Category Archives: Competitions

Feb 22 2016

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Win 1 of 3 copies of A Little Owl called Hooty by Swankypants Books (CD: 13/03/2016)

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SwankyP

My little bookworms both love a good bedtime story. In fact, their combined book collection is nearly as large as my own.

Reading to your child is a beautiful thing. Every time you slouch down into their bed with them, you’re investing in your child - promoting essential skills they’ll need throughout their learning journey. If this isn’t enough of an incentive, you also get to witness their eyes drooping as you lull them to sleep - yes SLEEP (that much sought after commodity).

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The earlier you start reading to your child, the better. Yet, finding great books for preschoolers isn’t as easy as it looks. From poor (sometimes ridiculous) rhymes to nonsensical plots well beyond what can be described as fantasy, we’ve purchased more than our fair share of books that just don’t hold the kids attention.

What works best?

  • Board books are particularly great for under 2s as younger children often rip pages or turn them too aggressively
  • Illustrations that cover entire pages help hold a preschooler’s attention and bring stories to life
  • Repetition breeds familiarity. Plots should be simple yet fun - this was the secret to Julia Donaldson’s success whose Gruffalo tales have enthralled many a preschooler.
  • Rhyming books (although not essential) help younger children engage with language early. We often find Dexter will finish sentences of books we read to him regularly - rhyme helps him recognise what’s coming next.

A Little Owl Called Hooty

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A Little Owl Called Hooty, has definitely ticked these boxes for us. It’s a charming pint-sized board book (140mm x 140mm) with a high sheen gloss making it easy for the kids to hold, easy to wipe-clean and hard-wearing enough to survive lots of trips to nanny’s house shoved in a rucksack.

At twelve pages, it’s a short & perfectly paced story about Hooty the Owl overcoming a fear of flying. Sat atop a branch on a tree, having watched his brothers and sisters leave the nest, he lustily watches insects fly by, desperate for something to eat. His endeavours are watched by Swankypants & Chatterbox the cats, some deer and a fox, all of whom urge him on. When it becomes clear that poor old Hooty needs some further encouragement, they enlist the help of Barn owl who shows Hooty there’s nothing to be scared of. A morality tale, it’s reinforcing positive ideas of helping & encouraging each other to overcome fears as well as friendship, patience and understanding.

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Danny Deeptown’s illustrations do a great job of bringing the story to life and cover the entire page with rich imagery and plenty for the children to point out (be that counting the fluttering butterflies or spotting other woodland creatures in the foreground). Watercolour illustrations, they’re also beautifully vivid with autumnal colours that are a pleasure to study for children and adults alike.

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Written in easy rhyming couplets, it’s easy for mum and dad to read and inject plenty of personality. The words themselves are also suitably considered for a younger audience, and all common enough to be heard in everyday conversation.

This is Diana Vickery’s first book in a collectable series of Swankypants books aimed at toddlers. All will explore similar themes from the perspectives of other woodland creatures from the Magical World of Swankypants. The next book ‘The Mysterious Apples‘ featuring two new characters, Rosie & Twitch the rabbits, is due out soon.

Ideal for youngsters aged 2-5, my two (aged 20 months and almost 4 years) have embraced A Little Owl Called Hooty as a quick bedtime read, yet it would also be suitable for those starting to read independently with enough there to cater for more sophisticated reading needs. I know we’re pretty exciting to see what is coming next.

The skinny:

ISBN: 9780956572837 / Available to buy from Amazon & the Book Depository for £3.99 with free delivery

Twitter: @SwankyPBooks / Facebook: @SwankyPants-Books

Want to win a copy?

Well I have no fewer than 3 copies to giveaway! As well as the delightful little book, you’ll also receive a poster and a author signed postcard - the perfect way to kick off your Swankypants collection! Entry is dead simple - no exhausting daily entry options - so best of luck everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions
Entries close 13/03/2016 23:59
UK entrants only – you must be over 18 too (sorry)
The winners will be contacted by email and must respond within 3 days of having been emailed (I’ll try all known avenues to contact them) or a new winner will be drawn
When the giveaway is closed, Rafflecopter will select the winners completely at random
The winner’s names will be published on this site
There is no cash alternative

More competitions at www.theprizefinder.com

Feb 12 2016

Right then Icelolly.com, #SendMeAway to Crete

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Dear Icelolly.com,
2016 has been a complete letdown so far and, with half term upon us, I’m already thinking of selling the children via Preloved.
Having spent a fortune on toy tat this Christmas, this weekend has been crudely put aside to draft a letter to Mr Cameron to see if he’ll consider inviting the taxpayers to bail out Mills Plc. On top of this my new year’s resolutions to lose weight, and keep a constant supply of Dom Pérignon in the fridge are failing miserably. Right now the only thing my fridge is chilling is 2 out of date Petit Filous, a bag of carrots and half a litre of almond milk. Yes I’ve lost weight, but only because I can’t afford my beer subscription this month.
I’m clearly showing the early symptoms of YAD (Year-long Affective Disorder) so selecting me as your latest blogger comp winner & sending me away is surely the most charitable thing you could do.

