Back To School With Ju-Ju-Be - Giveaway

If you read the blog or know us personally then you will know that Noah starts school in September. It's such a huge milestone and one that neither of us was ready for at the start of Summer. Fast forward a couple of weeks and we feel totally different and are both so excited for the new chapter in our lives. We went to buy his school uniform and school shoes this weekend and it's made everything feel more real! There are just two weeks until my little Noah starts school! To mark the occasion I'm teaming up with Ju-Ju-Be to give away a fab back to school bundle! 

Ju-Ju-Be create the most gorgeous bags, for every occasion, there are nappy bags through to clutch bags to choose from. Not only are they possibly the most stunning bag's you'll ever come across but they are also so functional too. I was sent the B.F.F changing bag earlier this year and I've used it every day since! It's been abroad with me, taken for trips out to the beach, everywhere and it still looks brand new! I think this speaks volumes when it comes to the brand.

So, how would you like to win everything you see in the photo above? The prize includes; a Mini Be backpack, a set of Be Snacky bags and the Be Set, all in the fantastic World of Warcraft, March of the Murlocs design! This bundle is worth a whopping £108 and is perfect for back to school. To enter simply use the Gleam form below. Good luck and don't forget to enter my other blog competitions!

Ju-Ju-Be Bag Bundle worth over £100

Terms & Conditions.         
1. There will be 1 winner who will the prize mentioned above.
2. Winners details sent to the PR to arrange the prize. 
3. Competition ends 23/09/18.
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.
5. UK entries only

3 Sure Fire Ways To Find A Holiday That The Whole Family Will Enjoy

This is a PR collaboration

It’s that time of year again when you might be thinking about what sort of holiday to book for next year. You may have returned from your week in the sun in a generic Balearic only for it to have been tense and stressful. Sure, you had a great time, but there were too many moments of kids moaning, your partner frustrated and you pulling your hair out. Instead, you need to book a holiday for next year that suits everyone. Is this an impossible task? No, it’s not. Take a look at these holiday ideas that can have the whole family having a fun-filled vacation.

Do Something Different

The chances are that you pop into a travel agents or look online and book yourself a package holiday. This seems like the easy route to take. Flights, accommodation, and excursions can be booked together leaving you with nothing to plan for and organise other than your passports and your packing. However, this isn’t always the most flexible option. Instead, make a list of all the hobbies and activities that your brood have. Perhaps your partner is a culture vulture, one of your little darlings likes swimming and the other is a fan of museums. Consider what sort of trip can cater for all. Consider trying to find a cruise holiday as these hit multiple destinations. This is the best way to ensure that everyone’s wants and desires are ticked off. You could be heading to Rome for history, Paris for museums and Mallorca for snorkeling all in one trip. Empower The Kids If your brood is old enough, consider asking them to plan your trip. The chances are they will be mega excited about the prospect of organising the annual vacation for the family. Give them a budget and some non-negotiables like hotel class and distance from the beach. See what they come up with and then compromise. If their itinerary looks good, then go with it. Kids have a funny knack of thinking about things in different ways, so it pays to take on board their ideas. This also gives less room for them to complain if they are bored on the holiday that they have organised for everyone.

Road Trip

A road trip can be the perfect way to hit everyone’s interests. A home nation based holiday allows you to be more familiar with the sorts of activities on offer. You can plan in more detail and be more certain of the sorts of excursions and tourist attractions you can enjoy. Make it clear that if you’ve spent the day catering for your little darlings interests one day, it’ll be your turn to choose the activities the next. By keeping the trip fair, your kids will respond.

Trying to find a holiday to suit everyone can seem like a lot of hard work, especially when you have to organise more yourself. However, the effort will be well worth it in the end when you find a vacation that has everyone smiling and enjoying their annual holiday. Have you been on holiday this year?

Top Family Destinations To Visit While Your Kids Are Young

Children grow up far too quickly; before you know it, they’re planning their own holidays with their friends! While they’re young enough to still want to go on holiday with you, you’re going to want to make the most of the experience. Here in the UK, that’s never been easier, and if you’re struggling to think of places where you can keep the kids entertained while having a good time yourself as well, then these top picks might just be perfect. Take the children here before they get too old, and you’ll create memories that will last a lifetime.

Get bewildered in Bewilderwood

Just on the outskirts of Wroxham, Norfolk, this 50 acres of woodland is the perfect solution for those looking for a holiday destination that isn’t all theme parks and heavy spending. There might not be any rides in Bewilderwood, but what there is, is a lot of outdoor fun! Your little ones can be off climbing trees, building dens, traversing across rope bridges, and relaxing in specially built treehouses. If you get the timings right, you could even visit during one of the seasonal events, with both Halloween and Easter being the perfect time to visit Bewilderwood. Perfect for children of all ages, the younger ones will enjoy the puppet shows and storytelling programs, while your teens might prefer the treetop adventures or the range of zip wires.

