Inside the Wendy House

Veetee sent me some of their microwaveable steamed rice in a hamper and challenged me to come up with a recipe. I made a vegetarian Quorn and Vegetable Satay, which is the perfect partner to the Veetee Egg Fried Rice. The recipe is so quick and easy and you can be enjoying a yummy Chinese meal from scratch in about 20 minutes. The Veetee rice is really time saving and convenient, cooking in its tray in a microwave in just 2 minutes, and is a great accompaniment to a home cooked Chinese style meal. The eggs used in the Egg Fried Rice are free-range, which is good to know, and the quality rice gives a great, light and fluffy result.

The ingredients I used were enough for a family of four, served with two trays of the Veetee Egg Fried Rice as an accompaniment.

Here is my recipe video:

Look out for the new wholegrain rice from Veetee too. Another great cupboard staple for quick meals.

If you are looking for a fantastic day out for all the family, Alton Towers is definitely worth considering. Ever since the opening of CBeebies Land, which caters to pre-schoolers, Alton Towers has become the best venue for keeping everyone in our family happy. So now while the older kids head off to the rollercoasters, there is a whole day's worth of fun in CBeebies Land for Freddy to enjoy.

From the colourful entrance to the themed rides and attractions to the amazing Big Fun Showtime area, the attention to detail is fantastic! With character meet and greets, live shows, playground equipment, an assortment of kid friendly rides and hands-on interactive exhibits, Alton Towers have got it so right!

As Merlin annual pass holders, we go a few times a year to our favourite theme park, which is an hour's drive from home. Having the annual pass means we can beat the queues and get into the park an hour early with access to CBeebies Land before everyone else arrives. This was great because we were able to experience the In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride, the Numtums Number Go Round, Charlie and Lola's Moonsquirters and Greendrops, Mr Bloom's Allotments and Justin's Pie-o-matic Factory while they weren't at all busy. We then enjoyed a nice time at the Tree Fu Tom Training Camp and Nina's Science Lab before relaxing on the sun chairs to watch the Zingzilla's show and play in the Mike the Knight knights in training camp at the Big Fun Showtime area. Freddy met Tree Fu Tom and Iggle Piggle, which was quite exciting!!

We loved a gentle wander in Mr Tumble's Sensory Garden and Freddy loved putting his hands into the imprints in the CBeebies stars walk of fame. Everything is brilliantly branded and themed for maximum child appeal with instantly recognisable imagery and music. We queued for one ride, which was the Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure, which was a twenty five minute wait, but there are things to see and do in the queue keeping kids entertained. At peak time, the queues for some of the rides exceeded an hour. I wouldn't fancy waiting that long with little ones, which is why I was glad to do them all early.

As regulars of Alton Towers we recognised all the rides as being revamped versions of the old rides they had there when it was Old MacDonald's Farm. It is a stroke of genius transforming an old tired, underused area of the park into something so popular. For example they have converted the old tractor ride into Postman Pat's Parcel Post and the Eye Spy Riverboat Ride is now home to Upsy Daisy, Iggle Piggle et al! A lick of paint, a spruce up and the introduction of some CBeebies characters has really given this area an incredible face lift. Hot on the heels of Peppa Pig World and Thomas Land, CBeebies Land is bang on trend when it comes to keeping little ones happy at theme parks.

I loved how there are now lots of hands on exhibits like Nina's Science lab where kids can explore their senses and the Charlie and Lola fun house, which is just stunning and immerses kids in the vision of Lauren Child. New facilities and some amazing design features have lifted the area, making it quite literally magical. The live shows and the interactive Mr Bloom attraction make kids feel a part of their favourite CBeebies programmes. It's like stepping into the TV!

I loved our day at Alton Towers. As well as CBeebies Land, Freddy enjoyed the carousel, the indoor soft play area, the River Rapids and the driving school, which are other kid friendly attractions that he enjoys. Add to that the beautiful landscaped gardens and the SeaLife Centre, and he enjoyed a full and varied day out.

Freddy's verdict - "Awesome!!"

This week, Blossom Magazine has launched a brilliant competition for their readers. The #IWantToBe campaign is asking young readers to submit a video entry of what they want to be when they grow up.

In each edition of the magazine, Blossom features a different career to show girls they can aspire to be whoever they want to be - whether it's an airline pilot, an author or a doctor. It's great to see a magazine aimed at young girls, which promotes the fact that they can aspire to do any job...even that of the Prime Minister!

As a little girl I distinctly remember wanting to be a vet. I loved animals and would leaf through the pages of my dad's wildlife encyclopedias learning about all the different creatures of the world. At school I loved biology, and refused to do animal dissections on moral grounds. It was during my early teens that I first decided to go vegetarian on the basis of loving animals and would listen to The Smiths "Meat is Murder" religiously! However, it turns out that the veterinary business was never my vocation. Ironically for an animal mad kid, nowadays I am not an animal person at all. I don't have any pets. Funny how you change over the years!

When she was younger, Kizzy wanted to be a scientist and had a huge interest in all things related to science, conducting experiments in the kitchen using household items. Kizzy is now 11 and has set her sights on becoming a make-up artist or stylist. She loves fashion and cosmetics and shows a real flair for design, knowing how to put together specific looks and styles. It will be interesting to see where life takes her and whether she will achieve her dream.

Entrants have until 6th September to submit a short video ( less than one minute long) to the email address of hello@blossommagazine.com and one winner will be selected to win a VIP London family trip which includes one family ticket to ZSL London with a Meet the Meerkats experience (minimum age 5); one Rainforest Café voucher worth £100; overnight accommodation in one family room at 3-star hotel, in Central London and a visit to Blossom HQ plus a Blossom Goody Bag. What a fabulous itinerary for the lucky little girl and her family to enjoy! Visiting Blossom HQ will be an amazing experience, and who knows, the winner might go on to be a top magazine editor of tomorrow.

So why not get together with your daughter to record and submit a video to the competition. As well as giving them a chance to win a wonderful trip to London, it will also be something quite amazing to look back on in the future, reminding you of what your little girl wanted to be when she grew up!

Full t's & c's are in the current edition of Blossom magazine available now.

Imagine 65 of your favourite Disney characters from 18 beloved stories coming to life as Disney on Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic! Families will be captivated as Mickey and Minnie take the audience on a magical adventure with characters from shows such as The Lion King, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Toy Story. With a fantastic soundtrack filled with classic Disney tunes accompanying stunning on-ice choreography, this show promises to be a theatrical treat for all Disney fans, young and old. Kicking off in Glasgow on September 26th, the show will tour the country before its grand finale at London's O2 over the Christmas and New Year period.

Highlights of the show will include a sequence featuring 'It's A Small World' as sparkling floats turn into a radiant light parade. During the Mulan sequence an avalanche falls and a blanket of snow descends as Mulan gets ready to defeat the Huns. A giant present is unwrapped to reveal Buzz Lightyear, as he is first introduced to Woody during the Toy Story segment. The stars of Finding Nemo mimic the natural movement of being in water as they 'swim' around the ice.

