A Year In Photos-Day 121

Ravensburger Puzzle Club-I Love London (6+) review

The latest puzzle sent to us as Puzzle Club reviewers was the I Love London puzzle.

It was a perfect choice for my children as they love London and with the Jubilee and Olympics later this year the focus is very much on our capital city.

This 100 piece XXL puzzle consists of a colourful picture composed of some of London's most famous landmarks and other iconic images including the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, The Gherkin, a London Taxi, Tube Train, St Paul's Cathedral and more.

Middle took the puzzle round to his grandparent's house yesterday as he wanted to make it with his Grandad but it was easy enough for him to do by himself.

It was dismantled and done again by Middle & Girl today and I think this has to be one of their favourite puzzles to date.

I really liked the inclusion of an informative fact sheet about some of the objects/landmarks on the puzzle.

As with all Ravensburger puzzles that we've had this is of great quality.


*Please excuse the quality of the photos. Middle wanted to use his camera for the review.

A Year In Photos-Day 120

Girl on the 'Dizzy Donut'. I can't work out if this is a great, arty shot or just a really crap photo!

A Year In Photos-Day 119

Yummy....

A Year In Photos-Days 117 & 118

Hugo
This was my book club read earlier this year and after seeing the film based upon the novel Girl has been desperate to read the book but I'd leant it out to another book club member. I finally got it back this week and she couldn't wait to get started!

Tickets

Two lots of tickets to excite me; my travel tickets for Cybher and my ticket for  Eastern Angles performance of Margaret Catchpole.

Child-friendly cafes...

...do they exist?


A twitter conversation this morning has got me thinking.


Is there such a thing as a really welcoming child-friendly cafe? I and some of the other Mums locally are hunting for a cafe, not indoor play centre, that caters for young children.


It may be a corner with toys, it may have a small indoor soft play area. Anything to make your time there with your child much more enjoyable and relaxing. My toddler doesn't want to spend all his time strapped into a highchair.


Locally, we have one cafe that has a corner with toys and books for children, which sounds great in theory BUT every time I have visited with my toddler and friends with their children I see the look of disapproval each time the children move to get a toy or make a sound. That's NOT child-friendly in my book.


I understand that occasionally there are people carrying round hot drinks and food and if a child is running around that's completely unacceptable but don't have a selection of toys if you're not going to make children & their families welcome and at ease.


In an ideal world, if I had the money and the time I would open up a cafe in the area for families. Right now that's not practical but I'm considering it once the toddler is at school. (Any potential investors can get in touch!)


So, this is where you come in-If you know of a child-friendly cafe (this isn't limited to Suffolk) let me know so we can spread the word for other Mums in the same predicament. Write a blog post about what you think makes it so great for families and post the link here.


It would be great if we could get a nationwide list to refer to.


Edit:
Here are the suggestions received so far:

1. @actingtheparty recommends The Spotty Blue Teapot in Hoylake, Wirral. I love the name and it looks fabulous. If only I wasn't so far away from me.
2. @gaylemacgregor recommends Cafe Abantu in Bourn, Cambs
3. Gayle also likes The Alex in Felixstowe.
4. Another Felixstowe recommendation was The Little Ice Cream Co. Thanks to @Suffolk_Coast for that one
5. A favourite of @GreatAuntUK is Nonsuch Pantry located next to Nonsuch Mansion in Cheam, Surrey. The cakes on their website made me drool! 
6. @KarenCannard was singing the praises about The Coffee House in Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds so much that I will be taking a trip there in the not to distant future and hopefully she'll be able to show me what she loves about it.
7. Costa Coffee in Woodbridge is a favourite of @missusmermaid as they have a box of toys and books for children. My children love their mini muffins.
8. Her and Linda from @suffolkdays both recommend Wild Strawberry Cafe  in Woodbridge because 'they are lovely, very friendly towards baby and have a fab box of toys and books for children' 
9. A great place to visit, particularly in the summer, is Suffolk Food Hall in Wherstead, just outside of Ipswich. With fabulous views of the Orwell and Orwell Bridge you can sit outside while your children play on the large bouncy pillow and play area. Thanks to Sophie_Spiers for reminding me of the Suffolk Food Hall!
10. Linda says that The Dancing Goat in Framlingham is good with children.
11. According to father of six @MisterEditorial The Table in Woodbridge is 'cool for kids!' It's a relatively new venue and I look forward to trying it out.
12. @tiffinstea in Long Melford have put themselves forward, saying that they are ' mums and toddlers friendly & happy to do small portions of most meals'. They also have a private room available for children's parties.
13. @penster3371 owns The Tea Hut on the riverside in Woodbridge, close to the boating lake. They serve delicious cakes up and sometimes run Wonder Bear workshops with @wonderbearjo
14. Cafe Junior in Cardiff has inspired Joanne to want to open her own cafe.
15. Susan recommends Cafe Ceramico in East Kilbride. See her comment below.
16. A Brewer's Fayre in Inverness sounds like a great place to go. Take a look at WeeWifie's recommendation below.
17. Greenacres Kids Cafe sounds fabulous! 'A great little cafe, with an area for mum to relax while the children are actually played with by staff specifically employed for the purpose!' according to Emma. Greenacres is in Teddington.
18. Pennikkity Pots in Ipswich town centre is a child-friendly ceramic cafe with an outdoor patio area for those warm summer days (do we get those any more?!)

