you started shopping for summer?

Wednesday 29 April 2015

A PJ Day.... #wickedwednesdays

This came up on my Timehop the other day......It was from a couple of years ago. The kids had a go to school in your PJ's day.....Some people were more happier about it than others....lol


Tuesday 28 April 2015

AirMotion Pro Brush - Review!!

My girls and I all have longish hair....Becky's is thick and straight and is easy to brush while Ellie's is thin and curly and mine is somewhere in the middle and we struggle with knots and tangles....Ellie has never liked her hair being brushed.

We were offered the chance to review the fancy looking AirMotion Pro brush.....Which claimed to glide through the hair without snapping or stressing the hair and it's clever design smooths and detangles on wet and dry hair....


 Don't brush.....Glide. The Airmotion hairbrush is a revolutionary design for stress free hair...
3 Different lengths of bristle for ultimate penetration.
 Designed for left and right handed people.
Perfectly balanced non-slip handle.
Smooths and straightens as you brush.
Helps remove frizz, distribute product and produces perfect up do's.
Happy in water and perfect for in the shower.
Glides through the hair with effortless ease.
Offers a unique solution to haircare, leaving hair smooth and shiny.
Airmotion will not snap your hair and is gentle on your scalp.
Airmotion uses specialist superlite materials.


We have been using it for a week or so now and we all love it.....

Becky loves it as it does straighten her hair and smooths it too....I have also noticed less frizz in her hair....

It is easy enough for Ellie to hold as it is so light and the non-slip handle really helps.....She now makes a start on brushing her hair on a morning herself....There is no more tears as it is so gentle on her hair....When I come to put her hair into a pony tail my job is a lot more easier.....

I have been using the Airmotion Pro instead of my usual brush too....I have never been one for using special brushes....I usually get mine from Poundland but I really do like this one....I have noticed there is a lot less hair collected on the brush which means it must be gentler on my hair as I am losing less....

 The AirMotion Pro brush is reasonably priced at £11.95 and I would be quite happy to pay that price....Hair brushing is now stress free in our house....

We were sent the AirMotion Pro Brush free of charge for the purpose of this review....This is my honest review....All thoughts and opinions are of course my own!!

Monday 27 April 2015

Our Weekly Meal Plan!! - #mealplanningmonday


Last weeks meal plan didn't go too badly considering both the girls were sick.....We thought they were both over it but Ellie was sick again on Friday evening and Saturday she was in a sorry state....Running a temperature and wanted a lot of cuddles....I was happy to oblige. Sunday she was sick again but I said to her if you could eat anything what would you have? She wanted a McDonalds Happy Meal so that was our Sunday lunch.....hehehe She perked up after eating half of it.....She seems fine today so she's going to school. Now I hope this is the end of it.....

This week on the meal plan we have:
 

Monday - The Roast chicken dinner we didn't have yesterday....
Tuesday - Bubble & squeak with ham & eggs....
Wednesday - Sausage Jambalaya....
Thursday - Ellie has a hearing test so we'll get something on the way home....
Friday - Pizza....
Saturday - Mango & prawn stir-fry with rice....
Sunday - Shepherd's pie....


As always I've joined in with the wonderful Mrs M's #mealplanningmonday linky....

Saturday 25 April 2015

Project 365 - Week 17

I haven't taken many photos this week.....The kids have been sick (they're fine now) so we haven't really done much....I just haven't been in a photo taking mood but somehow did manage to take one every day....


108/365. 18th April 2015

Domino's again! lol I'm sure they put something in it which makes you crave it even more....

109/365. 19th April 2015

Sunday was the day I started playing Minecraft! I had watched the kids play it enough to know the basics and now I can use it as a bargaining tool with the girls.....Yes I will play Minecraft with you if you tidy your room first.....hehehe


110/365. 20th April 2015

Becky wasn't well at all.....

111/365. 21th April 2015

By Tuesday she had recovered.....

