Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Review

11:03 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

LM loves all things fairy at the moment and she can often be found skipping around the house, pretending to fly with her fairy wings. She's fascinated by the idea of fairies visiting her so, when we were sent the Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door recently, I knew it would be the perfect way to add a little magic to her bedroom.

Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Blog Review

The Secret Fairy Door playset arrives in a beautifully decorated box, with the fairy door clearly visible. I decided I would set it up while LM was at nursery school and surprise her with her new fairy friend when she arrived home.

Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Blog Review

The set is simple to unbox and included you will find the tree trunk fairy door, a key and ribbon bracelet (and a second spare key), fairy and hedgehog figurine, mushroom, a set of wall stickers, and a fairy storybook.

Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Blog Review House Interior

The Fairy Door is simple to put together, simply slide the cardboard interior into the rear of the tree and use the six tabs included to clip it in to place. The door on the tree trunk opens so you can see the inside and use it to store some of the smaller pieces inside. It makes a lovely little home for the fairy and hedgehog.

Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Blog Review Stickers

Stickers are included in the set to provide a tree background for the Fairy Door. This arrives in two pieces for the base tree, with four different sets of stickers to depict the changing seasons. I loved this idea as it offers a really helpful way to discuss the changing seasons with your child and to talk about how a train changes through the year. As it was Spring when we were setting up the Fairy Door we went for those showing the blossom and new life of a Spring tree. All of the stickers are low tack so easy to position and move around should the need arise. The stickers do increase the amount of space needed for the Fairy Door so make sure you have enough room to place it when selecting a site in your room for it.

Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Blog Review

Once your stickers are in place you can affix the tree house at the base of the tree sticker, to create the full Fairy Door effect. There are foam pads to make this process easier. LM's room has a tricky layout as it's so small so we placed it on a box she has in her bedroom. This makes the Fairy Door 'float' a little so I need to find a little pebble for our fairy to use as a front door step! The key for the door actually works and can be used to unlock the door, although LM refuses to wear it as the intended bracelet. I've hidden the spare key so we can still open the door should she lose it.

Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Blog Review Accessories Keys

The accompanying accessories are great. The box shows the fairy with a base to help her stand up but that wasn't present in our pack. It's not crucial for us as LM loves to pretend she is flying or to tuck her up inside her house with her hedgehog friend.

Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Blog Review Opening the door

We really loved the Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door. It's delighted LM since it arrived and she loves playing with her fairy in her little house. It's a great set which offers a real educational element with the ability to change the seasonal stickers.

Interplay My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door - Blog Review

My Fairy Garden Secret Fairy Door is aimed at children aged 4+ and retails at around £17:99..


To keep up to date with all of the My Fairy Garden news, including their own competitions and promotions, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Win Amazing Football Prizes with Barclays

08:34 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Football is a current craze in our house and I couldn't be more excited. Bud, newly six years old, has been receiving football coaching in school and is loving every second of it. The sport resonates throughout our family, from my Grandad, who used to help carry the away team kit into Burnden Park (the former home of Bolton Wanderers) as this was the only way he could afford to see the game, to my Dad who refereed grass roots level football and has visited about two thirds of the nations' football ground following Bolton around the country. Both Ian and I have been football fans all of our lives so encouraging a love of the sport in our children was a given.


As you can see, we always have a football with us when we're in the park or on a day out and Bud and LM love having a kick around with us.

As a family which understands how much work goes into football, at all levels, I'm always pleased to see a company which is committed to supporting football, both at community and professional level. Since 2004 Barclays have been the title sponsor for the highest level of English football - the Barclays Premier League - but, what you may not know is that they  made a commitment to the Football Foundation charity when they became sponsors and, since then, they have invested over £40 million in creating Barclays Spaces for Sports. This has allowed the creation of over 200 sports sites, many of which are in more deprived areas. We have 8 within 10 miles of our home and it's fantastic to see my local community benefiting from this funding.

Barclays have encouraged football clubs to become involved in their community by developing employability programmes through their Barclays Premier League Works, and 17 clubs now offer support to help young people get training and become ready for work.

To celebrate their continued investment in football Barclays have created an amazing competition which will allow the chance to win one of 15 'money can't buy' football experiences. I know Bud would adore the chance to show off the Premier League trophy at school so we're definitely going to be entering that competition when it is open.

The current competition offers a lucky winner the chance to present the Barclays Premier League trophy to the champions. Whether it's your club in line to win or not this is an amazing prize, placing you right at the heart of sporting history!


If you'd like the chance to win one of these amazing prizes...


It could be you handing the trophy over to the champions! Keep checking the website for new competitions and the regular ticket giveaways too.

In collaboration with Barclays.