The 160 costumes used on the show are all dazzling and designed to be magical, memorable and eye catching - but Minnie's red sequinned ballgown steals the show! Some 1,300 yards of fabric have been used to make the costumes and 102 different colours of paint decorate the props!

23 male and 24 female skaters from ten different countries make up the talented cast who will be bringing to life the Disney characters in the breathtaking skating numbers. It promises to be a magical spectacle.

Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic will be appearing at The NIA, Birmingham – 22nd October – 2nd November 2014. I can not wait to review the show with Freddy, who is going to love it!

Other Dates include:

Braehead Arena, Glasgow – 26th September – 5th October 2014

Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle – 7th – 12th October 2014

Phones 4u Arena, Manchester – 15th – 19th October 2014

Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield – 5th – 9th November 2014

The O2, London – 24th December 2014, 26th – 29th December 2014 and 3rd & 4th January

2015

Tickets are available now and are selling fast!

To discover more about Disney On Ice, log on to www.disneyonice.co.uk, or visit Facebook.

When it comes to my older children's friends, I have always adopted an open door policy in my home. Friends are more than welcome to come over anytime and I love knowing that my children can enjoy their friendships in the safety and comfort of their own home. Here they can enjoy being fed and watered and make use of the technology and entertainment available. Ian and I are very easygoing parents, and believe in giving teenagers the trust and respect they deserve. We don't see the need for setting rules like some parents do. I remember one of Megan's boyfriend's mums telling me that I had to enforce an 'open bedroom door' and 'one-foot-on-the-floor-at-all-times' policy when they were together. At first I thought she was joking, but sadly she was deadly serious. I had to agree to disagree with her thought process. Treating young adults in a way that says 'you are not trusted' and 'I disapprove of what you do' is counterproductive in my eyes. I prefer to equip them with the tools to make good decisions, give them the confidence to do what is right for them and keep the channels of communication open. Stifling freedom and projecting a lack of trust only leads to deceit, secrets and resentment. I want open, loving, mutually respectful relationships with my kids, and so far my parenting techniques have proven pretty successful!

Over the years I have got to know lots of lovely young adults who have enjoyed the McDonald house hospitality and it's been a real honour to be a part of their lives. Being older teenagers, I don't feel responsible for them in the way I am with younger children. It is quite liberating to get to know them as people in the own rights, rather than being just your child's friend. I have found this element of parenting really rewarding over the years, allowing me to better understand and relate to my own kids' lives in a very natural and empathetic way.

Ella's current best friend, on-off boyfriend and regular house guest from across the years is Jake. At 18 years old, he is the most polite, friendly, helpful, charming, well mannered lad I have ever encountered. He is absolutely brilliant with Freddy, who calls him his best friend. He is great company and a pleasure to have around. Ella and Jake's friendship hasn't always been plain sailing, but they have worked hard to sort out problems they encountered and are now the cutest twosome ever.

On Monday, Jake is embarking on a much coveted placement through the Year in Industry scheme. He is an electronics and technology whizz. The kind of guy who can make his own apps, design robots and invent his own electronic devices. He has won awards and his skills have proven very marketable. I have him earmarked as the next Steve Jobs. While I am absolutely delighted for him to have this opportunity, I admit to having a little pang of sadness knowing that he is leaving to start a new life for himself away from our hometown. We are going to miss him dreadfully!

Jake's big adventure will take him off into the big wide world as he moves to a new city and learns to live independently as a grown-up! Last night we had a dinner party to say good-bye. I made him a Star Wars Millenium Falcon cake, which we brought out to the Star Wars theme tune. It was a fun evening, but good-byes are always hard. However happy you are for someone when they get the opportunity to better themselves and do something exciting, you can't help but think about what you will be missing. And we will be missing him a lot.

In a few weeks time it will be Ella's turn to step out into the big wide world as she embarks on her own adventure. She'll be off to university to study a subject that she is passionate about. My beautiful little Ella will be taking a huge leap into her future. I'm so excited for her, but our home will be so much emptier without her in it. She is a shining light in my life, and I know she will shine brighter still as she enters the next phase of her life. She has so much to give and is a beautiful person inside and out.

Thankfully we have the internet and all its ways of staying in touch through social media and Skype, and we fully intend to be regular visitors to see Ella at university and enjoy days out together. (Plus the invitation for days out is extended to Jake who will only be a half hour away from Ella.)

As for Jake, it's farewell and good luck for now. He knows he is always welcome here in his home from home and I can always knock up a Millennium Falcon cake anytime! As for Ella, I intend to make the most of these last few weeks before she spreads her wings and flies into adulthood! I'm not going to dwell on her leaving yet, there is still too much Ella time to be cherished!

I am so proud of them both. In a society that throws scorn on teenagers, this pair are a shining example of just how amazing young people can be. I love them to bits.

It is an honour to see young people grow up and become the adults they are destined to be. I am so happy for them to be embarking on their new adventures, but saying good-bye is such a hard part of parenting teens.

Nick Jr and Nickelodeon are two of my children's favourite channels. Home of shows such as Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, Spongebob Squarepants, Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, they provide hours of entertainment for little ones. Nick Jr and Nickelodeon are now available to watch at anytime without a contract via the NOW TV Entertainment Month Pass.

To celebrate this they are launching the NOW TV Nickelodeon Swap Shop on Twitter and Facebook. Kids are being asked to draw pictures of their favourite Nick characters and mums and dads can Tweet their artwork with the hashtag #NickelodeonNOWTV. It's a lovely excuse to get out the crayons and let the kids get creative as they draw one of Nick's colourful characters.

Every submission will receive a digital activity pack and will be entered into a competition to win one of fifty Nickelodeon goodie bags and a NOW TV Entertainment Month Pass. Winning pictures will be showcased on the NOW TV Facebook page. The Nickelodeon Swap Shop ends on August 17th.

Freddy has had a go at drawing his favourite characters from Nick Jr, Ben Elf, Princess Holly and Oona and Nonny from the Bubble Guppies.

Ben Elf

Oona and Nonny

Princess Holly

Big sister Ella didn't want to be left out from the fun of drawing Nick Jr characters so she drew Peppa Pig and family!

The NOW TV Entertainment Month Pass already lets customers watch hit shows on 12 of the UK’s best TV channels including Sky 1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts 1, Discovery, MTV, Comedy Central, GOLD, Disney, FOX and now Nickelodeon & Nick Junior. It’s available on the NOW TV Box, PS3™, Roku, LG Smart TV, Xbox®360, Android™, PC and Mac, iPad® and iPhone®.

For more information on NOW TV visit nowtv.com or follow on Twitter @NOWTV and facebook.com/NOWTV.