 
112/365. 22th April 2015

On Wednesday it was Ellie's turn to be sick.....By lunch time she had recovered so we made cakes....

 
113/365. 23th April 2015

Ellie was better and back to school....
 
114/365. 24th April 2015

After the day I had the wine was open just after 6pm which is early for me.....There was a bit of drama at Becky's school which saw Stu and I rushing up there in a bit of a panic....Last night there was a very angry email sent to the school....Grrr

http://www.theboyandme.co.uk/category/365/

Friday 24 April 2015

I thought Becky was missing......


Becky went to school this morning.....She left on time and she was ok.....

At about 11pm this morning I got an automated recorded message saying your child is not at school. Press 1 if you know and 2 to speak to someone.....I pressed 2 and got an answering machine....Grr! 

I tried to ring them back again and again and couldn't get through to anyone.....The thoughts running through my head were unreal....She had been poorly at the start of the week....What happens if she had collapsed somewhere? Has someone taken her?

I rang my friend who was kind enough to give us a lift to the school as it's a half an hours walk away....

At reception they couldn't get through to the attendance people either.....They finally did and sent someone to talk to us....

Turns out the supply teacher they had in had messed up and a message was sent out to a lot of her form group.....What the hell! I phone call back to let us know would have been nice before I had chance to think something could have happened to her.....The lovely lady went and got Becky just to put our mind at ease which no doubt worried the life out of Becky seeing us stood there....

I am now relieved but absolutely livid.....There phone set up is crap! I only tweeted on Monday about it when I was trying to get through to say she was poorly and wouldn't be in.....

There isn't enough people to answer the phones or they just don't bother.....I've never once been able to get through to Becky's head of year.....What would happen if there was an emergency....There would be no way to get in touch with my girl at all.....

Yes the automated messages would come in handy if your child is known to bunk off school but sending them out just because the teacher has messed up is not on.....I will be writing an email complaining to the school when I have calmed down a little more to let them know my feelings....

Is it too early for wine yet? lol 

I’m linking up with MummyBarrow for Ranty Friday

Sick of Sick!

There is only one word that can sum up my week this week. It's....


We're all OK now but being sick has dominated our week....

Becky wasn't feeling too good on Sunday evening......She had a sore belly and I was worried it was the start of lady things happening. (It wasn't)....She was getting herself upset because she didn't want to miss school. She hasn't missed a day since she started in September....Then she started to feel sick....She took herself off to bed taking the sick bucket with her....

I woke her up for school on Monday morning and then she started to be sick....Ugh! I moved her downstairs where she set herself up on the settee.....She was crying that she wanted to go to school.....Ellie was crying because she wanted to stay at home....Another happy Monday morning! Becky slept most of the day....By Monday evening she was feeling a little better.....She had an early night and Tuesday morning she still looked rough so I phoned the school again.....Thankfully by lunchtime she was feeling much better.....Had something to eat and a shower.....She came to pick Ellie up from school and was back to her normal self......On Wednesday she went back to school.....

Wednesday morning it was like I was reliving Monday but with Ellie.....Only difference was that Ellie doesn't always hit the sick bucket when she spews.....lol I can laugh now. I wasn't at the time.....The thing with Ellie once she has been sick she always seems to recover quickly.....By lunchtime she was eating toasties and singing along to Mary Poppins.....There is only so much Doc McStuffins I can watch.....We even made cakes....She was feeling that good. If she hadn't have been sick I would have said she just wanted a day off school.....lol She went back to school yesterday.....

Now I'm crossing my fingers that is it! I haven't time to be ill....

The Reading Residence

Thursday 23 April 2015

73 Questions....

I feel like I have my head in the sand sometimes....For weeks I have seen the "73 Questions Tag" floating around the blogosphere....I didn't realise until today it was an actual thing started by Vogue!

73 Questions is a series of single shot videos with nine celebrities. In each video, these celebrities have to answer 73 random quick-fire questions to see what they like, what they hate and most importantly what they know.....