The Clangers Magazine - Review

18:05 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Bud and LM love magazines and one of their favourite treats is to choose one featuring their favourite characters, and those from the cBeebies stable are especially popular with LM. The Clangers have returned  to our television screens on cBeebies over the past year or so. I remember the original version from my childhood and I loved their adventures so it's been great to share the revamped show with our big two.

The Clangers Magazine - Review

New this week from Immediate Media is a monthly pre-school magazine featuring The Clangers. As with all their magazines, the content is themed around the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework which means that children can enjoy their magazine and learn while they do so. With a wide range of different activities - from making your own boat to to puzzles, colouring and writing activities - the magazine is packed with fun and entertainment for your child.

The Clangers Magazine - Review

LM always loves stickers and the central pages have a double page of stickers for children to use on some of the pages in the magazine. I loved the alphabet poster in the centre of the magazine and this was a perfect activity for LM as she's just starting to get to grips with the idea of letters. This is a bright and colourful page which would make a lovely decoration for a playroom or bedroom.

The Clangers Magazine - Review

As always the magazine arrives with a fab free gift - a Clangers slide whistle which makes the same noise as The Clangers when played, and a lovely Tiny Clanger to play with, LM loves musical instruments of all forms so the whistle was a huge hit here.

The Clangers Magazine - Review

We really liked The Clangers magazine and the little characters really lent themselves well to a bright and fun magazine for the 3-6 age group. The activities in the magazine kept LM well entertained and the toys were very popular too. We'd definitely recommend it.

The Clangers Magazine - Review

The Clangers magazine will be available monthly from today, Wednesdsay 27th April 2016, the launch issue is £2:99 with future issues being priced at £2:85.

Do you have any Clangers fans?

Magazine received for review purposes. 

The Bratz Sweet Style Collection - Review

08:59 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

LM love dolls and recently she has started to really enjoy fashion dolls like Bratz. She's very interested in clothes and loves that she can dress them up in whichever style she likes. New from Bratz is a set of sweet themed dolls, which makes them a fun treat for Bratz fans,

The Bratz Sweet Style Collection - Review

The Bratz Sweet Style Collection features each of the girls in outfits inspired by their favorite sweets. Cloe's all about the sprinkles & icing - the best part of any cake! Her pet froyo pup feels the same. Jade's got a major sweet tooth for mint chocolate chip and cotton candy and Yasmin's fashion inspiration is her all-time favorite froyo topping: crushed peppermint candy.

The Bratz Sweet Style Collection Yasmin - Review

LM was sent Yasmin and was excited as soon as she saw the box. Straight away she was amazed by her outfit. She wears a gorgeous ruffled skirt and cute peppermint candy themed accessories, including earrings which LM was particularly fascinated by. Her other accessories are a necklace, headband, handbag, belt and hairbrush. She also arrives with her pet panda dressed as a cute berry macaron!

The Bratz Sweet Style Collection Yasmin - Review

Bratz dolls are jointed at the knees and elbows which makes them easy to dress and play with. From a mum's point of view I love that their very detailed shoes are really chunky and that the whole foot comes off. I remember the frustration of keeping shoes on my dolls as a little girl and this clever alternative approach from Bratz means that they stay on and don't get lost.

The Bratz Sweet Style Collection Yasmin - Review

LM is delighted by Sweet Style Yasmin and she has been played with often since her arrival. From dressing her and switching around her accessories, to brushing our her long hair, she's a real favourite. I can definitely see us adding to her collection of Bratz in future,

The Bratz Sweet Style Collection is exclusive to The Entertainer and are on sale at £15 at the moment.

Doll sent for review purposes.

Summer Festival Fun at Madame Tussauds Blackpool

15:07 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Blackpool is just down the road from us and that makes it one of our favourite places for a day out. The resort is packed with fun ways to entertain the whole family and Madame Tussauds, right on the promenade close to the Tower is one of the most exciting attractions. As Spring has finally sprung the team at Madame Tussauds are turning their thoughts to the Summer festival season and have created a brand new area - Festival Fields - to bring a little festival fun to the seaside.

Blackpool visitors this week might have spotted a huge pair of yellow wellies which have taken to the Golden Mile alongside three of the biggest music stars around. Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Olly Murs staged their own mini festival on the beach (well, their wax versions anyway!)

Summer Festival Fun at Madame Tussauds Blackpool Waxworks Taylor Swift Ed Sheeran Olly Murs

I've attended a good few festivals in my time and Festival Fields seems like a great way to get a taste of that festival vibe while being able to go home and have a hot shower and sleep in your own bed! They even have their own camper van on display.