Freddy is a big Nick Jr fan and Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom is a real favourite of his. So when he was sent the Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom Thistle Castle Playset by Character, he was very excited to re-enact some of his favourite scenes from the show.

Thistle Castle is a magical toy with lots of hidden secrets that little ones will enjoy exploring. The playset comes complete with a Holly character, so children can play straight away. It also comes with a bed and a treasure chest for added play value.

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Thistle Castle Playset

The playset can be attached to other playsets to build a bigger, more elaborate toy, but works well as a stand alone item. The open plan design features Holly's bedroom and part of the kitchen downstairs.

The Holly figure comes complete with her crown, wings and magic wand. Holly's feet can be attached to a base so she can be free-standing.

Holly has a bed for her sleep in. It isn't a fixed feature so it can be moved around. There is a Holly shaped cut out in the mattress so she lies in the bed securely!

The toybox in Holly's room has a secret slide hidden beneath the lid. Little hands can drop her through the hole.

The slide whizzes Holly down so she appears behind the door in the kitchen. Perfect for a midnight snack! There is a magical floating throne on the wall behind the door for more magical fun.

A secret door in the floor hides Nanny Plum's Book of Spell, perfect for when you need to turn somebody into a frog. The treasure chest has disappearing treasure inside.

The cauldron has a spoon in it which can be stirred to mix the potion.

The spoon magically opens the store cupboard to show the food inside, and King Thistle's portrait disappears.

The attention to detail, such as the pictures on the walls and the magical features make this an exciting playset for little Ben and Holly fans. Freddy wished it had come with his favourite character Ben Elf, but was happy enough making Holly the lead character in his imaginative games.

You can add extra playsets and buy additional characters from the range, which are all scaled to be compatible. They are suitable for children aged three and up.

The Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom Thistle Castle Deluxe Playset is available for £24.99 from Character Online and from other toy retailers.

http://www.character-online.com/products/Ben-and-Holly/Thistle-Castle-Playset/

I was sent a selection of products from Olives Et Al, which is a Dorset based company specialising in award winning olives, nuts, dressings, marinades, sauces and oils. With authentic global flavours, this lovingly handcrafted gourmet range gives us the opportunity to enjoy some fantastic fayre in the comfort of our own home.

I received some Red Chilli Harissa Sauce, Pink Grapefruit Marinade, Chipotle Chilli Olives and Chilli Billy Jelly Relish to try out. They are all suitable for vegans, vegetarians and are gluten free and will enhance meals with their intense natural flavours. They are additive free and made using the finest ingredients.

Ian is a huge fan of olives and was delighted to sample the Smoky Chipotle Chilli Olives. The whole green olives are marinated in chipotle chilli infused extra virgin olive oil to give a lovely smoky warmth. Once the olives are eaten, the oil can be used to add a spicy, smoky depth to dishes.

The intense, fiery, aromatic flavour of the North African style Red Chilli Harissa Sauce gives a flavousome hit of heat to dishes. I made Harissa Houmous, combining chick peas, oil, lemon juice, nut butter, smoky paprika and a spoonful of Harissa. It gave the houmous a lovely kick of flavour, enhancing its taste.

Serving the Harrissa flavoured houmous and the Chipotle Olives alongside a plate of warmed, sliced wholemeal pitta bread made a wonderful supper for my family. Delicious and so simple.

The Chilli Billy Jelly is a chilli and ginger relish, which is perfect with cheese or can be added to soups and stews. For me, it will be served as the condiment on a Halloumi and Portabello Mushroom Burger. The relish has a powerful kick of heat with the warmth of ginger, which will work perfectly with the salty cheese. It will be a great relish for the festive season with all its cheeseboards!

The Mojo Pink Grapefruit Marinade and Dressing is inspired by a recipe from the Cayman Isles in the Caribbean. For a tasty vegetarian accompaniment, it can be served with rice or salads, adding a fruity Caribbean twist to mealtimes.

I love the all natural products, made from real, fresh ingredients. It is great to find such quality, authentic, flavoursome products that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans alike. They are versatile and can add a flavoursome punch to an array of dishes.

I'm planning on adding Harissa to mayonnaise to serve with veggie burgers and and the Chilli Billy Jelly will be great in Chinese dishes such as marinated Tofu stir fry.

They are available online at Olives Et Al and from other stockists (detailed online). The products I have tried all retail at £4 each, which is a great price for such quality.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were one of my eldest son Joe's favourite characters. He loved watching the animated cartoon, he had all the action figures and he could quote all their catchphrases. The pizza loving, sewer dwelling, evil fighting, heroes in a half shell captured the imagination of a whole generation of kids. And now they are back!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Z-Line Water Tower Washout Playset

The return of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the big screen, has seen the launch of a whole range of new and exciting TMNT toys. Freddy received the Z-Line Water Tower Washout Playset to try out and was excited to let them wage their wild assault across his bedroom and enjoy the same toys as his big brother did 20 years ago!

The box contains: 1 Water Tower Play set, 4 Command Strips from 3M, 4 wall clips, 1 gargoyle launcher, 1 C-Clamp, 2 tension cylinders, 2 Z-line pulleys, 1 two-hand handle, 1 one hand handle, 2 48" Zip-line, 1 72" Zip Line, 1 Angle Gauge

Action figures are available to purchase separately.

The playset takes a bit of construction and needs a good amount of space to set up successfully. It is a bit complicated and I had to get Ian to help me assemble it and attach the pieces to the wall, door and to a chair in Freddy's room, to make the Z-Line function.

Once assembled, it took Ian a bit of time to get it working properly. The angles need to be right and the wire need to have the right amount of tension in them for it to all work. If the zip wire coming out of the water tower is too high it catches on the door as it opens, and the zip wires sometimes ping off of the mechanism. We had some teething troubles, but once we had it sorted we invited Freddy to come and play.

He absolutely adored it! If set up correctly, the first turtle is launched from the gargoyle launcher by pulling a release string (it is quite tough to pull). It then whizzes down the zip wire crashing into the pipe on the water tower that triggers the trap door and swings open the doors allowing a second turtle to be launched down the second line.

When it worked well it was very impressive, but there were a fair few crash landings, stuck pulleys and flying turtle moments. But these added to Freddy's enjoyment as he played with the set.

To reset the playset is a bit fiddly, but Freddy was happy just popping the pulleys on the line and letting the turtles whizz around. He also enjoyed using the playset as a prop for some imaginative playtime using his other TMNT figures.

The toys are stuck to the wall using 3M Command Strips, which are removable. The optimum positioning is within a corner of a room, but we ended up having to use a door and a wall, but it worked OK. The clamps attach to furniture (we had to put a chair in his room to get the angle right because none of his furniture was in the right place!)