 1. What’s your favourite movie?
It changes all the time....At the moment Con Air. I've watched it twice more in the last couple of weeks.....

2. Favourite movie in the past five years?
I don't watch many films so obviously it has to be one of the kids faves....FROZEN!

3. Favourite Hitchcock film?
I don't really like any of them but I would have to say Psycho...

4. A book you plan on reading?
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban....Becky is reading it at school and thinks it's really good...

5. A book that you read in school that positively shaped you?
I can't really think of one....

6. Favourite TV show that’s currently on?
The Island with Bear Grylls....

7. On a scale of one to ten how excited are you about life right now?
Eight....

8. iPhone or Android?
Android....

9. Twitter or Instagram?
Twitter....I can take or leave Instagram....

10. Who should EVERYONE be following right now?
Me...hehehe Only joking. There are so many brilliant bloggers out there - Brummy mummy of 2, Glimmer of Hope, The Reading Residence, Teen Tween Toddler & Inside Martyn's Thoughts! I could have named at least 50 but these are my top 5!

11. What’s your favourite food?
At the moment Pizza from Domino's....

12. Least favourite food?
Broccoli....

13. What do you love on your pizza?
Lots of meat & mushroom....

14. Favourite drink?
Rose Wine....

15. Favourite dessert?
Chocolate fudge cake and ice cream....

16. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?
Milk chocolate

17. Coffee or tea?
Coffee the more the better....

18. What’s the hardest part about being a mum?
The guilt you feel about everything!

19. What’s your favourite band?
Bon Jovi....

20. Favourite solo artist?
At the moment Meghan Trainor....

21. Favourite song?
Always by Bon Jovi....

22. If you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be?
Harry Styles....Just to annoy Becky....hehehe

23. If you could master one instrument, what would it be?
A guitar....Like a rock star!

24. If you had a tattoo, where would it be?
I don't have one and don't really want one....

25. To be or not to be?
To be.

26. Dogs or cats?
Dogs....

27. Bird-watching or whale-watching?
Whale-watching.

28. Best gift you’ve ever received?
My laptop off Stu my fella...

29. Best gift you’ve ever given?
I bought my fella parts for his computer....He was very impressed....

30. Last gift you gave a friend?
Flowers & chocolates....

31. What’s your favourite board game?
Monopoly....

32. What’s your favourite country to visit?
I've only ever been in countries in the UK...

33. What’s the last country you visited?
Scotland

34. What country do you wish to visit?
America....

35. What’s your favourite colour?
Purple

36. Least favourite colour?
Green....

37. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds are a girls best friend...

38. Heels or flats?
Flats

39. Pilates or yoga?
Yoga....

40. Jogging or swimming?
Swimming

41. Best way to de-stress?
A soak in the bath or a large glass of wine....

42. If you had one superpower, what would it be?
To know what my girls were thinking....

43. What’s the weirdest word in the English language? 
Codswallop....

44. What’s your favourite flower?
Daffodils....

45. When was the last time you cried?
At Geordie Shore last week when James left...The shame!

46. Do you like your handwriting?
No...Becky can write neater than I can. Oops!

47. Do you bake?
Yes....With the kids.

48. What is your least favourite thing about yourself?
My big nose....

49. What is your most favourite thing about yourself?
My boobs....lol

50. Who do you miss most?
My dad....I don't see him often enough....
 
51. What are you listening to right now?
One of the election debates....

52. Favourite smells?
New shoes, Petrol, Freshly laid tar....

53. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My dads girlfriend...

54. Who was the last person you sent a text to?
My dads girlfriend...

55. A sport you wish you could play?
Football....

56. Hair colour?
Dark Red....

57. Eye colour?
Green

58. Scary film or happy endings?
Happy endings....I don't watch Horror films...

59. Favourite season?
Summer....

60. Three people alive or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
My Grandad, Jimmy Carr & The Rock....

61. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs.