Madame Tussauds Blackpool have created a short video to show you exactly what's going on at Festival Fields. It looks like a fab update to the music area there and is bound to delight younger members of the family.



If you're visiting Blackpool then dust off your sunglasses and wellies and head down to the festival at Madame Tussauds. Don't worry if festivals aren't your thing as there's a huge display of other celebrities and characters to be found. I'm sure everyone in the family will have their favourite, whether it's royalty, sports people or film stars. It's surprisingly large when you head inside and a great way to pass a few hours.

Summer Festival Fun at Madame Tussauds Blackpool Waxworks Taylor Swift Ed Sheeran Olly Murs

To book tickets, and save money on entry to Madame Tussauds, it's a great idea to buy tickets online. If you're thinking of visiting other attractions you can save money by buying combination tickets with the SeaLife Centre and the Blackpool Tower Attractions. Prices start at £13 for adults, a saving of 20% on walk up prices. Check out MadameTussauds.com for more information.

Commissioned by Madame Tussauds Blackpool

Our Sleep Routine with JOHNSON'S® Bedtime Baby

14:38 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

A few weeks ago JOHNSON'S® challenged us to improve our sleep routine by using their range of Bedtime Baby products as part of our night time routine.

The past couple of weeks have been quite a difficult time in terms of sleep in our house. Little E and I have been going through some major changes in our evening routine and he's been going through a big developmental leap - a double whammy of reasons for our bedtime routine to be thrown out of kilter.

The first week we were asked to continue our bedtime routine as usual. In practice, this means that Little E stays downstairs with us and our evenings are a mixture of him feeding and snoozing the evening away. We've recently moved him into his cot and set up the monitor so the aim of this week was to try and get him down ,asleep, in his cot around the same time as his siblings go to bed at around 8pm.

We spent the first week with a surprising amount of success. Little E had a good feed and we placed him in his cot. It took on average around 45 minutes to get him settled and asleep. I was quite pleased with how he was adapting to his new surroundings. We weren't doing anything except our usual bedtime routine but it seemed like he was setttling well. Towards the end of the week he started with a really heavy cold which meant he became something of a limpet, impossible to settle and we reverted back to our previous relaxed routine.

For our second week JOHNSON'S® Baby sent us four products from their Bedtime Baby range - Bedtime Bath, Wash, Lotion and Oil  - to try out their 3 Step Bedtime routine.

Our Sleep Routine with JOHNSON'S® Bedtime Baby

The routine's three steps are Bath, Massage and Quiet Time. I knew that, with two other children in the house, we wouldn't manage a bath every night, but I was determined to manage at least one step each night. More often than not Little E's bedtime routine has been shared with his big brother and sister but, as part of the challenge, I was determined to carry out at least one of the steps each night.

The Quiet Time step of the routine was carried out each night. We used the book sent to us by JOHNSON'S® - Good Night Sarah - but read some family favourites too. Massage was the next easiest one and we managed a short massage each night but one using the JOHNSON'S® Bedtime Baby Oil or Lotion. Little E had a bath using the Bedtime Baby Bath and Wash on three nights during the week and we followed the full three step routine on those nights.

Little E has been going through a big developmental leap over the past couple of weeks and has suffered with a cold too. I honestly think that there is no bedtime routine in the world that could have assured an easy. settled week of sleep for us. Little E was actually very difficult in our second week. We managed to get him asleep and settled by around 9pm on three nights but there was no settling him at all on the others. This is no reflection on the changes to his bedtime routine, it simply coincided with a difficult week for my little one.

Our Sleep Routine with JOHNSON'S® Bedtime Baby

I really enjoyed using the four products with Little E and the massage step of the routine, especially, was a lovely shared time to connect each evening. Reading to him on his own became a special time too. The four products had a lovely fragrance and were gentle on Little E's skin and easy to use. I found that the massage relaxed both of us and led to some lovely, snuggly time at bedtime. I think that, going forwards, we will continues to use elements of the 3 step routine although I know that, most nights, we won't manage the full routine. We've both enjoyed the massage, and the bedtime story so much.

If Little E was my first child I think that the 3 steps would have worked well. With two other children in the house time is short, especially at bedtime,, but it's important that I do make sure that Little E has the dedicated time available to him that his big brother and sister enjoyed before him. The JOHNSON'S® 3 Step Routine was a really valuable reminder that I need to make time to enjoy him and settle him down well at bedtime and I definitely enjoyed that welcome suggestion.

Our Sleep Routine with JOHNSON'S® Bedtime Baby


*Sponsored blog post by the JOHNSON'S® brand, I have received payment incentive and samples but all opinions are my own. JOHNSON'S® 3 step routine consists of bath, massage and quiet time, tested on babies 7 months+, 1 week+ use.