Although I saw it as a bit fussy and fiddly, Freddy disregarded all the negatives and just immersed himself in the joys of an imaginative game of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He loved it and he enjoyed making the zip lining turtles whizz along the wires and hideout in the water tower.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Z-Line Water Tower Washout costs £29.99 from good toy retailers.

Here is Freddy demonstrating how the toy works.

Freddy's latest Play Patrol Mission from Bigjigs was to put the fun of the Magnetic Theatre to the test, helped by his big sister Kizzy. So it was time for them to raise the curtains and let the drama begin!

The Magnetic Theatre comes complete with a theatre, decorations, 15 figures and 2 magnetic sticks. The theatre is constructed by slotting the thick cardboard curtains and scenery into slots on a wooden base. The scenery and decorations are interchangeable, giving the backdrop for four exciting fairy stories.

The assembly of the theatre was very straightforward and Freddy was able to build it himself. The 15 figures provide all the characters needed to put on plays of Pinocchio, The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. There is a story sheet included so children can remind themselves of the stories.

The hand painted wooden figures each have a magnetic base, which allows them to be controlled using the magnetic sticks from underneath the stage.

The characters were quite easy to control once Freddy got used to how to use the sticks without knocking down the whole theatre. (It took a little while but he got there!) He really enjoyed the fact he could make the little figures move around the stage using the power of magnetism! Magnets always fascinate Freddy and it was good to see him understand how the movement of the figures was controlled from underneath the base of the stage with the force going through the cardboard. He had some fun experimenting with the movement both on and off the stage.

Using the magnetic sticks and moving the characters around the stage helps develop a child's dexterity as it requires quite a deft touch. Constructing the stage and matching up the backdrops with the stage decorations is also something that children could do independently.

The figures and the stage scenery help unleash a child's imagination and they will soon be immersed in a world of storytelling, as they act out their own plays. They can stick to the traditional tales or make up their own exciting tales featuring princesses, wolves, piggies, old grannies and handsome princes! The stage direction is in their hands!

Freddy and Ella decided to keep it traditional for their big performance as they acted out the tale of the Three Little Pigs. Piggies 1, 2 and 3 are really cute with their snouts and beady eyes. Mr.Wolf has a long snout and pointy ears, perfect for starring roles in both the Three Little Pigs and Red riding Hood!

Here is a 30 second theatre performance demonstrating the fun of putting on a play with your big sister!

I love that the Bigjigs Magnetic Theatre is a prop to imaginative storytelling and role play. Both help a child's communication skills and boost their confidence. Putting on a show is always fun to do and having the figures from four different stories adds to the variety of plays that a child can perform. There are no scripts, so little ones can act out plays from memory or just invent their own tales.

Freddy absolutely loved putting on a show! He particularly enjoyed the fact that I filmed it and he can watch his performance as the rather terrifying big, bad wolf whenever he likes.

The Bigjigs Magnetic Theatre is suitable for ages 3 and up and retails for £16.99, which is great value.

It all packs back into the slimline box once showtime is over, making it easy to store away.

42 Days of Summer with McVitie's BN - the biscuits with a cheeky wink!

With the month of August stretching out before us, we still have plenty of time for lots of family fun before the kids return to school. We have days out and holidays planned but what about keeping the kids entertained when there is nothing planned. Sitting in front of the TV or playing on the laptop is fun, but I think if children can unleash their creativity and work together, amazing things can happen. As a parent you can get involved by celebrating their achievements in an exciting way. It really helps nurture children's creativity and builds their confidence.

Here are my top ten tips for things for the kids to do that won't cost much money, but will be fun and super creative!

1: Put on a fashion show - get the kids to upcycle some old clothing and choreograph their own fashion show. Create a makeshift runway space and put on some tunes so the kids can strut their stuff. Provide props such as shades, hats and scarves so they can accessorise their handmade outfits. Clap along as they do their thing! Take photos or video their efforts so they can look back at how well they did. It's just like America's Next Top Model!

2: Keep a holiday scrapbook - fill a book with written pieces, drawings, photos, cartoons and clippings to record of all the things you got up to. Not only is this a fabulous souvenir to look back on, it is also a way to keep the kids' writing skills polished during the long summer break. Even the youngest child can contribute with finding things to stick in or by doodling pictures, which can be annotated by a grown-up. This is something we have done for years and we enjoy looking back on the great times we have shared.

3: Make a music video: get the kids to pick their favourite song and record them as they lip sync or sing along to the track. They can think about costumes, settings and dance moves to put on a really entertaining show for the camera. If children can play instruments, they could even make-up their own song to sing and play along to. X Factor - eat your heart out!

4: Have a garden picnic - lunch always tastes better when eaten outdoors! If the weather is dry why not challenge the kids to make some inventive sandwiches and maybe even bake some cookies or cakes. Then enjoy an alfresco feast on a blanket on the lawn. Younger children might like to bring teddy bears and have a teddy bear picnic with teddy shaped sandwiches. (You could even serve up some chocolate or raspberry BN biscuits!)

5: Make a movie - for older children, challenge them to write a script and direct their own short movie. Hand them a camcorder and leave the creativity to them. My children have participated in movie making projects and they really enjoyed it. Once the film is edited, put on a premier party. Invite friends and family over to watch the first screening of their debut movie. Get everyone to wear their best red carpet attire and provide freshly made popcorn to nibble on.

6: Make a giant junk model - using boxes, newspaper, PVA glue and paint, challenge the children to create a junk model. Encouraging teamwork and creativity, this is a fun way of recycling household junk and producing something artistic. Whether they make a car, a dinosaur or a play house, they will love playing with the end product once it's been made.

7: Make an art gallery - get the kids to draw or paint portraits of family members. Once the whole extended family has been immortalised on paper, Blu-Tack them around the house and invite the family over to view the pictures. The artists can be in charge of serving pop and nibbles to the guests, who are free to keep the portraits of themselves at the end of the afternoon.

8: Stage your own mini-Olympics - think of ten sporting events that can be done in the garden, hula hooping, skipping, obstacle course, bike race, wheelbarrow race etc. Spend an afternoon competing against each other in the fun sports you have devised. Give younger kids head starts or handicap older children to make it a level playing field. At the end of the day tot up the scores from each event and have a medal presentation. Ensure everyone wins something to reward their strengths, even if they win the 'biggest smile whilst running' medal. Not everyone can be an athlete, but everyone can do something really well!

9: Have a Pirate themed day - get into the spirit by dressing up with bandanas and eye patches; face paint on a beard and some scars and spend the day talking in Piratese with phrases such as "ahoy me hearties" and "shiver me timbers"! Do some arts and crafts activities making things like a loo roll telescope or an egg carton treasure chest. Make a treasure map and hunt for buried treasure in the garden or have a hopping race in honour of Long John Silver himself. Theme some food such as making a Map Wrap where the kids can decorate a tortilla wrap with a piratey scene - red and green pepper palm trees, sweetcorn gold nuggets, grated cheese sand and with carrot sticks in an X marking the spot! At the end of the day watch a piratey film such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan or Treasure Island.