Keep the recommendations coming in!

A Year In Photos-Day 116

Rain, rain go away!

A Year In Photos-Day 115

Another photo of my sleeping toddler tonight. I am biased but I think he looks adorable!

C is for....crap

My eldest two are making me feel like crap. Every morning before school, every afternoon when I pick them up AND in the evening before bedtime.

I get yelled at by Middle for no reason. Girl gets the arse over something. I get told 'I hate you'.

Whatever I do is wrong. Whatever I say is wrong.

I'd expect it from moody, hormonal teenagers but not a 5 and 7 year old.

I devote my life to being their Mum but they just don't appreciate it. Sometimes I wonder whether they would prefer it if I worked and wasn't always around for them. I see them as being lucky having a full-time Mum. Maybe I'm wrong.

I'm struggling at the moment, really struggling. My self-esteem is at a low not experienced for a few years, I'm in a lot of pain most of the time and I'm being treated like shit.

I want to stop the world and get off for a while.

Ten On Tuesday No27

1. Who are you and what do you do?

I am known as Troubles Mum and I am the author of parenting blog Trouble Doubled. I am mum to four very lively girls, including twins, and spend most of my time trying to get us all through to bedtime unscathed.

2. Do you have any pearls of wisdom to pass on to prospective parents of twins?

Gosh, yes, a lot! I think the thing that has struck me the most about being a multiple-mummy is the amount of attention you attract. For someone like me who is very private, this takes a lot of getting used to, but getting used to it you must or it would drive you insane.

3. What would you tell your 16 year old self?

To ignore the silly girls in your class who try to grind you down. You will soon have a way more interesting life than them, and once you're out of that dump of a school, you won't look back.

4. Who makes you laugh?

The children. They all do something that amuses me on a daily basis. Even the twins, who are only 14 months old, do things like pull funny faces or do chasing games.

5. How do you spend your spare time?

Blogging. My only spare time is in the evenings and I can't go very far, so I blog a lot.

6. What was the first concert you went to?

Oooh, wow, that's a long time ago. It could have been The Beautiful South in Hull around 1992. Maybe. Can't remember. I think that was it. I have seen them twice, and also seen Blur, Pulp, Linkin Park, The Levellers, James, and The Manic Street Preachers among others.

7.  Have you ever won anything?

Yes, lots of prizes from competitions in magazines and things. I can't remember ever winning a major contest, but I did come third in the Hull Schools Trampolining competition as a teenager. I did a lot of sport, so have won various little tournaments and matches along the way.

8. Do you have a favourite song?

No, not really. I have a wide taste in music and have lots of tunes that I love.

9. If there was a film made about your life, who would you like to play you?

Well, as no-one knows what I look like, I will say Reece Witherspoon. Honestly, probably Laurel out of Emmerdale. With glasses.

10. What is your favourite thing to do/place to visit with your children?

All my children love swimming. We don't get to go very often because if we all want to go, we have to enlist the help of at least one more adult, so usually have to wait for Grandma and Grandad to come too. I'm so pleased the girls have inherited my love of physical activity.

