Painting the town red... and orange and yellow...

Ad: Gifted Paint Sticks

Do you ever say no when your children want to break out the paints? Are you put off by the mess and tidying up involved? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then read on!

Before: Paint, palettes, brushes, water pots. Maybe some newspaper or a table cloth to protect surfaces.

After: Paint sticks.

All you need for 'no mess' painting!

Little Brian Paint Sticks are so quick and easy to set up, these fab little sticks can be picked up and put down like felt tips, with no need to clean anything when you change colours. My children have had these out every day since the box arrived and I haven't had to get involved in the set up or tidy up once (obviously I was happy to get involved in the painting ;-)

The sticks work just like a glue stick, simply remove the lid, twist the bottom to reveal more paint and twist again to take the stick back down once you've finished. 

 

With classic, day glow and metallic options in the bumper pack, the colours are surprisingly vivid and can easily be layered for heavier coverage. You can also use the paint sticks with a little water if you want to create washes or mix your own colours.

If your little one prefers a larger canvas, Little Brian Paint Sticks are water based, so they're fab for painting on windows and tuff spots too as they can be wiped off with a damp cloth. While it does say on the packaging that the paint may stain clothing, the paint came off Ace's leggings without any rubbing, so I am taking that as a good sign!

The Little Brian Paint Stick Bumper Pack (24 paint sticks) is currently retailing for £13.33 on Amazon. For activity inspiration, head to the Little Brian website, where you will find some free spring downloads. These include Mother's Day cards, Thank you cards (perfect for teachers as many children head back to school this week) and Easter pictures.

Happy painting everyone!

Honey wears.. Apron by Emma Bridewater

It's all about you...

I was kindly gifted these books in exchange for an honest review.

When Wonderbly got in touch to see if I would be interested in choosing some of their books to review, I was so excited. I'd seen their adverts online and had put them on my list of sites to visit when I was looking to give an extra special gift. You can search the site by age, bestsellers or occasion and easily add personalisation to make your book one of a kind.

With Father's Day coming up, we chose a present for Daddy, from Ace, entitled 'Ace loves Daddy this much'. You enter your child's name and choose the illustration that most closely resembles them, in the first instance. After that, you can choose between a hardback or soft cover (pricing varies depending on which option you choose), then you choose a colour for your front cover and you can even add your own dedication at no extra cost.

Ace Loves Daddy This Much

The website is very user friendly, with clear menus and easy to navigate pages. You can even preview your whole book before you commit to buying it, which is great for checking you've spelt all the names and entered other details correctly. I was kept up to date with shipping progress via email and our books arrived really quickly.

Opening up the new books

Once you have finalised your book, you can choose whether or not to have it gift wrapped (extra charge applies). The wrapping is in the form of a pretty, cardboard envelope, which can be recycled, used again to gift a different book (or book shaped object) or it could be used as part of a craft project, which is what we decided to do with it. 

The other book I chose, is called 'That's MY Cake!' and it's all about how we sometimes don't want to share things, but it often turns out better if we do. It's perfect for siblings who have been spending more time than usual together and have been navigating the world of taking turns and sharing things they may not normally have to. As you can tell from the photograph above, Honey was so excited to see that the book was all about Ace and herself, she especially loved the personalised dedication!

Honey is a proficient and avid reader and found the book easy to read, she just needed help reading some of the larger numbers. She was amazed that the facts surrounding their ages were accurate (another thing to double check when you preview your book, as the numbers are calculated from your children's dates of birth) and loved that they were the stars of the story.

Sharing the new books

Beautiful pictures and such a fun story

I chose the hardback versions and I was not disappointed, the quality is brilliant. The colours are vibrant, the pages are thick (Ace proof) and the illustrations are so lovely. Honey and Ace absolutely love reading these books, they don't sit on the shelf for long at all, which in my opinion is the true sign of how good a book is!

These books stand out in a crowd(ed bookself)

If you'd like to order your own Wonderbly personalised book for Father's Day (or just because), visit their site by clicking here and enter your email address to receive a voucher for £10 off your first order, or enter my name (Steph Gore) at the checkout (where is says 'Been referred by a friend?). In the interest of full disclosure, I will receive money off my next order if you use my link or name when you order.

Thanks for reading my review and I hope you have fun designing your own books!

Honey wears... Flower hairband from a festival last year

Ace wears... Yellow shorts from Cotswold Baby Co

Hidden Cheltenham...

With school runs a distant memory, 9:30am felt early to be meeting up with friends in town, but it forced us to be up and at ‘em and was the start of a free, fun filled day! 

We spent a happy hour at Cheltenham Children's Library (with baby bounce and rhyme going on in the background) choosing books for the summer reading challenge, reading and doing some of their activities. After returning the old books and borrowing the new, we all headed across the way to The Wilson for a play in the World of Wonders Gallery. Dressing up, colouring in and making music were the favourite activities, and again we spent a cheerful hour having fun.