10: Have a photo scavenger hunt - make sure each child has a camera or a phone for taking photographs and challenge them to take a picture of twenty objects. Write an age appropriate list with items such as a spider in a web, a funny shaped leaf or a bird on a branch if you are surrounded by nature, or a phonebox, an electricity pylon or a blue front door if you are in town, and get them to photograph the evidence. The photos can then be uploaded to a computer and everyone can watch back a slide show of each other's efforts. It encourages kids to enjoy photography! For older kids, you can give them prompts which can be artistically interpreted using their imagination. Ask them to capture a colour or an expression, or photograph things that begin with a certain letter of the alphabet. Making two teams will give two very different results!

This post is an entry for 42 Days of Summer Linky Challenge sponsored by McVitie’s BN. Learn more at http://bit.ly/1mRpMCL

This summer, whilst away on our Forest Holidays break in Blackwood Forest, we took part in the Tots 100 #GetYourSkillsOn challenge with Robinson's Fruit Shoot. It provided a really entertaining framework for the activities we planned to do, and provided lots of fun photo and video opportunities, which may otherwise have been missed.

To take part, we had to choose ten challenges from a list of forty, and record the children as they tried out their new skills. There were lots of laughs along the way and it was lovely to see the three children joining in and supporting one another in their efforts.

Carrying out the activities against the backdrop of the forest and the beach added a real element of adventure and the children rose to the challenges brilliantly.

Some challenges were a pretty easy such as having to balance something on your head for 15 seconds. Kizzy did a good job walking with a frisbee on her head, keeping a straight back and her chin up. Not to be outdone, Freddy had a go too, running with it on his head!

At the seaside, the kids wanted to get in the sea to catch a wave, but as we didn't have the kit for a day's surfing, we decided to let the waves catch them instead! (A little artistic licence in the completion of this challenge!!) Freddy loved his first ever taste of running in the sea and jumping the waves. It was such a pleasure watching him and hearing his giggles as he experienced the joy of the seaside with his sisters. The sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day. His water confidence increased massively, as he was very timid around it before discovering the fun of the surf.

Den building has been an activity that everyone has enjoyed. Using the fallen branches from trees and making a wigwam shape around a tree trunk has proven to be a very efficient way of building a natural, outdoor den. Being in a forest provided the best environment for den building, Gruffalo searching and bear hunting. Freddy has had a wonderfully imaginative forest adventure and the den building definitely added to his games.

We bought Freddy a frisbee from a shop and introduced him to the fun of the flying disc! Due to the problem with his eyes, his 3D vision is not as good as it should be and I do worry about the limitations this may give him. However, after putting the frisbee in his hand, he showed excellent throwing and catching skills and not once did his vision hinder his ability. He very quickly got the hang of it and learned a fun new skill.

Piggy backs are always fun and it was lovely to see Ella and Kizzy giving each other rides through the forest. When I was a little girl I had a piggy back related injury and broke my nose after falling flat on my face while carrying someone on my back. Thankfully the girls were much safer and more stable than I was!

Swinging as high as you can is one of the challenges that the children really loved. Freddy has just learned how to swing on his own and can get himself going and swing really high with confidence. He has loved the play area here at Blackwood Forest. But when we found a rope swing in the woods it was too good an opportunity to pass by. Kizzy had a go and managed to swing really high until she hit a tree and went into a death spiral! It was very funny watching her spin round and around. Maybe I should have saved her, but I was too busy laughing.

I was really proud of Kizzy for having a go at climbing trees. She was a bit nervous, but felt the fear and did it anyway. Challenging yourself physically is an exhilarating thing to do, and it feels so good when you accomplish what you set out to do. Kizzy was very brave and managed to negotiate the branches of a tree to get quite high.

Other challenges that the children completed were building a sandcastle on Sandown Beach on the Isle of Wight. It was not the best sand for making castles so they made a raised mound of sand surrounding a deep hole that quickly filled with sun warmed sea water. (I really liked it as it reminded me of a fantasy land from Westeroes in Game of Thrones for some reason.) They managed to get some dry sand from further up shore and mix it with the heavy, wet sand to make two turreted towers overlooking their miniature kingdom, using Freddy's new bucket, to complete the grand structure. They didn't last long though, because Freddy was desperate to jump on them! That is one of the joys of building a sandcastle though.

After the excitement of the Commonwealth Games and in particular the thrilling men's 4 x 100 m relay, the children are all very interested in athletics. So staging their own 100 m sprint (albeit clad in wellies) gave them a chance to embody their inner Usain Bolt and run like the wind! Freddy enjoys racing his sisters and giving himself a cheeky headstart. There were so many long stretches of open forest paths to run down whilst we were on holiday. The children got plenty of exercise and fresh air in the great outdoors.

On one of our day trips, we watched some street performers in Winchester who were doing a street dance demonstration. Freddy was so intrigued by the popping and locking and the break dance moves that the kids were doing. When we got back, he wanted to try his own street dancing moves based on what he had seen. He was utterly adorable pulling his moves and doing his thing. As a result of the dancing, we are going to be finding a street dance class for Freddy to attend so he can perfect his B-Boying! This has been the best part of this challenge, discovering a new skill that Freddy wants to explore further.

We have really loved taking part in this challenge, learning new skills and having fun together. It was a great idea for keeping the kids active and entertained, and I absolutely adored watching them getting stuck in. Here is our video showing how the children got on as they embraced the #GetYourSkillsOn challenges.

This is our entry into the Tots 100/Robinson's Fruit Shoot #GetYourSkillsOn challenge.

Collins have a great range of back to school resources, which are perfect for supporting your children's learning at home. From pre-school to A'Level, the range covers every step of a child's education, and includes atlases, dictionaries and work books.

Kizzy has received the KS3 range, which will see her through the start of her time in secondary school, covering English, Maths, languages and geography. The books are user friendly and are completely up to date with the curriculum changes.

Freddy received the KS1 bundle which covers the core subjects and the new curriculum. The language books include a CD and stickers to make the learning of a foreign language fun and engaging. The Easy Learning books are an excellent way to support English and Maths skills, while the dictionary, thesaurus and atlas will be great resources to help with homework or projects.

Collins is offering parents 30% off their back to school books plus free p&p until 30 September 2014 by using the code SCHOOLBAG30 at the checkout.

You can also win one of 50 bundles of books for your child in a Collins branded schoolbag at Collins.co.uk/backtoschool

With the beautiful weather we have been having, holidaying in the UK has been a great option this year. So we were delighted to spend a week staying in a gorgeous and luxurious log cabin at Blackwood Forest in Hampshire with Forest Holidays. The stunningly beautiful 270 hectare Beech forest is the perfect setting for a tranquil break surrounded by nature, but with easy access to major roads, Micheldever railway station (which is just 40 minutes from London) and local amenities.