What are you reading? April issue

This month's issue is very late, but posted in honour of World Book Night, which is tonight.

The books I'm reading all have a historical theme this month. My eldest two have suddenly developed a thirst for history, local history in particular so that's why we have Martlesham: The Good and The Bad Old Days and Martlesham Heath. 

Whilst discussing Martlesham Creek and smugglers on twitter it was recommended that I read about Margaret Catchpole so I have A Picture History of Margaret Cobbold and also Scapegallows, which is a brilliant book by Carol Birch. Scapegallows had me hooked from page one.

Margaret Catchpole is a local legend in Suffolk. Born in 1762 she is a fascinating character. Wikipedia names her as a 'British adventuress, chronicler and criminal'. She was convicted of stealing a horse and she later escaped from Ipswich jail. Once re-captured she was transported to Australia where she lived for the rest of her life.

Eastern Angles are putting on a production based upon Margaret's life in June and I really hope to be able to see it.

I've always been fascinated by the Titanic and after the recent 100 anniversary it has reignited my interest so I have reserved a huge pile of related books at the library. The first I have is And The Band Played On, the story of Jock Hume, the Titanic's violinist, and the fiancee and unborn child he left behind. 

Quite when I'll find the time to read all these is another story! 

This post was inspired by @muddleduck and her What Are You Reading? linkup

A Year In Photos-Day 114

Heaven knows how he can sleep like that. It can't be comfortable!

Ickworth-Our day in pictures

We headed to Ickworth yesterday to begin ticking off our 50 things.... as part of the National Trust's campaign to get children enjoying and exploring the Great Outdoors.

Despite a few showers, thankfully brief, we had a great time.

They may not have ticked many things off the checklist but the children are now experts at climbing trees! Being 7 and 5, they've still got plenty of time to do the rest.

Being out in the fresh air suited the children well as it didn't take them long to get to sleep tonight!

A Year In Photos-Day 113

We went to Ickworth House today and I managed to get lots of lovely shots of the park, gardens and the house and also the children climbing trees & having fun but this photo stood out more than the rest. It was taken just before lunch and my ever-hungry son was grumpy because he wanted feeding.

Mean and moody but still looking cool.

A Year In Photos-Day 112

Hubby was meant to be in charge of the children this morning while I got ready. This is what I came down to....

If that can happen in the space of a few minutes I dread to think what will happen when I'm away for Cybher!

A Year In Photos-Day 111

It must be time for the school run.....

A Year In Photos-Day 110

On the footpath to the hospital we saw these little cuties wandering about, looking for home I guess. Tidgy and Middle thought they were great!

A Year In Photos-Day 109

A couple of weeks ago the children and I went out on our magazine delivery round down the hill. In one garden we spotted a discarded shoe. Lots of bushes and plants had been cut back from where the shoe was but it didn't look like it had been amongst the undergrowth for any length of time. From a quick glance it looked fairly new and in good condition. Me being the inquisitive soul that I am wondered what the story was behind one shoe being in that garden.

Yesterday on the way to school I spotted the matching shoe about 15 yards up from our house, in the opposite direction from the shoe we'd seen previously...

This one is clearly in a very poor state! Why did the owner discard the broken one and then walk down the hill before throwing away the other shoe??

A Year In Photos-Day 107

It appears that I have got into a bit of a pickle with my photos and days!
Here is Monday's offering...

We spent the afternoon in Christchurch Park where the children partook in some good old-fashioned hill rolling. They found it hilarious and their giggles were rather infectious!

A Year In Photos-Day 108

Cybher is getting ever closer so I thought it was time I started looking at business cards. Moo Cards was recommended to me but there's TOO MUCH CHOICE!! I'm terrible at making decisions. Would anyone like to make the cards for me?!

Bees and Phonics (Top That! Review)

Our latest package of books from Top That! included Po-Tolo Plan Bee From Outer Space and three free-standing flipover Phonics books: Word Families, Spelling and Short Vowels.

Po-Tolo is a colourful story with an ecological message. The odd pairing of a spaceman (Po-Tolo) and a purple octopus need help. On Po-Tolo's planet the bees are dying. They head to Earth for assistance and are rewarded when the Earth bees come to the rescue.