62. Rolling Stones or the Beatles?
Beatles....

63. Where were you born?
Stockton on Tees....Near Middlesbrough in the North East....

64. What is the farthest you have been from home?
London....

65. Sweet or savoury?
Sweet....

66. Lipstick or lip gloss?
Lipstick....

67. What book have you read again and again?
Harry Potter....

68. Favourite bedtime story?
Cinderella....

69. What would be the title of your autobiography?
I did my best, was it good enough?

70. Favourite sound?
My girls laughter....

71. Favourite animal?
Dogs....

72. Who is your girl crush?
 
Meghan Trainor

73. Last photograph you took?

Becky feeling much better after a tummy bug....


Your turn if you haven't already done this!!

Wednesday 22 April 2015

They made me play Minecraft....

Becky started playing Minecraft just after she started secondary school....Ellie soon followed her lead and just after Christmas Stu started playing too.....I have watched them play it and thought what's the point....It's just like Lego....


Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew players worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things. It can also be about adventuring with friends or watching the sun rise over a blocky ocean. It’s pretty. Brave players battle terrible things in The Nether, which is more scary than pretty. You can also visit a land of mushrooms if it sounds more like your cup of tea.  

Then Stu started playing on the "Survival mode" not just creative like the kids were and it got me a little more interested....At the weekend I caved in and let me put it onto my laptop and I started playing....I actually liked it....Stu put us all on a server so we could play in the same area....I had read a little about it and how to survive.....Aha!

We all went off and by the time night arrived I was the only one with a house.....Well not exactly a house more a whole dug into a hill but it worked....Becky was saying she was coming to live with me and Ellie was off getting killed by Creepers, Zombies and Skeletons...Stu was up a tree somewhere....


Day one and I win! hahaha

By day 2 Becky trying to share my house and Ellie had found her way back to me....Oh joy! lol I had food, a bed, lights, swords and pickaxes and they were just stealing everything!!....They were eating my food, sleeping in my bed and bringing baddies to my front door.....They know how to play but they were too lazy....

Time for some tough love.....It was so childish of me but they were going to have to find their own way in the Minecraft world....What's mine is mine and all of that....Get Out Of My House!!!!

I had warned them not to steal anything from me....Then I saw Ellie walking around with a sword!! A sword she didn't make....I told her to put it back but she wouldn't so in the game I killed her.....Ooops! Such a bad mothering moment but I'm not even sorry....A lesson learned perhaps? I now have a chest with a wall built in front of it.....No more of Ellie stealing for me (I hope)....hahaha

I think Stu has had the best idea....When we started the game he went one way and I went the other with the kids following.....The kids don't know where he is, so apart from the baddies he is pretty safe....lol

So everything I have said about Minecraft in the past....Just ignore it.....lol I love the game now....hehehe

Do you or your children play Minecraft?

Tuesday 21 April 2015

We went to see Justin & Friends: Mr Tumble’s Circus!!

Becky is 12 and Ellie is 7.....Becky stopped choosing to watch CBeebies a good few years ago but Ellie will still watch it now and again mostly for Topsy and Tim and anything with Justin Fletcher in.....I just know sometime over the next year or so CBeebies will be ignored and Ellie will decide she is too old to watch it just like Becky did....

So when I had the chance to take my girls to see CBeebies Live show Justin & Friends: Mr Tumble’s Circus I jumped at the chance.....I wanted them to enjoy it once before they were both too old...


Last Monday Mr Tumble’s Circus came to town......Well he came to our town to the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena....Ellie was beyond excited and Becky pretended she wasn't but she was....hehehe

We got there with minutes to spare....Phew! Took our seats and waited for the show to start.....


The show was all about Justin and his friends being excited that Mr Tumble’s Circus was coming to town but it was delayed....They soon realised that they too had lots of circus skills so would be able to put on their own show....Hooray! Justin with the help of Andy Day, Robert the Robot, Cat Sandion and Gem from Swashbuckle they put on a fantastic show.....