Next up, we had decided to follow the Hidden Cheltenham trail, having picked up the map last week. We waved goodbye to our friends, then headed out.

The first clue is in the reception area at The Wilson and they advise you to take a photo of it so you don’t forget the instructions. This turned out to be great advice all the way round, as some of the clues are multi step and it’s good to be able to check what you need to look for or do.

The trail is around 2 miles and I thought scooters would be a good move, so I could pull Ace along on his if he got tired. Between clues, the scooters were a godsend, but I didn’t realise that you actually had to go inside some of the shops, so they were a bit of a pain at times (especially in Tiger as we missed the clue on our first circuit, so had to negotiate the narrow aisles twice).

Everywhere we went, we were met cheerfully and some of the stops even had activities or treats for any children taking part in the trail. Shout out to Middletons for their colouring station and free sweet bowl and also to Lakeland for their lovely gift of an icing bee making kit (another free activity for tomorrow).

The trail itself was very interesting and I definitely learnt some new Cheltenham facts on the way round. It also made me visit parts of town I hardly ever venture into. The route was a little haphazard at times, we were frustrated with having to go back on ourselves at times and Ace didn’t like going past green spots with the ‘wrong’ numbers on, only to come back to them a while later. I will add that this was sometimes due to me wanting to take a safer scooting route, away from main roads.

Including a picnic lunch and a few pit stops for snacks and water, the trail took us around 3 hours. If your children are older, you may need less time, but equally the trail could last all day if you stop to browse in the shops it takes you to or further explore the areas you are led to. We liked the distance updates dotted around some of the stops, Honey was especially motivated by these.

Our last stop was back at The Wilson to swap our trail sheet for goody bags. The kids were excited to find bubbles, balloons and glow sticks in the bags. If you have more than one child, just be aware that the contents of the bags may vary, for example Ace had a beach ball in his, while Honey had a WarHammer figure instead. This initially caused a little friction, but after a quick chat, both were happy with their lot!

As we went round, Honey and Ace also managed to collect another few stickers on their 'No child left behind' summer challenge sheets, so don’t forget to take yours too if you head off on the Hidden Cheltenham trail!

My only suggestion for the Hidden Cheltenham trail, would be to have the option of following the it digitally. Our map and answer sheet were rather tatty by the end and nearly blew away a couple of times when I dropped them due to hand holding or scooter wrangling (having now visited the website, the map is available to download if you sign up for the trail online). It would have been great to have had the option to follow the trail via QR codes and an app where you could also record your answers and unlock the clues, especially as I had to have my phone out to keep track of all the photos of the clues anyway. 

All in all, I would recommend the trail to anyone living in or visiting Cheltenham. It's a great way to see the town and a fun, free way to spend a day. 

Honey wears... Dress by Mini Boded (preloved)

Ace wears... Cargo shorts by frugi

Keeping it Cosy...

Without a doubt, my favourite room in the house is Honey and Ace's bedroom. We went 

with yellow and white colour scheme, which is light, bright and makes their small space 

feel just a little bit bigger. We planned the layout of the room around their bespoke bunk 

bed, which naturally created the perfect little nook under their window. We filled it with 

bookshelves and a large beanbag and we all love it in there! If you like the sound of 

creating a nook for your child, why not have a read of this fab guest post by Leanne

Thompson. 

Leanne has recently become a freelance writer after discovering a passion for

it last year. Her favourite topic to write about is home and lifestyle and in her spare time, 

she loves reading blogs and magazines, as well as researching for and writing new 

content. When she's not busy writing, she enjoys baking, interior design and travelling.

5 Ideas for a Cosy Corner in your Child's Room
- A guest post by Leanne Thompson -

There is perhaps no more revered place for a child in their early years than their bedroom. It's an area where they will be spending the majority of their time and therefore a safe, warm and cosy space is of paramount importance. A perfect area to establish in a child’s room is a cosy corner. Not only can this prevent children from getting up to mischief in undisclosed locations, it can also help more reserved children find a quiet place to truly relax. The beauty of decorating a child’s bedroom is that imaginations can run wild. However, if you are looking for some tips, here are 5 ideas, which should enable you to create a truly cosy corner for your little one.

1. The Den

For some children, the holy grail of play areas is the den. Whether made from cardboard boxes, cushions or something more substantial, a place to explore, hide and play in can be heavenly for a child. Ideally, the den will be sturdy enough to take some hits from the inevitable escapades but conversely not be hard enough to pose a risk to your child’s wellbeing. Dedicate a corner of a room to a den and slowly start to build something that your child will feel safe in.  Unlike other cosy corner alternatives, a den will tend to have a roof, meaning that your child feels totally secure and calm in their own little space.