The large three bedroomed Silver Birch cabin was exquisite and quite honestly the nicest accommodation I have ever stayed in at a holiday resort. A feature floor to ceiling window gives magnificent views of the idyllic surroundings and makes you feel a part of the great outdoors, while making the rooms feel light and airy. The decor was modern, clean and well conceived, bringing in elements of the forest along with a bold but tasteful colour theme that runs throughout the cabin. The place was spotless and so well equipped, with an excellent kitchen, which included microwave, oven, hob, fridge freezer and dishwasher. Little touches such as the inclusion of Jenga and Scrabble made you feel immediately at home. The optional entertainment package offers wi-fi and TV channels if you want to stay connected to the outside world. It was cosy, comfortable and a real home from home.

Having a private outdoor hot tub was the most luxurious addition to our holiday home. It was serviced daily and had a rubber duck left on top to let us know it was safe to use. It was wonderful to relax in the hot tub, and it was particularly fabulous at night with its underwater lighting. Freddy absolutely adored it, thinking it was his own private outdoor bath/swimming pool.

The forest setting is glorious. The cabins are spaced well apart so you feel quite secluded, adding to the magic and enchantment of the break. The cabin has two parking spaces outside, which is really convenient. There are lots of walks and cycle tracks around the forest and a really great 3.8 km trim trail, which we went around several times in the week. Some days we never saw another soul on our walks, it was so tranquil, peaceful and relaxing.

The exercise equipment around the trim trail caused some healthy competition as we tried to outdo each other. On the squat lift apparatus, Ian felt quite superior, being able to lift the same weight as the three kids could lift together! It was fun to challenge each other on the monkey bars, sit up bench and balance beam. All the equipment was wooden or made from green metal so it blended in nicely with the surroundings, and came with clear instructions for use. It was a great way to enjoy some exercise and following the trail provided a well signposted walk through the forest.

The Forest Retreat is at the centre of the resort, offering a cafe, coffee shop, reception and well stocked shop. You can book activities and in-cabin spa treatments and pre-order take away food such as pizzas (which can be delivered directly to your cabin) or baked goods to be picked up for breakfast. The quality of the food was excellent, especially the freshly baked pain au chocolats that we all enjoyed as a morning treat. We loved the coffee shop and were able to sit outside in the sunshine with our drinks on the decked area. They have a nice menu offering light lunches and meals, and also have a bar. There is also a cycle hire shop and a children's play area. The facilities are more than adequate, providing everything we needed, with friendly, helpful staff on hand.

Getting away together to such a lovely place, with amazing accommodation and being blessed with such gorgeous weather has made us even bigger fans of holidaying in the UK. From our location in Hampshire, we had easy access to the New Forest, the Isle of Wight and Winchester for day trips, but mostly we just really enjoyed exploring the forest and relaxing in the hot tub together. We even took part in the #getyourskillson challenge and had some fun in the great outdoors while we were there.

One of the biggest pleasures of our holiday was simply having fun in the forest: running, jumping, balancing, playing, hiding, swinging and exploring. We looked at the flora and fauna of the forest and breathed the fresh air on our outdoor adventures. It's exactly the kind of holiday that I would want my children to enjoy together. It was perfect.

Forest Holidays offers "simple luxury in stunning locations" with nine idyllic resorts to choose from. Blackwood Forest was beautiful, tranquil and the cabins are outstanding. The resort wasn't overcrowded or commercial, it's just so peaceful, unspoilt and in harmony with the nature that surrounds it. It is definitely somewhere I'd stay again, we loved it. Somewhere to escape to and reconnect as a family.

You can find out more about Forest Holidays and book your own break at www.forestholidays.co.uk.

We received a discount to use against this holiday in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own...we genuinely adored it!

We were lucky enough to be invited to the Eureka! The National Children's Museum in Halifax for the Little Live Pets takeover. I was really excited to take the two little ones on a day out to a place that has the ethos of encouraging kids to play to learn. Plus we were delighted about discovering the must-have toy for summer, the Little Live Pets from Character.

The museum was so hands on, perfect for children who want to explore, play and touch everything! There are six galleries where kids are encouraged to interact with the exciting exhibits. These were our three favourite areas:

All About Me is an amazing area dedicated to the workings of the human body. From exploring the senses to pretending to be a doctor to finding out about bones, brains and the digestive system, the newly opened area was a huge hit with Freddy and Kizzy. Freddy loved filling in his All About Me Passport, taking part in activities to test his reflexes, monitor his heart rate and measure his body. The Health Centre allows children to role play as doctors, midwives and dentists. Freddy loved giving the pregnant woman model a scan and seeing her baby on the screen. He also enjoyed testing his brain and body on the climbing wall. At 11, Kizzy was interested to learn facts about the human body, look at X-Rays and microscope slides and take part in some experiments. It is such a great area with so much to see, do and learn.

Living and Working Together is a fabulous reconstruction of a little town complete with garage, post office, shop, bank and petrol station. Kids are able to role play all the jobs from being a postman to a cashier to a car mechanic. It was great fun! Kizzy and Freddy enjoyed the bank vaults where they were able to crack codes to enter the bank's safety deposit boxes and discover the content of customers from Doctor Who to Harry Potter to our Queen. The garage was pretty cool too. They changed tyres, used petrol pumps and learned about the parts of an engine (with dad's expert tuition!!) There is also a house where you can learn about what happens when you flush a loo, play with water, have fun in the kitchen and explore your dreams.

Our Global Garden takes children on a voyage of discovery of the outdoors, looking at environments as diverse as the Arctic, the jungle, the town, the countryside and the sea bed. There are so many things to explore. Kids get to surf and light up a city; play instruments in a jungle hut and see through the eyes of a rat. Whilst in the Global Garden, we also took part in the Little Live Pets Bird Watching Trail, finding hidden birds and solving the clues to find a word.

Outside the main Eureka! museum building is a huge sandpit, grassy areas and some outdoor activities and there are lots of events taking place throughout the year. A cafe and gift shop are on site and the toilet facilities are good. The area is lovely, with views of the countryside, as the 13 acre site is nestled between Beacon Hill and the town centre.

We were treated to a yummy buffet lunch and Freddy got his face painted, which made him very happy! The children also made glass painted butterfly sun catchers and coloured in Little Live Pet colouring sheets.

The Little Live Pets area let children get up close and personal with the latest interactive toys. With gorgeous birds and butterflies to play with, little ones can enjoy the feeling of holding a fluttering butterfly on their hand or chatting to a tweeting, talking bird.

The butterflies are very beautiful and the movement is very realistic, but Freddy fell in love with the birds. Petting them makes then sing, chirp and tweet with a moving beak that makes them seem alive! Pressing a button allows you to record a message which is converted to chirrupy bird language and tweeted back to you. Freddy loved the mimicry feature, which enhanced the play value of these cute little toys.