See the World in Cornwall

Cornwall is a great destination at the best of times, but if you want to entertain and educate your children, then it’s worth checking out the Eden Project. With its unique design which makes it appear to be some futuristic alien landing site, the interior is full of flora and fauna from around the world. You and your children can stroll through a tropical rainforest one minute, before experiencing the Mediterranean heat as you walk by vineyards. With activities and tours for children of every age, the Eden Project has something for everyone. If any of your family are adventurous enough to brave the zip line, then remember that you do have to pay extra for this. Travelling to Cornwall can be very slow if you’re using public transport, so it’s worth looking at cheap car rentals before you start buying train tickets. You can reduce your travel time even more by staying at the onsite hostel and campsite, making the experience even more rewarding.

Getting wet in Northumberland

It feels like the largest adventure playground in the world, and it’s not too far off being exactly that! The Kielder Water and Forest Park have Europe’s largest human-made lake, and it’s surrounded by a stunning 250 square miles of natural forest. This means that you will certainly not run out of things to do, and your children are going to be overwhelmed by the options. Water skiing and mountain biking are popular favourites, but with horse riding and miles of hiking as well, the list of things to do will make it easy to keep everyone entertained. Don’t try and cram everything into one day, and make sure that on the evening you check out the Kielder Observatory, where you can stun your little ones with the sights of the universe.

If you’re limiting your family holiday plans to the nearest theme park, then you’re missing out on some of the most fun things there are to do in the UK. Tailor your holiday to the ages of your children, and they might have such a good time that they never want to go on holiday without you!

- This is a collaborative post.

My Sunday Photo - 33/52

Living Arrows #6 - Jumping In Muddy Puddles

How strange is it, going back to dreary weather after months of warmth and sunshine? It's now back to jeans, fluffy coats and winter hats and the heatwave already feels like a distant memory! I took this week's Living Arrow photo's on a quick walk one evening before bed. Ava wasn't suited and booted for jumping in muddy puddles (those shoes and trousers took a lot of scrubbing afterwards) but as soon as she spotted that puddle it just had to be jumped in! I couldn't say no to her because let's face it, puddle jumping is a right of passage for little ones! They cannot resist a puddle!

Vampirina Bootastic Backpack & Spooky Scooter Set - Review

I still can't get my head around the fact that Noah starts school in September! I honestly don't know where the past four and a half years have gone and I'll admit that I'm in denial about the whole thing! Noah's a little nervous about starting school so I decided not to bleat on about it during the holidays, but instead, read books and play games which are in connection to starting school. With that plan in action, you can imagine that I was delighted when we were sent the Vampirina Bootastic Backpack and Spooky Scooter Set to review.

Noah is a huge fan of Vampirina, so am I actually! It's a delightful show, one which has great family values and kind messages throughout, which I think is hard to find these days. He also loves figures, so he was very excited to open the Spooky Scooter Set. There are two Spooky Scooter sets to collect, Vampirina and Gregoria and Poppy and Wolfie. We received the Poppy set which we were really pleased about as we already have a Vampirina figure from a past review. Both sets come with a figure, scooter, attachable skateboard and a spooky friend. 

Poppy and Wolfie look just like they do in the cartoon, They are made of a sturdy and durable plastic, which I just know will stand the test of time. Noah couldn't wait to play with them. The Poppy figure is decent sized and articulated, which makes the figure engaging and great for role play both on and off the scooter. Noah likes pushing Poppy around on the scooter, watching Wolfie follow right behind on the skateboard. With the figures being removable the kids also like to play as standalone figures too. The Spooky Scooter Sets are suitable from 3 years old and retail at the very reasonable price of £11.99. 

Next, we have the Bootastic Backpack set which is just the ticket to practice for back to school. Eight pieces are included with this set; the backpack, light and sound pendant, sunglasses, a pair of bat wing hair clips, keyring and 2 sheets of stickers. 

Noah was the most excited about the backpack itself and couldn't wait to open it up and to keep all his Vampirina goodies safe and sound inside. I have to admit, it's a winner with me too because it keeps everything nice and tidy! It looks just like Vampirina's rucksack and the accessories really help children to play the part.

The light up pendant necklace is very popular with the kids. They both love to wear it, then like to press it to see it light up and replay Vee's popular quotes. It is quite fiddly to put on though, Noah is 4 but needs me to help him with it. The bat wing hair clips are a nice addition for when they want to look like Vampirina, but wouldn't stay in either Noah or Ava's hair. I think it would've been a better idea to have them on a headband instead to avoid this issue. The sunglasses and keyring are awesome and are currently stashed away nicely in the Bootastic Backpack with the rest of the accessories. The Bootastic Backpack is suitable from 3 years and retails at £24.99.

I think these new Vampirina toys from Flair are fantastic and a welcome addition to their existing range. They'd make great back to school gifts for either your child or others. The Bootastic Backpack, in particular, would be an icebreaker, as it would catch the eye other Vampirina fans in the class, a lovely way to encourage friendship - just like in the TV show! Both toys are available now, online and in leading toy stores such as Smyths Toys.

- We were sent these products for the purpose of this review, however, all opinions are my own.