2. The Tent

Perhaps the simplest and yet most effective cosy corner idea would be to create a tent or tepee. Inexpensive to construct, sturdy, safe and extremely cosy, a linen tent offers children a small area that bursts with light in the day and retains a warmth during the evening. Much like a den, a tent cosy corner has a roof, adding to the effect. This can also be used to great effect with the addition of hanging decorations (in your little girl’s room fairy lights or stars would work perfectly) which will soon see your child fall in love with their new space. You may even find yourself retreating to their tent occasionally for a little R and R! 

3.The Desk

If your child is enjoying reading, drawing and writing or has a creative mind, a cosy corner with a desk is a perfectly suitable way of meeting their needs and transforming their space. Bundle plenty of blankets and cushions in the corner and perhaps consider a low desk, which your child can use even when sitting on the floor. You can even use the wall space in the corner area to put up some shelves to store stationary and the like. Pretty soon, your child’s cosy corner will become a creative corner too!

4. The Bed

If comfort is number one on your child’s list of demands for their cosy corner, then a makeshift bed is the way to go, especially if you have the budget and space to indulge. The key here is to make sure the cosy corner bed has a different feel to the bed that they sleep in. This is a space for relaxing and not necessarily sleeping only. It gives you a chance to offer your child all of the things that they may want with them in bed but shouldn’t really have. Fill the area with comfortable pillows, blankets and stuffed animals. Have plenty of books in reaching distance so that your child can curl up and lose themselves amongst the pages in comfort. Much like a tent, utilise fairy lights in the design and, if feasible, drape some blankets over the top to create a truly safe, cosy space. Just make sure that your child doesn’t get into the habit of crawling into the cosy corner during the night!

5. The Play Zone

While cosy corners should ideally be a place for your child to find some solace, it doesn’t mean that it should not also be an area for plenty of fun. Creating a cosy corner that acts as a play zone can be difficult in that you may require floor space that would usually be occupied by blankets or pillows. However, there are plenty of ways around this. Create ‘seating’ areas next to the two walls in the corner and utilise the space in front of this as an area of play. There are a myriad of play mats available, some of which are designed for specific interests (e.g. Road or town themed mats). Use these mats as part of the cosy corner – not only will your child have an area for quiet play, it will also prevent inevitable clutter from building up around the room as it contains the play to a specific area.

In Sickness and in Health...

When Honey refused cake, then promptly fell asleep on me at a birthday party this weekend, I knew she was really under the weather. It's never nice when children aren't feeling very well, you'd do anything to take their place and stop them feeling rotten but instead you can only provide medicine, sustenance and of course, plenty of cuddles. The thought of being housebound with a poorly little one isn't the most appealing way to spend your day, but with a little bit of planning and lots of positive thinking, it doesn't have to be as bad as you fear!

Be courteous
Don't forget to make the people who need to know, aware of your little one's illness. Whether it's calling work to let them know you can't come in, leaving a message on the school or nursery answerphone or a quick Facebook message to the person who runs that lovely group or class you can no longer make that day. 

Be positive
Yes, it's annoying and sometimes inconvenient for a little one to be poorly but it's something you can't change and they certainly wouldn't choose to be feeling rough so it's best to find a way to come to terms with the situation and get on with things. 

Negative: We have missed what I know would have been an awesome photo shoot with Mouse About Town today.
Positive: We are super lucky to have been photographed by Gill on a number of occasions previously and I know other people who are attending today so I'm looking forward to seeing their beautiful faces in the photos later.

Negative: I missed Melody Mamas yesterday, it's a fab choir for parents, where children come along too.
Positive: Everyone else at choir got a break from my voice ;-) Plus, I decided to film my own version of the song we were due to sing, which was silly but good fun!

Negative: We are going to miss our Matilda Miniature Music class this afternoon. It's a brilliant music class where all the kids (and grown ups) get to play real instruments and sing a mix of original and traditional songs. Oh yes, there's also tea and cake during free play time!
Positive: There's another class tomorrow so we will go then if Honey is back at school and if not, there's always next week!

Be organised
You're at home, possibly unexpectedly, what can you get done? Make a list. Perhaps you need to put a load of washing on, does the dry washing needs removing from the drying rack, or maybe the dishwasher needs unloading. These things don't take long but will instantly make you feel productive and might even spur you on to complete other jobs. On the first day of feeling poorly, Honey sat on our bed and helped me sort out all her and Ace's clothes (well, she fell asleep halfway through, but it's the thought that counts). This led to me preparing bags to take to the charity shop, to pass on to friends and listing some bits on a Facebook selling site. Subsequently we ended the day with more space and a little bit of money towards the next size up.