The Little Live Pets Birds (RRP £9.99) and Butterflies (RRP £12.99) come in a host of colours and designs making them appealing to every taste. You can also buy a Birdcage complete with a bird for £19.99 and a Butterfly House with a butterfly for £22.99. Perfect for displaying your collection.

Find out more at: www.character-online.com/products/Little-Live-Pets

Entrance to Eureka! is £11.95 for ages 3 to adult, but your day ticket can be converted to an annual season pass for free allowing you to visit as often as you like over the year. There is so much to do and so much fun to be had, having access for free for a year would be fabulous for families. It's an amazing deal.

Find out more at: www.eureka.org.uk

This new take on an old classic is an interesting re-imagining of the story of Tarzan. A more realistic style of CGI animation creates a jungle which is not cutesy and cartoony, but wild and violent. The themes are quite adult, with lots of quite shocking deaths. Definitely not one for sensitive children - and definitely worthy of the PG certificate. The human characters bear an uncanny resemblance to SIMS characters, which humoured the older children no end.

Starting with a prehistoric meteor crashing to Earth, the story focuses on the ongoing search by Greystoke Energies for the powerful rock that possesses its own natural energy and has spawned its own ecosystem. During one such mission, Little Tarzan loses his parents in a helicopter accident and becomes adopted as part of a family of gorillas, where he learns how to be the 'hairless ape' of the jungle.

Years later he ends up in conflict with the new CEO of his late father's company, the ruthless William Clayton, looking to exploit the area and its resources at any cost.

Jane is a conservationist who joins forces with Tarzan to help protect the jungle from the destructive intentions of William Clayton. Romance blossoms between the pair and Tarzan is on hand to rescue her from the dangers of the jungle (in true classic Tarzan style).

This film was indeed quite brutal in parts and the storytelling was aimed at older children. Freddy cried at some of the more heartbreaking moments but cheered as Tarzan's famous battle cry united the jungle against the bad guys!

Out from 25th August from retailers such as Amazon where it is priced at £10 to pre-order on DVD or download to watch online.

Open in a new window and print out the worksheet.

The Goodyear Driving Academy is on a mission to improve the road safety of young drivers. Their aim is to teach road and driving education to children from a young age, and the key to this is to provide parents and teachers with fun and interactive tools to help introduce kids to the rules of road safety long before they get behind the wheel of a car. It is a frightening statistic that young drivers aged 17 - 24 year olds, account for 22% of injury road accidents, although they only make up 9% of road users. Their inexperience and youthfulness is often responsible for this over representation when it comes to accidents. The current format of the driving test doesn't help youngsters learn true road safety with a graduated, long term approach to learning. It has been proven that teaching children about road safety from a younger age can have a positive effect on reducing young driver road accidents. Goodyear are investing in this road safety revolution to give our youngsters a safer future on the roads.

The Goodyear Driving Academy has three main parts, each giving children and their parents, the opportunity to learn important road safety information and preparing young people to become tomorrow's drivers.

The Goodyear Driving Academy Parent Pack is a booklet of ideas, activities and information for parents to use with their children. It covers everything from crossing the road as a pedestrian; speed limits; driving conditions; the highway code and vehicle maintenance. The booklet is very user friendly with illustrations throughout and includes ideas for games to play with children to raise their awareness of road safety. You can download a PDF version here: www.parents-matter.co.uk

The Driving Academy is a great online resource at drivingacademy.goodyear.com where children can learn the vital information and knowledge that they will need as future drivers. The basics of the highway code are presented as fun facts for kids to learn (also useful for polishing up road knowledge as an adult) plus there is a hazard perception game to give kids a taste of what it is like to be in control of a vehicle. It's fun as well as being educational. For car mad kids to teenagers about to sit their theory test, this is a great site. The girls have enjoyed trying out the game and have learned some useful highway code knowledge.

The Young Driver scheme gives children as young as 11 the chance to get behind the wheel and learn the basics of driving for real in a safe off-road environment. Youngsters get to drive a Skoda Citigo, fitted with Goodyear tyres, with a registered instructor, where they will learn the basics as well as manoeuvres such as reversing and parking. These young driver lessons take place around the country. Kizzy and Ella were invited to have a go at a Young Driver driving lesson at Crewe. Although Ella is now 18, she has been reluctant to start driving lessons and this was the perfect way to introduce her to driving a car for the first time. Kizzy is 11, which seems so young to take control of a vehicle, but is the perfect age to start learning the necessary skills and building confidence!

The Young Driver site in Crewe was situated in a huge car park area for Bentley Motors. Cones and road signs were laid out to create a road system where the cars could drive around. The girls checked in and were assigned their driving instructors. They headed out to their cars along with the other youngsters. After some preliminary checks and instruction, the girls were off, driving around the course independently.

The girls both did brilliantly. Kizzy (in the white car) was a natural at steering and completed a slalom course during her hour's lesson. Ella (in the red car) took really well to driving and even ended up parallel and reverse parking during her lesson. The instructors were really lovely, patient and friendly, giving good, clear instructions and advice. After just one lesson, Ella is now confident enough to take to the road for real and has the advantage of her experience. We plan to keep up Kizzy's driving lessons over the next few years and preparing her for when she is 17 and able to take her driving test.

Not only was this a real learning experience for the girls, they also had a lot of fun. It was brilliant watching them. They both received a Driving Diary for them to record their progress in, which can be handed over to their future driving instructors, who will then be able to tailor their lessons accordingly.

I was lucky enough to jump into the backseat of Ella's car to film part of the lesson. I was very proud of how cool and calm she remained, even with the pressure of having a passenger sat behind her, recording her every move.

The Young Driver lessons are a great investment in a child's future and would make a fantastic birthday gift. I still can't believe my 11 year old drove an actual car...what a fantastic experience!

Prices start at £31.99 and you can find out more at: www.youngdriver.eu

You can join in the conversation about the Goodyear Driving Academy and Young Driver on Twitter @goodyear_uk and @youngdriver

The Very Best Sheepdog

When Ben, a gentle sheepdog, befriends Bo, a fun-loving lamb, he becomes the laughing stock of the farm yard. With both his parents being prizewinners, the expectation on Ben was high, but he just couldn't herd sheep. But when a storm comes and scares all the sheep away, it's Ben who has to save the day. With his good nose and his love for Bo, Ben bravely battles the elements to try and save the flock.

The gentle text and illustrations bring the story of an unusual friendship to life. It is a heart warming tale about nature and farming, which shows how perseverance and self belief can overcome difficulties. The relationship between Bo and Ben is so cute and beautifully portrayed. At the end of the book, little ones will be rooting for Ben!