My children loved the rotund characters and the vivid illustrations in this story. They listened intently to the facts about bees, which are at the end of the book. Even I learnt something new about bees! This was a fun, simple to understand story with a serious message about the decline of bees.

The phonics flipover books were a hit with Middle and even Girl liked to have a go! He could easily read all of the words but they have helped to reinforce his spelling capabilities and encouraged him with learning phonograms. They are split into 3 so that children can flip the cards over to make words or rhyming word families, depending on which book you have. The words are easily recognisable and the pictures are clear. 

These books probably would have come in handy when Middle was starting to learn to read so he could have got the most out of them but he still enjoys picking them up and going through them either on his own or when he's sitting with us.

You can find Top That! books on their website here.

Ten on Tuesday No26

This week Linda answers ten questions for me. Linda has had the 'pleasure' of interviewing me twice for BBC Radio Suffolk. On both occasions I was lost for words!! 

You can find Linda on twitter as @Lindarella

1.Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Linda and I’m a producer and news reader for the BBC. I’ve worked here in Suffolk for 6 years, via Manchester and London. Suffolk is a great place, never to be underestimated as a so called ‘sleepy’ county. The trick is always trying to dig out interesting or surprising things that are hiding below the surface.

Outside of work I’m daughter to Celia and Andrew, Girlfriend to Scott, giver of food to Gus the cat and pupil to my long suffering drumming teacher Martin – I’ve been learning to play for a few months now and love it.

2.How did you get started?

Well I was always told I was a good communicator (code for I liked talking I think) and I remember doing some sort of ‘make a film’ exercise at school. I was given the role of producer and I remembered thinking, I can be a producer! After college I went on to study communications and loved the radio elements of it so I co hosted a show called Brown Ale and Tea Cakes with my jordie friend Vicky for the three years I studied. After uni I had planned to do a post grad course in Glasgow but the college lost its accreditation so I was left high and dry for a while. Un deterred I found an internship in Scotland and worked in radio at the Edinburgh Festival before getting a job at BBC Radio Norfolk through a BBC disability scheme (I’m partially deaf). After that came the job here in Suffolk and now here I am.

3.Who would be your dream interview subject?

I’ve often asked myself this and the truth is I really find it hard to answer. I’ve interviewed lots of different people and have found so called ‘ordinary’ people as fascinating (some times more fascinating) than celebs. It’s a very tough call but maybe Billy Connolly as he’s such a talent and my dad and I have always loved him so I know dad would really enjoy the listen.

4.Any embarrassing moments during an interview?

Plenty I’m sure but I struggle to remember them now, there are plenty I know that have happened to colleagues .. I have a feeling my worst ones are still to come.

5.What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love to cook and am obsessed with cooking shows, Rachel Khoo is my current favourite. I also love my drumming and am a member of the Suffolk school of Samba which is great fun. I also love a good mooch around vintage stores, markets and charity shops.. I’m obsessed with old things like home wares and clothes.

6.What was the last item you bought yourself?

I had a splurge in Manchester at the weekend and bought a shirt, some new wedge shoes and a red satchel.. I love satchel bags!

7.Who makes you laugh?

Loads of people do, I think we should all laugh more and I’m very lucky with my job as we all have lots of laughs. My mum and dad have great humour which has been passed on to me. Comedian wise I love Kevin Bridges at the moment and Sarah Millican (who I am told I look like) and of course, Billy Connolly.

8.What's the best present you've ever received?

An Amiga 500 computer when I was very small. A friend of my parents programmed it to say ‘Merry Christmas Linda from your Amiga 500’ in a very Stephen Hawkinesque voice. I loved it.

9.What would you tell your 13 year old self?

Oh dear me…. Probably ‘your awful fringe will grow out’ or ‘stop obsessing over stupid boys’ .. most likely, ‘mum and dad are always right, stop questioning that’

10.  Have you had an experience that changed your outlook on life?

Last year my dad was diagnosed with cancer and in one fell swoop the world turned upside down. About a month later complications in a minor operation meant he lost his sight and became blind (we think) permanently. It’s been so much to deal with but some how my dad stays upbeat and we manage to maintain the great humour he’s always had. He’s a huge inspiration to me and its made me realise how important each day is, even if you aren’t always doing big flashy exciting things.. just sharing a pork pie and listening to Any Questions on Radio 4 is important.

