My Amazing Olympic Adventure Part 2

After a fantastic first day in London, experiencing the Roux Restaurant and the Beach Volleyball, we were looking forward to our second day of our BMW Olympic experience.  After a 6am start and a quick buffet breakfast in the restaurant, we boarded our coach to head out to Wentworth Golf and Country Club.

We were met by the incredibly attentive staff who gave us goodie bags, booked us in for our spa treatment and gave us coffee and pastries.  We had a tour of the place and then Ella and I headed for the pool.  I embraced my inner Rebecca Adlington and swam a few lengths, burning off the breakfast I had previously enjoyed!  Afterwards I had a manicure and a rest in the Relaxation Room.

From here we went for yet another incredible meal in the very posh banqueting room which was decorated with fantastically adorned portraits and chandeliers.  The displays of food which were being served were themselves like works of art!  The ice sculptures and platters of  fabulous looking foods were so impressive.  We were instrumental in introducing the joys of the quintessentially British Sticky Toffee Pudding with clotted cream to the two lovely Korean guys from BMW in Italy, whom we befriended!  It was a real hit with them and it was so delicious!  We got to hold the prestigious PGA Championship golf trophy which BMW sponsors.  I'm not a big golf fan but even I recognised the likes of Nick Faldo and other golfers whose names are engraved on the trophy!

We headed from Wentworth straight to the Olympic Park.  Just seeing the incredible stadium gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be British!  We went through the security which was really efficient.  We loved the verges planted with meadow flowers and the attention to detail that had gone into the design of every element of the venue.

BMW are sponsors of the games, providing the official vehicles used.  London 2012 is the most sustainable Olympics ever held and BMW are the most sustainable car company, making them perfect partners.  They have a big display of their cars at the Olympic venue which we looked round, seeing the new innovative environmentally friendly vehicles.

We simply had to go to the biggest McDonald's in the UK and have a McFlurry which we enjoyed whilst sat in the sunshine, watching the myriad of people of all nationalities meandering around.  The atmosphere was incredible.  News of Murray's gold medal began to spread and soon everyone was cheering at the great news of yet another gold for Team GB.  We went to the BMW Hospitality Lounge where we were treated to more incredible food...Fennel and Tomato Gratin with a number of fabulous salads, followed by a lovely strawberry and raspberry tart.  We got to meet Olympic gold medallist (and very handsome rower) James Cracknell who spoke to us about his own experiences, adventures and future goals.

The highlight of the day was of course the Athletics session that was to include the 100m finals with the awesome Usain Bolt.  We had the most brilliant tickets (the face value of them was a jaw dropping £725 each!)  Our seats were directly in front of the medal podium about half way along the 100m track.  Perfect!  Walking into the stadium was unbelievable.  I felt so emotional seeing all the people, the Olympic Flame burning and the sheer scale of the arena.  The first event of the night was the medal presentation for the Long Jump which had been won by Greg Rutherford.  Hearing our national anthem sung by thousands of people made me actually cry!   We also saw Mo Farrah pick up his gold medal.  We quickly realised that sat a few seats behind us were the young Royals...Kate, Wills and Harry!  We were a bit excited....however seeing Tony and Cherie Blair just a few seats away wasn't quite as thrilling by comparison!

We were sat in front of the Royals!!

BMW have a team of remote control mini cars that are used to fetch the javelins, hammers, shotputs and discuses back from where they are thrown in the competition.  We were impressed that BMW had managed to get themselves centre stage in the field events.

We were treated to some incredible displays of sporting excellence.  The women's 400m hurdles, men's 3000m steeplechase, women's triple jump, men's high jump, men's 400m semi-finals, men's hammer and of course the men's 100m semi-final and final!

We had the best view and it was truly exciting.  The silence of 80,000 people waiting for the starter's gun to go off for the 100m final followed by the deafening roar as Usain Bolt strode into the lead in a race that broke Olympic records as the fastest final, with 7 runners finishing with a sub 10 second time, is something I will remember forever.  History was made right there!

Perhaps the most moving moment for us was witnessing double amputee Oscar Pistorius make Olympic history by competing in the 400m semi-finals.  We've followed the career of the Paralympian dubbed the "Blade Runner" for years, as he has fought for the right to compete in the Olympics.  Watching him running was awe inspiring.  The man is an inspiration and a true sporting legend, breaking down barriers for the future.  I felt so honoured being there.

Blade Runner....Oscar Pistorius

The whole experience from the moment we arrived in London has been a real once in a lifetime affair.  Being there, being a part of something so historic has made me proud to British.  Watching the inspirational sportsmen and women in action is so exciting.  I am loving the Olympics!

Thank you so much to ParkatmyHouse.com * for the opportunity and BMW for the hospitality.  I can't imagine having a better Olympic Experience!

Ella and I Enjoying London 2012

*Do take a look at www.ParkatmyHouse.com who offer a revolutionary new approach to parking, offering the largest online parking community where you can find a private drive, parking space or garage to park your car, saving money and offering peace of mind.  Perfect for when going on holiday or attending an event such as the Olympics, knowing your car is safely parked.  You can also make cash by renting out your spare parking space.

My Amazing Olympic Adventure Part 1

Our London 2012 Experience with BMW

When I filled out an app on ParkatmyHouse.com's Facebook wall, I did not think for one second that I would end up winning a VIP Olympic weekend to London for two, as guests of BMW...but that is exactly what happened!  The package included two nights at the Four Seasons Hotel in Canary Wharf, a morning at Wentworth Park Country Club, tickets to the Beach Volleyball, dinner at the Roux Restaurant, tickets to the Athletics including the Men's 100m final, a host of official Olympic merchandise and all the food, drink and transport required.  An unbelievable package by anyone's standards!!  Ella was chuffed to be my guest (while my fabulous husband held the fort back home) as we set off to London on Saturday morning to experience first hand the excitement of the Olympics Games!