Why Crete?

Well I’m guessing the in-laws would laugh me out of their home if I suggested the kiddies stay with them for a week. So this means the mini-mes will be coming with us. If it were Craig and I on our own, I’ve have plumped for a week of debauchery, skinny dipping and sunning ourselves in the Bahamas, but I think Dexter is finally of an age where it would embarrass him to see his mummy half-cut with her stretchmarks on show.

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So, with kids in tow, there’s a few things we need to take into consideration. The heat can’t be too fierce lest the kids start whinging, we need a villa or we’ll all be bedding down at 8pm to the sound of mummy slaying a lullaby, and the flight times can’t be too long either. Yes flight times. I vowed that after last time I wouldn’t fly over 4 hours ever again with children young enough to flout seat belt signs, and even the prospect of a free holiday isn’t enough to convince me otherwise. In fact, the only good thing about 2016 as I see it, is the fact that Heidi is no longer required to travel on our laps - I’d have been happier checking her in as excess luggage.

In short, we selected Greece as it’s not too far so as to result in Craig and I aging from stress, yet it still boasts a climate that might force my freckles out of hiding.

So Greece it is.

Yep, and I’m not sure it’s such a boring option either. I mean, I’ve never been and there’s tons for us to do…

Elafonissi Beach

This is supposed to be a little patch of paradise with white/pink sand made from corals & sea shells, and shallow child-friendly waters. It’s crystal clear waters are prime for snorkeling, and its home to thousands of rare and beautiful sand lilies. A bit of a tourist trap in peak season, luckily my two are young enough that we can explore in term-time and potter around in relative peace and quiet with the locals (I struggle with the noise my two children make, let alone anyone else’s!).

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Ancient City of Phaistos

Growing up I always dreamed that Time Team would find some excuse to dig up my mums dahlias. I always found archaeology interesting & will one day definitely visit Easter Island. Visiting the archeological site of ancient Phaistos would therefore be a real treat. To tread where others have some 4000 years ago, sit on walls made of ancient limestone and gypsum, and get to witness any live excavations would thrill me almost as much as bumping into Chris Robshaw trying on t-shirts in Sport & Ski.

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Lake Voulismeni

Craig and I plan on marrying overlooking Lake Como as we both really appreciate the beauty and serenity of still waters. Lake Voulismeni is highly recommended as a quiet beauty spot with old tavernas, traditional food and cold beer. Legend has it that the Lake is bottomless and that the resistance, when they defeated the Nazi occupying forces in WW2 dumped tanks, lorries and weapons into the lake. So if the kids are playing up when mummy and daddy are tucking into their Baklavas…

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… I’m only joking. I love my two babies and would simply love to spend one last off peak adventure with them before the cost of holidaying skyrockets.

Apparently I need to tag some other bloggers to take part in this in order to qualify, which makes me raise my eyebrows slightly. I mean, what if they pick somewhere beautiful and write something so frigging awesome that Icelolly send them away instead? I’m already up against lots of childless beauties as it is! The dream holidays they’ve blogged about look amazing - husky-sledding in Iceland and styling it out like a VIP in Dubai - I only wish they were as deserving as me so we could all go away… (again, I’m joking).

In any case, I have to tag a few people so Jada, Bex and Emma - do your worst best. Or don’t enter at all, I mean that’s equally cool…

NO, SERIOUSLY - If you would like Icelolly.com to send you away (with or without your kids) - check out the competition HERE - you could win a grand towards your 2016 getaway & a shiny Olympus Pen E-PL7 camera to boot. Be quick though, it ends February 14th 2016. I’m thinking I’ve played it seriously risky with my entry, so I look forward to reading your altogether more sedate posts!

Jan 29 2016

Pregnant? Lighten the load with these freebies!