The show was a mix of all Justin Fletchers shows....Justin’s House, Mr Tumble, Gigglebiz! It was filled with lots of catchy songs, simple dance routines for everyone to join in with and plenty of jokes for grown ups too....hehehe


The main screen was cleverly used to incorporate the other characters Justin plays such as Grandad Tumble and Lord Tumble. Our favourite characters all appeared in person..... Aunt Polly, Keith Fitt and of course Mr Tumble....You could feel the excitement when he entered the arena....

Justin Fletcher did so well.....He must have been knackered with all the costume changes and each time he appeared as a different character he came in a different entrance to the arena.....He can't have had much of a break in-between the earlier show and ours as we saw lots people on their way home when we were going to the arena....Very well done to him and the other performers.....

There were so many great bits....The dancing dinosaur, Keith Fit singing Whey aye of the Tiger....Perfect for it being in Newcastle. That got a lot of laughs....People being sprayed with water, seeing little one's running about having the time of their life and my girls faces.... 

I laughed, danced a little and may have sung out loud a bit too loudly to the last song....The S Club 7 one Reach....hehehe Becky was not at all amused....lol Ellie was jiggling in her seat and singing along all through the show.....She laughed and giggled so much and had a fantastic time....Becky tried to act cool but she laughed just as much....


It was a fantastic show for people of all ages....Next year can I borrow a small child to take along please as my two will probably both be too cool for Mr Tumble....hehehe

We were gifted tickets to the Justin & Friends: Mr Tumble’s Circus show in exchange for promoting it. In no way did the free tickets influence our opinion!
 

Monday 20 April 2015

Our Weekly Meal Plan!! - #mealplanningmonday


Last week I didn't meal plan at all.....Shock! Horror!
I just bought a load of shopping with no plan in mind and when I was cleaning the fridge on Saturday before the new shopping was delivered you could tell.....There was so much waste and things going off....Takeaways were eaten and we all ate different meals.....It wasn't good!

This week we're back on the meal planning bandwagon.....I don't think I could go another week without it....

This week on the meal plan we have:
Monday - Diced pork with Chinese Marinade Seasoning on, egg noodles, and spring rolls....
Tuesday - Tomato And Mozzarella Chicken Kievs with wedges....
Wednesday - Bacon And Cheese Panini's....
Thursday -
Chicken Korma And Pilau Rice....
Friday - Pepperoni Pasta Bake....
Saturday - Pizza....
Sunday - Roast chicken dinner....
As always I've joined in with the wonderful Mrs M's #mealplanningmonday linky....

Saturday 18 April 2015

Project 365 - Week 16

We've had a fun filled week and lots of laughs.....The kids went back to school on Tuesday but the week has gone so quickly....I do love a 4 day week!!


101/365. 11th April 2015

On Saturday I posted my 1000th post! Go me...lol Took me just over two and a half years....

102/365. 12th April 2015 

More Monopoly playing and arguments....


103/365. 13th April 2015

I loved the wall in the orthodontics....Becky went to see about getting her braces....She's not getting them just yet....She needs to wait for an adult tooth to come through & work on her brushing....

 
104/365. 14th April 2015

Becky got this Minion balloon on Monday and everywhere I turned it was there....In my face!

105/365. 15th April 2015 

After Becky pushed it in my face even more I cut the string off....I am just awful.....Becky even resorted to trying to climb the step ladder to get it down.....She didn't get past the 2nd step....lol She got it down with a sweeping brush....hahaha

  
106/365. 16th April 2015 

The kids say there is nothing for breakfast....Really! Really!
I count at least 6 different cereals....There is bread in the cupboard as well as cereal bars.....What more do they want?

107/365. 17th April 2015

An average Friday evening....Alcohol and blog reading! My fave night of the week.....

http://www.theboyandme.co.uk/category/365/

Friday 17 April 2015

Lots of LOL's....