A Year In Photos-Day 106

Sunday
We went to the Framlingham Food & Drink Festival for a couple of hours and the children were enthralled by this man. He was carving various items with chainsaws and it was impressive stuff. This one was an owl.

B is for.....Barnardo's

In 2009 I wanted to do something for my Grandad. He had been a Barnardo's child, something I found out quite late in his life,  and I felt that to fundraise for them was to give something back in gratitude.


I decided to organise an Ipswich Monopoly sponsored walk, which entailed a few groups of people walking around Ipswich visiting many of the locations on the Ipswich Monopoly board. Planning and organisation took months but I was over the moon to have raised £693 with my first fundraiser.


Since then I have hosted a Macmillan coffee morning and taken part in two Races For Life. I wanted to do something more challenging this year. I have hip dysplasia so I cannot take part in any sporting events eg. marathons and I only walked around the Race for Life course, which was a great event but I felt like I needed to do something more. 


So, I have decided to abstain from chocolate for the month of May. As friends, family & regular readers are aware chocolate is my only addiction (not counting twitter!) 

Suat Eman

I did give up chocolate late last year thanks to a slimpod but I stopped listening when I was under a lot of stress and haven't got round to starting again. This time I want to give up chocolate for Barnardo's. I'm going to be doing it with willpower and your support!

www.barnardos.org.uk

I would ideally like to raise £100 but for every £1 raised over that amount I will abstain for another day (a good incentive for you to dig deep!)


What I need from you is for you to spread the word by RT'ing my tweets, links to this post and my justgiving site, for you to support me if I start to struggle, and believe me I will, and if you feel so inclined-to dig deep and donate to the wonderful cause that is Barnardo's.


My justgiving page is at http://www.justgiving.com/HeidiChocolate 


Thanks in advance x

A Year In Photos-Day 105

Today was the children's first ever trip to Pizza Hut. Middle certainly enjoyed it!

A Year In Photos-Day 104

After leaving Ipswich this afternoon Tidgy needed a nap so we drove to Aldeburgh for some of their famous chips. They were, as always, delicious.

50 things to do before you're 11 and 3/4

The National Trust launched a new campaign today aimed at getting children outdoors and taking part in some classic adventures.


The ‘50 things to do....’ initiative is in response to a report commissioned by the National Trust which reveals that fewer than one in ten children regularly play in wild places; compared to almost half a generation ago, a third have never climbed a tree, one in ten can’t ride a bike, and three times as many are taken to hospital after falling out of bed, as from falling out of a tree.* 


To help bring these adventures to life the National Trust have formed a team of Elite Rangers who will be sharing their expertise and tips on enjoying the Great Outdoors.

National Trust Elite Rangers

The checklist of 50 things to do include stone skimming, bug hunts, flying a kite, making mud pies (a personal favourite when I was young!), camping out in the wild and more.


I think this is a great idea. My children love being outdoors and if Middle had his way he'd camp out 365 days a year.


Children can pick up a free scrapbook from participating National Trust properties and the fun can be continued at home by visiting http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/50things


To help get families started the National Trust is holding a free weekend on 21st and 22d April when over 200 of its houses and gardens will be open for free, as well as all the countryside spaces it cares for, which are always free access. Properties in the East of England will include Anglesey Abbey, Blickling Hall, Felbrigg Hall, Houghton Mill, Ickworth, Lavenham Guildhall, Melford Hall, Oxburgh Hall, Peckover House, Sutton Hoo, Wicken Fen and Wimpole Hall and Home Farm. Take a look at the website here to find a property and download the voucher required for free entry.

(c) NTPL Rod Edwards

(c) Nick Daly

We haven't yet decided which property we'll be visiting to start our summer of adventure but I'll be posting about it.


Let me know if your children (and yourself!) will be taking part.


* Statistics from Natural England (2009) Childhood and Nature: a survey on changing relationships with nature across generations. Natural England
 And Play England: August 2011 (a third have never climbed a tree and one in ten can’t ride a bike)