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It’s obvious to anyone who reads this blog that I’m often provided with products to keep in exchange for my views. Sounds like a tidy gig right? Well no. It’s tough maintaining a successful blog. In fact, each product I receive actually costs 5hrs of my time sat at a laptop and 2hrs taking pictures of it in action (usually, with a baby who is not at all happy you’re looming over them with your DSLR).

Yet brands aren’t only interested in us bloggers. They’re interested in anyone sporting a bump and rocking maternity jeans. The reason? They’re hoping to become top-of your-list when you’re buying baby wipes, baby shampoo or nappies. Yep freebies for pregnant women are common and brands are only too happy to shower you with samples, vouchers and bump mail to wedge themselves in that hormone-ravaged brain of yours.

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So it’s good news for everyone! Let’s face it everyone loves a freebie. Especially when you’ve maxed out your credit on nursery furniture (next time look on eBay!), travel systems and car seats.

Yet you’re no seasoned freeloader, right? No worries, I’ll give you a hand. Read on and discover the hottest freebies on the web for baby & you.

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There’s a ton of them out there, all are free and all promise goodies and coupons. All you need do is register and enter yours (and your babies) details. Yes, your inbox will hate you for it, but you’ll get tons of treats through your door.

My top 3 picks

COW & GATE PREGNANCY CLUB: With a handy diary and a free cuddly cow – C&G baby club makes the perfect companion in your amazing journey from bump to baby. In my opinion these guys have the best bump mails with lots of detail about how your little miracle is evolving week by week - Click here to sign up

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EMMA’S DIARY: Enjoy three FREE gift packs at key stages of your pregnancy and as a new mum when you sign up as a member of Emma’s Diary. You’ll want to check out their free-to-download apps which are PACKED with useful tools and calculators.

YOUR BABY CLUB: The new kid on the block, these guys cut through the niceties and take you straight to the deals. They scours the internet on a daily basis looking for the best selection of Mother and Baby freebies, promotions, offers and competitions so you don’t have to!

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No I’m not suggesting you trawl through comping sites daily, this is completely soul-destroying and the odds of a win are stacked against you.

Instead, head to Facebook and check out some of the bigger brand’s /retailer’s pages:

@MothercareUK / @BabyBjörnUK / @AnnabelKarmelUK / @Direct2Mum / @lovedByParents / @YourBabyClubUK / @BabaMe / @TheGoodBabyGuide / @BritaxUK / @BrotherMax

(… you get the point)

Check these out daily for competitions. They’re easy enough to enter - you’ll be asked to like their page, perhaps like the post and/ or leave a comment. The average number of entrants for the bigger brands is around 1000, but smaller independent stores have far less (thereby increasing your odds of winning). Prizes range from £500 travel systems, to designer change bags, to travel cots - so well worth the 30 seconds it takes to enter.

Prizes

Facebook is fairly clever too. Once it sees you’ve entered a few, more will start to pop up in your feed. Get smart and google local pram sellers. Do they have a Facebook page? Do they have competitions?

It gets addictive pretty quickly and if you’re patient and keep on entering it does pay off. Once you’ve caught the bug, I recommend reading this short article by comping queen Jenna from ChicGeekDiary for how to step up your comping game. And before you ask, yes I’ve won. Several times.

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These are hard to come by, but signing up to consumer panels can result in you being sent many of those expensive items on your new baby list. Spaces are limited so you have to be patient, but I’ve been sent dozens of bits including sterilizers, breast pumps and more. 99.9% of the time these will be yours to keep.

Boots Review Panel / ASDA Pulse / My Mothercare / Super Savvy Me / Pushchair Expert

At the end of a product trial, you’ll usually have to fill out a questionnaire, leave your comments in forums or provide detailed feedback in an email. Make sure you do this thoroughly so you are more likely to be invited to participate again.

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If there’s a particular brand you want to work with follow them on social media, comment on their posts, ask them questions about their products - in short, make yourself known. Be aware that a brand (or the digital agency managing their social media) might take a shine to you and check out your profiles - keep them clean, conversational and post frequently. If you’ve found a product (in any niche) that has impressed you, share it with your friends.

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Not big online? No problem. Find out their customer care address and send them a letter. If you’ve been particularly impressed by a product, tell them. If one has let you down, tell them. You’d be surprised how much they value your feedback and it’s not uncommon for them to send you vouchers or samples by way of thanks.

 

So there you have it. Good luck and have fun, but most importantly, remember the biggest gift you’ll receive is your baby - everything else is just stuff.

 

 

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