The Very Best Sheepdog by Pinny Grylls and illistrated by Rosie Wellesley

RRP £5.99 Pavilion Children's Books

Colin the Crab

This little pop-up book from Norfolk based beach merchandise company Gone Crabbing, is not only a lovely story, it also contains a very important message about respecting creatures when crabbing and rock pooling at the beach. It has some great pop-up elements to bring the story to life, which Freddy really enjoyed.

Colin the Crab shares a rock pool with his best friends Sally the Starfish and Mike the Mussel. They have an idyllic life until two children come along. Colin watches in horror as his friends are caught and thrown into a bucket and taken away. He sobs big salty tears as he tries to think of ways to get his friends back. Thankfully, the children know how to treat living things and when they are returned to the rock pool at the end of the day, they explain to Colin how they were looked after by the children. It is a really good way of showing families the right way to respect nature when it comes to compassionate crabbing and rock pooling.

Colin the Crab is not only the star of this book, he is also the star of the totally 'clawsome' range of seaside inspired gifts sold at Gone Crabbing. He certainly is a cute little creature! Hopefully, this story will encourage little ones to be more compassionate and respectful when they discover animals in the natural habitats.

This is a lovely gift idea, which compliments the other products in the Gone Crabbing range.

Colin the Crab is by Susie Mason and illustrated and engineered by Robert Crowther.
Available from Gone Crabbing for £7.99 (also available is the Colin Crab mug and soap).

Official Playmobil Annual 2015

This is definitely one to look out for in the run up to Christmas if you have any Playmobil Knight fans at home. Annuals always make great presents to pop under the tree and they keep kids amused for hours, so they are always a good buy.

The annual is full of puzzles, colouring pages, quizzes and games all based around helping the Green Dragon Knights defeat the evil Red Dragon Knights.

The book is perfect if your child is a fan of knights, dragons and castles as it is dedicated to that theme. The content is like that found in an activity book and doesn't include stories or cartoon strips at all. The paper is thick and glossy and the full colour photos are spectacular.

It's a great choice for Freddy but if you have a child who prefers princesses, animals or fairies, they may not be as keen on the Knight theme.

RRP £7.99

We received these lovely books to review.

My nephew Thomas nominated his step-mum Katey to take part in the ice bucket challenge for charity. Being the amazing woman that she is, she took on the challenge brilliantly and then nominated me to take part! Not one to ever shirk on a challenge myself, I, with the help of my three littlies added myself to the list of people taking part to raise both awareness and money for charity. We donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, as we have been really moved by the ALS videos we have watched, and the story behind the campaign. Knowing that families affected by this disease are behind this social media campaign, and that so much money has been raised for this worthy cause, made us absolutely certain that taking part was the right thing to do.

When the A list celebrities take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, they tend to be somewhere warm and sunny. Shropshire is unfortunately neither of those things. It's downright chilly at the moment. Nevertheless, the kids armed themselves with buckets of cold water in readiness to give me a good soaking. Freddy took a bit too much pleasure in squirting me in the face to add to my experience. But it was all good fun.

In an act of motherly revenge, I nominated them to take part...plus I nominated Helen from The Crazy Kitchen (she is totally game for a laugh). My kids thoroughly enjoyed doing their bit and passing the baton on to their friends. We look forward to seeing what they do in the name of charity and for this social media phenomena!

I love that people are getting behind this challenge and are doing it for charities that they support as well as for the MND/ALS charities. Anything that gets money and raises awareness for good causes has got to be a positive thing, how ever silly it is. Plus seeing celebrities getting behind it has provided some brilliant entertainment. Russell Brand, Kermit the Frog, Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner and Bill Gates are my favourite Ice Bucket Challengers so far!

This summer has been all about family and fun. We have holidayed in a forest, been to the beach, sailed to the Isle of Wight, visited museums, learned new skills and the girls have even learned how to drive. The children have seen all three sets of their grandparents in one week (this is the first time this has happened given that they have grandparents that are spread across Surrey, Wales and the Isle of Man) and enjoyed quality time with their cousin's baby, the gorgeous little Michael, who stayed with us for a week. We've Skyped my nephew Tom and his beautiful new wife Ashley, following their wedding in Georgia. Ella received her A'Level results getting an A, 2 Bs and a C (the Maths exam was a killer this year!) and is set to go to her first choice university in September. The girls went to V Festival (we bought them tickets for Ella's 18th birthday) and had the best day ever watching The Killers, Jason Derulo, Nile Rodgers, Rudimental and many more great acts.

We've really enjoyed our time together this summer, nothing beats the time spent with my kids!

The weather has mostly been kind to us, and the sun has shone on the days that we wanted it to. With just a couple more weeks before the kids return to school, we hope to make the most of the remaining days of freedom (even though the sunshine seems to have taken its leave!)

If you need any inspiration for keeping the family occupied, don't forget that you can get ideas for days out and things to do in the Robert's Bakery 50 Days of Summer guide. You can download a free copy of the 50 Days of Summer guide here.

If you have any picnics on the agenda you can definitely make them more fun by making some creative sandwiches. We made some amazing sandwich creations at the Blogger's Picnic earlier this year.

One other activity we are hoping to catch is the Playmobil 40th Annmiversary Tour where life sized Playmobil models will be making an appearance at the following venues:

Today: Fri 22nd Aug - Birmingham Cathedral

Sat 23rd Aug - Derby

Sun 24th Aug -Liverpool

Mon 25th Aug (Bank Holiday) - Manchester

Wed 27th Aug (Morning) - Newcastle

Wed 27th Aug (After school) -Glasgow

Thurs 28th Aug - Middlesbrough

Fri 29th Aug - Leeds

Sat 30th Aug - Nottingham

Sun 31st Aug - Leicester

To find out more details about when and where, keep an eye on the PLAYMOBIL UK Facebook page.

However you plan to spend the rest of the precious days of summer, have fun!!

Quorn & Vegetable Satay Recipe - served with Veetee Egg Fried Rice

CBeebies Land at Alton Towers - our review

What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up? #IWantToBe

Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic

Parenting Teens - Saying Good-Bye

Nickelodeon and Nick Jr available on NOW TV #NickelodeonNOWTV

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Thistle Castle Playset Review

Eat Well with Olives Et Al

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Z-Line Water Tower Washout Playset Review

Bigjigs Magnetic Theatre Presents - The Three Little Pigs

Top Ten Ideas for Keeping the Kids Entertained This Summer

42 Days of Summer with McVitie's BN - the biscuits with a cheeky wink!

We took part in the #GetYourSkillsOn challenge!

Collins Back to School Learning Resources

A Fantastic Family Holiday with Forest Holidays

Little Live Pets at Eureka! The National Children's Museum

Tarzan - The Legend Lives

Goodyear Driving Academy and Young Driver - improving road safety for young people

The Very Best Sheepdog, Colin the Crab and the Official Playmobil Annual 2015 - children's book reviews

We did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

50 Days of Summer - Our Holiday Round Up