This week has been a funny week.....Not in the strange way but in the ha ha ha way.

My Word of the Week this week is...


We have had the type of laughter where your belly aches, you just can't catch your breath and actually cry from laughing so much.....

It started on Sunday while we were reviewing the Microscope Set & Bug Barn Set....The kids took great pleasure in chasing me around the house with a spider and had a lot of laughs with the magnifying glass....


For nearly two hours on Monday my girls and I laughed.....We went to see the CBeebies Live show Justin & Friends: Mr Tumble’s Circus....I have a post next week about it but it was brilliant....

We have all been in a fantastic mood this week....Even with early mornings, going back to school and the weather being a bit gloomy.....Yes while a lot of you have had glorious sunshine we've had grey, damp miserable weather up here in Northumberland.....Yesterday wasn't too bad....The sun was shining and by the school run time it was quite lovely..

We had a bit of a hiccup during the week when the girls were not laughing at all....They both ended up having a ban from their tablets and computers.....Ellie for just being a little madam and not doing as she was asked and Becky for taking her tablet upstairs so she could play with it in bed, which she knows is not allowed....

I was expecting a lot of arguments and stressing during the 24 hour ban but it wasn't actually that bad.....They got on and played with each other.....

The girls were playing with their balloons they had got from CBeebies live....Becky kept coming over to me and waving it in my face...I warned and warned her bad things would happen if she did it again.....She knew I was joking and pushed her luck so I cut the string off the balloon and it went straight up.....heheheh

 
She had fun getting it back down.....She managed eventually with the help of the sweeping brush and kept it out of my way for the rest of the evening....hehehe

On Wednesday the new TV channel Spike TV started....I was mostly excited to watch Breaking Bad from the beginning again but there was also the show Lip Sync Battle....Oh my! I laughed so much.....The WWE wrestler The Rock singing Taylor Swift's Shake it off was the funniest thing I have seen on TV in a long time....The series has been set to record!!


It has been a great week....Lots of laughter is just what we needed.....

The Reading Residence

Thursday 16 April 2015

Why I prefer to shop online....

I hate shopping in real shops....Those in town or on the high street....I always feel a rage when I do....People pushing and rushing me....I do about 90% of my shopping online. Groceries, clothes, presents, electronics....The only thing I won't buy online it shoes....I'm fussy about trying them on because I have funny shaped feet!

You don't have to move....That's good enough for me! There is no walking for miles to find what you are looking for!

There are no queues.....I hate waiting....When you buy online it's like you are the only one in the shop!

Everything is one place.....There is no having to go to different shops for different things and when you find a shop that sells just about everything there is no walking around in circles to find it......No buying kids clothes on one side of the shop, books at the other side and mens clothes on a totally different floor....

It saves time.....No traveling to do!

In a shop you can’t read other people’s reviews.....Sites like Amazon offer you the chance to read reviews for pretty much everything they sell....

You don’t have to worry about losing receipts ever again.... Everything is done electronically so all the records of what you buy are emailed directly to your inbox...It's good for the environment too by going paperless!

There is no awful changing rooms....I always lose track of what I have tried on and what fitted.....I hate those curtains  too which never close properly....The kids always seem to open when I'm in the middle of getting changed too!....If by chance the kids are not with me I always find something I like but in the wrong size.....I have to take it off, change back into your my own clothes, go out, look for the right size, go back and start the whole process again....Ugh!

No more shop assistants....The one's who won't take no for an answer or those really cheery one's who try to help but really don't.

You can wear anything...or nothing.....Shoes and makeup are totally optional.

You can send gifts directly.....When you order online, you can send gifts delivered directly to their recipient....This means you can avoid the wait at the post office and maybe the cost of postage if it is free delivery....Some store even offer gift wrapping!

You are spoilt for choice.....You can find everything you want online and probably things you didn't even know you wanted....

The Internet never closes....You can shop anytime online 24 hours a day 7 days a week!!

Do you like to shop online?

