Lifestyle Archives - Page 16 of 27

Roald Dahl’s Tremendous Adventures at Tatton Park

Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was one of the world’s most imaginative, successful and well-loved storytellers. He has sold over 200 million books which are currently available in 59 languages. That’s some legacy. I have fond memories of Roald Dahl’s tales from my childhood with favourites like James and the Giant Peach (his first children’s story), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Magic Finger published before I was even born. Classics that followed included Fantastic Mr Fox, Charlie and The Glass Elevator and Danny the Champion of the World followed along with The BFG, George’s Marvellous Medicine and Matilda.

Andy’s Amazing Adventures from CBeebies

POD’s always been a little explorer so she’s fascinated by programmes like Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures and Andy’s Wild Adventures on CBeebies. I’m sure she’ll enjoy the forthcoming Andy’s Prehistoric Adventures just as much. In the meantime CBeebies has launched Andy’s Amazing Adventures magazine which has been created in association with the BBC Natural History Unit. It combines all the facts on dinosaurs and amazing reptiles that lived millions of years ago, providing children with the opportunity to learn about prehistoric creatures and incredible wildlife.

Maya the Bee DVD viewing party

POD always enjoys Maya the Bee on the Tiny Pop channel so she was thrilled when she caught the film premier last year. It tells the story of Maya, a fun and inquisitive little bee with a big personality who is keen to leave her hive and live in the meadow. With dreams of discovery, adventure and freedom, she soon discovers the hornets that reside beyond the meadow are not to be trusted. But Maya is faced with a bigger challenge when the Queen’s Royal Jelly is stolen by the greedy advisor. Accompanied by her shy friend Willy, and a host of other creatures, it’s up to Maya to save the hive and end the hostility between the bees and the hornets.

Overcoming cabin fever at Box Hill

If you’ve been cooped up inside for days on end, especially with a poorly child, you will have certainly experienced cabin fever. POD hasn’t been well recently and although she’s been back in reception a few days now, I was on eight consecutive days indoors. As well as doing an almost three hour journey to and from school thanks to the joy of roadworks!

So this morning after I’d dropped her off I headed to Box Hill – a summit of the North Downs in Surrey owned and managed by the National Trust. I don’t know about you but I find the best way to combat cabin fever is to grab my camera and head for the great outdoors. Being first thing meant there was barely a soul around. The fresh air could be felt in my lungs and the location provided the perfect opportunity to blow away a mountain of cobwebs.

#HealthilyEverAfter with Disney

The first Disney film POD ever watched was the original Sleeping Beauty which was released around 1960. It became a firm favourite of hers alongside other brilliant classics such as Snow White & the Seven Dwarves, Beauty & the Beast and The Jungle Book. She turned five on Christmas Day. Over the last couple of years or so she’s been able to experience a number of Disney greats – from Tangled, The Lion King and Big Hero 6 to Winnie The Pooh, Maleficent and Frozen. The latter still continues to dominate and last year saw POD dress up as Maleficent (Aurora was busy) – a costume that won her best dressed at school. She’s a huge fan of Pixar films too from Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Ratatouille to Monsters Inc, Monsters University and Inside Out. Mickey Mouse, Sofia the First and The Lion Guard are top of the list on the Disney Channel.

The highlights of 2015: July to December

Having looked at the highlights from January to June, we’re back to have a nose at July to December 2015. The month kicked off with POD learning to swim by herself for the very first time. She loved the water when she was a baby but got the fear after a break. It’s taken a while to build her confidence up again and seeing her swim by herself in armbands was pretty special. I love this photograph which perfectly captures that moment.

From A Mother To Another

We’ve been fans of the JoJo Maman Bébé brand since POD was born five years ago. We always used to find it so sad when the beautiful items we’d so lovingly chosen for her no longer fitted and were confined to the loft. In 2015, JoJo Maman Bébé launched their ‘A Mother To Another’ charity campaign, designed to prolong the life of their baby and children’s clothes. The recycling initiative saw donated pieces sorted into sex, size and season before being wrapped as gift packs of co-ordinating outfits via Barnardo’s. That campaign has been extended this year to offer distribution through the Trussell Trust’s Foodbanks and to those displaced by war in Syria.

Paper flower gifts for Valentine’s #BostikBlogger

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, POD and I have been busy making paper flowers for Daddy. These are surprisingly easy to make and work really well either on a card or as a gift. We’ve pulled together a couple of options so you can see how adaptable they are. All you need for both is coloured card, a selection of paper, scraps of material (optional), Bostik White Glue, scissors and a pencil. Plus a foam sheet if your five year old wants to add some ‘bounce’ to the front of her Valentine’s card (optional!).

Two weeks Thinking Slimmer with Slimpod

Having last posted about Thinking Slimmer with Slimpod the day before I started, two weeks in seems as good a time as any to share an update. If you’ve not come across it before, Slimpod is a clinically proven nine-minute podcast which transforms how you feel about food and yourself. I’m trialling the Slimpod Gold 12 week programme which includes a Slimpod, Fitpod and Chillpod. If like me you’re not a fan of diets and don’t fancy counting calories either, Slimpod is the ideal solution. It trains your brain each day to instinctively make healthier choices, eat less and be more active. But is it actually working?

Disney’s The Lion Guard puzzles from Ravensburger

As fans of Disney’s The Lion King, we’re looking forward to catching The Lion Guard when it’s on Disney Junior. It follows protagonist Kion, Simba and Nala’s son, as he assembles a group of animals to protect the Pride Lands – known as The Lion Guard. We’ve already familiarised ourselves with the main characters thanks to Ravensburger and their 4 in a box puzzles. Five year old POD adores the challenge jigsaws bring and has spent many months enjoying Frozen – another Disney classic from Ravensburger. You might have heard of it.

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Lifestyle

Roald Dahl’s Tremendous Adventures at Tatton Park

Andy’s Amazing Adventures from CBeebies

Maya the Bee DVD viewing party

Overcoming cabin fever at Box Hill

#HealthilyEverAfter with Disney

The highlights of 2015: July to December

From A Mother To Another

Paper flower gifts for Valentine’s #BostikBlogger

Two weeks Thinking Slimmer with Slimpod

Disney’s The Lion Guard puzzles from Ravensburger

Adventures

Visiting Mayfield Lavender Field, Banstead

A wander at Frensham Little Pond, Surrey

7 reasons to love Barracudas camps

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