Silent Sunday : 31st July 2011

For Jay, for Silent Sunday

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oreo Lick Race from Phuket!

I'm not 100% sure that no cheating took place but it was fun!

Win a Flip Cam Package courtesy of Oreo!

Every now and then an email arrives that has my kids whooping with delight. Today was one of those....

We were sitting enjoying dinner when the email inviting us to join the Oreo Double Stuff Lick Race landed and before I'd finished reading the kids had filled me in on the finer points of the said challenge.

We promptly replied with a 'count us in'. 

We love Oreo's and we love a challenge - so it was a bit of a no brainer actually.

The challenge, to celebrate the launch of the new Double Stuff Oreo biscuits is based on the ritual of twisting an Oreo, licking off the creme and dunking the remaining biscuits in milk in a fun and entertaining way.

They have loads of prizes up for grabs including Nintendo wii's and a family VIP holiday to Florida. All you have to do to enter is film your Lick Race and upload it to www.oreolickrace.co.uk

Your can see our efforts here.

Oreo are also donating £1 for every video uploaded to their partner charity, KidsOut.

The competition ends on Sunday 31st July, so you only have a few days to give it a go - but it does guarantee a fun filled family afternoon.

Oreo have also given me a 'Lick Kit' to give away. The kit is packed with goodies including;

A Flip Camera and tripod

Oreo Biscuits

Two milk tumblers

Oreo badges

A flash drive containing Oreo and lick Race content

It's a great prize and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post stating the name of Oreo's yummy new biscuit.

Is it.. 

a) Double Stuff Oreo

b) No Stuff Oreo

c) Lots of stuff Oreo

This competition is now closed.

Silent Sunday : July 24th 2011

For Silent Sunday, don't forget to visit the other photographs from this week and do remember to leave a comment if you like what you see.

Chad Valley Design a Friend Doll Rocks

We have a bit of a strange relationship with dolls in our house - my Blythe / Japanese Pose doll addiction is no secret and I was firmly in Sindy's camp as a child but most other dolls really creep me out. This bizarre quirk is something that I've unwittingly managed to project onto my girls and I'm very happy that we have thus far managed to remain a Bratz / Barbie free zone.

We like our dolls to be fresh, original, different even. So it was with slight nervousness that I accepted the offer to review the new Design a Friend Doll.

I was swayed by the fact that the Design a Friend Doll comes from Chad Valley, as my mum worked at their Wrekin factory for most of my childhood and I have fond memories of putting many of their now classic toys through a stringent home testing process.

Straight out of her beautiful presentation box Design a friend is breaking the modern doll mould. Towering over her contemporaries at a statuesque 46cm she is head and shoulders above the other dolls battling it out in the tween girl marketplace.

I had my own battle as my girls fought over who was going to be chief tester (Biba won as Betty was in charge of the last product we reviewed) and all electronic toys were cast aside as she became their primary source of fun - testament indeed to her desirability.

She comes ready to rock with one complete look and there will be 12 additional outfits and 5 accessory packs available at launch so that your little ones can start to emulated their own overflowing wardrobes!

Launch price is not yet confirmed but it will be around £20 for a Design a Friend Doll  complete with outfit and charm bracelet. There will be multi-buy money saving offers and I'll update this post as soon as they go live.

So if you are looking for something to keep your girls entertained over the summer, or if you are stuck for a pressie idea for the little one in your life - you can't go wrong with one of these fab dolls.

Chad Valley Design a Friend Dolls will be available from Argos from the end of July. There are 4 dolls in the collection.

From Phuket with Love

Nearly a full week of our holiday has already sped by. Until yesterday we hadn't done anything except sleep, eat, swim and relax.
Despite this being a 5* hotel there's only cabled Internet available in our rooms and I hadn't noticed that my uber travel friendly MacBook air doesn't have a wired connection port until I needed to use it.
So here I am on an almost total social detox and I actually quite like it.
The sun is shining and a gin fizz is only a nod to the waiter away, which has to be the best possible Internet replacement I could think of.
The kids are having a great time and there first taste of freedom as we loosen the reigns a little to let them venture to the kids club or to buy an ice cream without us holding their hands.