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Ugly P.E Kits.....

According to research, 46 per cent of girls say they enjoy being active but hate their school PE kit as it makes them feel 'ugly'

In the new survey from Virgin Active girls were asked to create their perfect PE kit. They suggested leggings, dark colours to hide sweat patches and tops with high-necked collars.


Really? Really....In the early 90's I had to wear itchy gym shorts, a blue polo shirt for P.E and black plimsolls.....When we did netball and hockey we were lucky enough to wear a gym skirt and for cross country we had to wear plain white or black trainers which were not allowed to be branded or named.


 The teachers used to say it was a P.E lesson NOT a fashion show....If I tried to get out of P.E by forgetting my kit I had to use one from lost property.

In life sometimes we have to wear the clothes that we don't feel pretty in....That is part of life! Some teenage girls feel uncomfortable in their clothing especially in something they are forced to wear....It is nothing to do with sport!! It's not the PE kit that needs addressing but their lack of self esteem.

Becky is in secondary school and they have to wear a white polo shirt with the school logo and plain black tracksuit bottoms or black shorts. Which is a lot nicer attire than I had to wear....

It has also been suggested that cubicles, showers and hairdryers should be installed in school changing rooms so that girls can “reconstruct themselves” after PE lessons. I agree with the cubicles being installed....I hated getting changed in front of others when I was a teen and showering in front of others too but hairdryers? That's taking it a step too far.....What a waste of money!

What was your own PE kit like when you were at school? 
Did it make you feel ugly or self-conscious?

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Science fun with a Microscope Set & Bug Barn - Review!!

My girls have a keen interest in science....A science kit is something I would never of thought of buying my girls a few years ago....I used to think science was more for boys rather than girls but my girls want to know about everything....In the past we have reviewed a few science kits and they have always had a lot of enjoyment from them....Becky and Ellie love to learn about the world we live in.

We were sent couple of Discovery Channel science toys from Trends UK to try out....

Discovery 100 X Microscope Set

Price - £19.99


This microscope features three magnifications – 25X, 50X and 100X – and an electric illuminator. The 36 piece set includes three prepared slides, eight blank slides, two specimen vials, tweezers, pipette, spare bulb, instruction manual and much more. Requires 2 x AA batteries (not included).

We have had a couple of microscopes in the past which to be honest haven't been that great but this one impressed me despite it feeling quite light....

It was easy to set up and we got straight onto looking at the prepared slides which amazed the girls.....


They were keen to find everyday things around the house to have a look at....We tried milk, soil, leaves, tomatoes, talc, hair and salt.....

I thought the salt was the most impressive....


We just put little bits of what we were looking at on the slides and under the microscope when we were done looking we just wiped the slide down and it was good to use again....

Ellie was especially amazed....It is the first time she has used anything like this and just couldn't grasp that things look like they do when they are magnified.....

I lost track of the time my girls played with this but it kept their attention and I think as long as they were finding things to go under the microscope it would have continued to....They could have been there all afternoon and evening....The only reason they stopped was because I got the other thing we were sent to try out....

I think this is well worth the money and a great learning tool.....

Discovery Bug Barn

Price - £14.99


It’s a great way to collect and observe common bug specimens with this interesting viewing container. Children will love the world of insects up close! Includes observation room, magnifying glass, tweezers, canister, net and instruction manual. Plus a sheet of window clings to decorate windows, tools, mirrors and any other dry, flat surface.

 I don't like bugs or insects but my girls do....They take great pleasure in bringing creatures in from outside....lol I sent them outside to look for some creepy crawlies after they had of course had a play with the magnifying glass....


They managed to catch a spider with the net...Oh joy! They put it into the canister.....It didn't look too scary when you looked through the side but through the top of the plastic canister it was magnified.....Eek!


When the summer is really here and there are plenty of bugs outside I can see this set getting more use....

These are both great sets and opened up a whole new part of science to my girls....

We were sent these science kits free of charge to try....This is my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.