Be different
Offer things that your children don't often choose to play with or that are kept hidden away under normal circumstances. In our case, board games and jigsaw puzzles are a good place to start and are perfect for a little one who's feeling under the weather, as they can be done slowly and in stages. I also brought down some longer books we have been given for when Honey is a little bit older. We have been sharing some of the stories in stages and holding our place using a home made bookmark (stickers are another great poorly activity). Honey and Ace have also enjoyed playing with a drawer full of cuddly toys that never usually see the light of day, they just needed reminding they were there!

Be outside
Just hear me out on this one! If you've kept a child off school, it's unlikely they're well enough to spend much time outside but that doesn't have to stop the rest of the family. During Honey's most recent bout of illness, Ace wasn't keen on staying inside all day so I bundled him up, opened up the playhouse and sent him off to roam in the garden for a little while. I briefly joined him and spent 20 minutes doing some weeding and sweeping leaves off the (fake) lawn while Honey had a nap on the sofa indoors. The next day, with my to do list in mind, I took advantage of my husband coming home early from a training course and walked into town with Ace to get a few jobs done. Ace and I both enjoyed the fresh air and we were also very productive. Today, there is a slight improvement in Honey's health but there's no way she'd have managed school after not eating for 3 days and barely moving so she's still off. The plan to get outside today, is a walk to the corner shop for some milk and maybe even have a cheeky pit stop at our very local cafe to pick up a cake to bring home for later!

Be naughty
Now, don't go breaking toys or ripping books and blaming me, here's what I mean. Let the rules slide a little. Honey hadn't eaten for two days so when she fancied jelly and ice cream for tea yesterday, that was a step forward in my book. Ace eating a packet of crisps on the sofa (usually a total no go area for food) bought me some time to fold the washing that had been sitting in the tumble drier all morning, so it was worth having to get the hoover out when he'd finished. Honey finished watching a film (usually restricted to one film of an afternoon at the weekend) then immediately asked for another one because her 'body was too poorly to play' why not, and as it turns out, the second film actually sent her off to sleep!

There are so many germs around this winter and if you're looking after a poorly little one, I hope they feel better soon. Roll on Spring!

Ace wears... Coat by Little Buffalo

Keeping it clean...

This is a little bit different for me, a lady called Nicole got in touch via the blog and asked if I'd consider publishing a guest post. As you know, I'm a huge fan of fostering independence and a sense of responsibility in children so when I read her article, the obvious answer was yes! Nicole just loves cleaning. She loves it so much that she turned her passion into a business  and now runs N3 EOT cleaning team. She is a firm believer that kids should be taught about cleaning chores and what better way to do that than by turning the cleaning into a game? 

Kids Can Help You With The Cleaning 

Tips and Tricks to Turn Cleaning into A Game

- A guest post by Nicole Gardiner - 

Let's be honest, have you tried to involve your kids in doing some chores around your home? Often, this attempt can lead you down a blind alley, which is no surprise at all, since most people do not find cleaning enjoyable. However, there is still hope! In order to  encourage your kids to help you more with household duties, you may need to attract their attention by turn everything into a game.

I strongly believe that kids should be taught to clean up after themselves. From an early age, they need to know that everybody at home has duties and these duties have to be carried out. Of course, the younger the child is, the easier the chores will need to be, but you may be surprised by how much kids are capable of doing to help when it comes to cleaning!

As we all know, every child is unique and feels motivated and encouraged by different strategies. Some kids prefer to follow a task list when cleaning and others prefer the cleaning to be turned into a fun game. Some kids need silence to perform at their best and others cannot be productive without listening to music. As I said, every child is unique and you know your child best. 

I am here to make everything a little bit easier for you and for your kids as well and will share some ideas to help children get more willingly involved in the cleaning process. Hopefully you will find these strategies helpful and you will be pleased with the results.

Let's try this. Grab a laundry hamper and walk around your home. Everything which is not where it should be, you put it inside. You may ask what kind of trick this is? Pay attention. When the children come back home from school, ask them to separate their own belongings from the hamper and put them back where they belong before they can watch TV, for example. Some may call it bribery, but it really does work. Try it!

Here we are for another trick, this one's called the colour game. Can you guess what it's all about? Tell your kids to look for everything black in their room. As they locate a black item, they have to put it in the place where it is usually kept. Continue the game by telling them to look for everything yellow, pick it up and again put it where it belongs. See? This can be very funny for little ones and it will also help them learn about colours. 

Every time your children are about to clean their rooms, set a time limit. If they are done before the timer goes off, you can give a reward to your little champions. They love to be appreciated and feel helpful. This will also motivate them to work more efficiently and quickly, without wasting precious time or getting distracted.

You do not expect your kids to be born taught, do you? You have to explain them what their duties are and how they are supposed to get them done. You know that they cannot clean a room in the same way as you so a good idea is to clean with them in the beginning so that they can get used to it and will know how you expect something to be done. 

Following these simple tricks and ideas will help your children learn about responsibility and you will have a cleaner home. There's no need for tears or screaming, cleaning can be fun!