It feels great to not be constantly on call yet slightly unsettling to think that those baby days are well and truly behind us.

Sonny is looking more and more like his big brother.


Biba is rocketing towards teenagedom...



But Betty at least is still happy to be the baby...




With love from Phuket. Xx



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Silent Sunday

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Top Mummy Bloggers... and a new I Went to CyberMummy11 badge

Not quite sure how this happened  but I'm happy to take praise when it's given.

I think that I'm supposed to hustle votes but if I'm honest, making the shortlist just blows me away anyway.

I've crammed so much into the last twelve months, and I'm really proud to have been a part of it all.  I've made some amazing new friends... the ones that don't come along with great regularity, they know who they are.

And there was CyberMummy10, BlogHer10 with @Cosmicgirlie, #Blogladesh,  #UNsummitNYC, meeting my real life hero @nickkristof, winning the BMB Brilliance in Blogging 2010, Make A Difference Blogger award, seeing my beautiful daughters make their TV debut on Annabel's  Kitchen on CITV, winning the Bloganthropy blogger of the month, Yan's first collection going into Harrods, going to Downing Street with Save the Children and of course CyberMummy11.

See, it's been a pretty amazing year. If you do feel inclined, click on the picture below to get to the Loved By Parents voting page.

Thanks for all your amazing support, Blogladesh and CyberMummy wouldn't be the successes that they are without you people behind me.

Win the new Maclaren Dylan's Candy Bar Buggy!

I've always had more than a natural interest in pushchairs and I absolutely love this quirky addition to Maclaren's 'Objects of Design' Collection.

This funky new buggy is a collaboration with Dylan's Candy Bar Founder (and Ralph Lauren's daughter), Dylan Lauren and is just perfect for summer.

Fun, bright and whimsical, it's just like Dylan's signature US candy stores, it looks good enough to eat!

Based on Maclaren's gold standard Volo frame, this simple, practical, lightweight (4kg) buggy is perfect for travelling.

It's not available in the UK until August 1st - but I have one to give away. Enter using the subscribe button below. For an additional chance to win, leave a comment stating the weight of the Volo frame.

Competition terms and conditions. Entry closes at midnight on 31/7/11.

The Maclaren Dylan's Candy Bar Buggy can be pre ordered by calling Maclaren direct on 01327 841310. RRP: £125

You can stay up to date with Maclaren news by 'Liking' them on Facebook and following them on Twitter.

The competition is now closed : @petitmew is the winner!

Ten things I really want to do this summer

Last summer we didn't take a family holiday, instead I went off to Bangladesh with Save the Children - on a trip that was to change my perspective on life.

I've worked like a dog for the last year but in a couple of weeks I get to log off and put my feet up.

I have a plan (of course)... Here are 10 things I really want to do this summer. Not sure how many of them I will actually achieve - let's see...

1. Get a night away with Yan. Just one and I don't care where.

2. Stroll along Patong beach, Phuket at sunset.

Patong beach in 2009 - our last holiday in Thailand

3. Spend a night in the tent in the garden with my babies, the cats and the dog.

4. Get my exercise mojo back.

5. Clean the house from top to bottom. 

6. Go crabbing with the kids.

Biba and Sonny crabbing with my dad in Mevagissy harbour

7. Spend a few days in Cornwall.

8. Have a girlie/kid break with my buddies.

9. See Morrissey live. Somewhere...anywhere..

10. Book the church.

So what about you? What do you want to do this summer?

Win Your Shape: Fitness Evolved on Xbox

Now that I've booked our holiday I'm all over the rather fab Your Shape: Fitness Evolved Xbox game as I'd really like to shift a few extra inches before I subject my pasty body on the Thai masses, and now that CyberMummy is behind me I have no excuse to hit the hardcore exercise trail.

My biggest problem is that because I live off the beaten track I have limited 'spare time' in my day, so I hate having to waste precious exercise time in the car travelling to classes. 

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved really is the answer for me and I have a copy to give away!!!

All you have to do to enter is watch the short vid below and then leave a comment on this post (with means of contact) with the answer to this question;

What colour trainers is the girl with the pink top and green shorts wearing?

This competition is now closed.