As we arrived at Euston Station we were met by a BMW chauffeur who drove us to the Four Seasons Hotel at Canary Wharf.  BMW had taken over the entire hotel for the duration of the Olympics and it was teeming with BMW employees from across the world who were all invited to attend. We were given details of which group we were part of and we joined the Italian group on their weekend of ultimate corporate hospitality.  We were also given a bundle of fantastic official BMW and Olympic merchandise including coats, rucksacks, caps, umbrellas and other goodies.  After being shown to our amazing room, with its huge feature window with a view towards the city, we went down to the restaurant for our first meal of our weekend.  All the food and drink we wanted was available to us 24/7.  We enjoyed a delicious mushroom risotto, fruit salad, artisan bread and a selection of fancy desserts.

We had a bit of time before the first outing on our itinerary and enjoyed a couple of non-alcoholic cocktails in the lounge whilst watching the Olympic action on the big TVs that were set up for the event.  Our coach arrived and we headed off to central London to enjoy some fine dining at The Roux restaurant at Parliament Square. At all times we were escorted by our two BMW hosts Becky and Doris who looked after us and lead us as a group to our destinations.

We had a private dining room at The Roux.  Ella and I ended up seated with a group of non-English speaking Italian executive types which was a bit awkward!  However, we enjoyed sampling the world of posh nosh Michel Roux style!  As vegetarians we had different dishes to everyone else.  I don't know if they forgot to prepare us a starter and had to hastily knock something up, but where the carnivores had a beautiful looking crab and caviar starter, we had some roughly chopped raw tomatoes in a bowl!  Surely not an original Roux recipe??  The main of roasted artichoke and the chocolate cremosa dessert was however wonderful and presented exquisitely!

After our meal we walked to Horse Guard's Parade to attend our first Olympic event, the Beach Volleyball. It was a lovely walk and the weather was lovely, but like an idiot I had new shoes on which rubbed like hell leaving me hobbling...thank goodness for our BMW host and her stash of Compeed!

The Beach Volleyball arena was so impressive.  The atmosphere in the place was very reminiscent of the American heritage of the sport.  Lots of Mexican Waves, crowd participation with chanting and clapping, a troop of scantily clad dancers who came on between each break in play and lots of great music!

It was real entertainment and the crowd was fantastic.  We had a group of Americans in front of us who were fans of the US men's team of Rosenthal and Gibbs.  Watching their enthusiasm and the way they leaped to their feet dancing and cheering after every point was such fun! Both the American men's and women's teams won through to the final eight knocking out the Russian and Dutch teams.

While we were watching, news came through of Jessica Ennis winning gold and we enjoyed our first Team GB moment when the Brits in the crowd went wild!  It was so moving.  News of the 10,000m and long jump successes were also announced and were met with similar stamping, cheering, chanting and clapping!  Amazing moments.

We got back to the hotel at midnight and with a 6am start planned for the next morning we hit our incredibly comfy beds in our very plush room straight away.

Part two to follow....

WIN a selection of fabulous e-cloth goodies! Plus get an exclusive discount code!

e-cloth is offering one lucky winner the chance to scoop a whole host of exciting green cleaning goodies from their extensive range plus 10% off their products online!

e-cloth allows you to clean all around your home with nothing but water, keeping all appliances including dishwashers, microwaves and fridge freezers sparkling with minimum effort. It’s thanks to the millions of tiny clever fibres in each cloth that remove grease, dirt and over 99% of bacteria to leave surfaces sparkling and smear free. And what’s more, e-cloths are guaranteed for up to 300 washes for added reassurance.

I reviewed a selection of e-cloth products as part of my Clean Green Challenge and was extremely impressed! 

This prize package worth over £50 includes e-cloth’s award winning General Purpose cloth, Glass & Polishing cloth, Hob & Oven Pack, Bathroom Pack, e-towel and an e-cloth Deep Clean Mop.

Simply let us know your top Green Cleaning tip in a comment below for a chance to win.

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For more information visit www.e-cloth.com follow us on Twitter @eclothuk or find us on Facebook facebook.com/e-clothuk

On top of this fantastic competition, e-cloth has also set up an exclusive offer for Inside The Wendy House readers. Just head over to www.e-cloth.com to redeem your 10% off on all e-cloth products until 24^th August 2012. Simply enter the code “GCC10” at the checkout page.

Rules:  This  prize draw is open to UK only.  Winner will be chosen at random from all entries received.  The winner will be contacted for their address details which will be passed on to the PR company.  Inside the Wendy House will do everything to ensure safe delivery of the prize but cannot be held responsible for problems arising from the postal service. Deadline for entries is 12.01am on August 24th 2012.


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Aldi Special Buy Books

Aldi have some fabulous products in store for the little ones to enjoy when the Summer Holidays are wet and grey!  A selection of books including Sticker Books, Activity Books, Noisy Books and Busy Books are available from just £1.99 while stocks last.

Freddy was sent a couple to try out, Miaow and What's Kitty Up To?

Miaow is a Noisy Board Book with fun animal sounds and an engaging story about the cute cat's day.  It is chunky for little hands who will love pressing the button to hear the cat miaow! (£1.99)

What's Kitty Up To? is a busy book which includes a play mat and twelve little plastic cats so the story can be acted out.  The rhyming story and use of clocks to tell the time makes this really entertaining for little ones.

Freddy loved the play mat and kitties and enjoyed having an imaginative game with his big sister involving the kittens having an adventure in the house depicted on the mat.  Afterwards it all packs back into a section in the back of the large sized board book.  It's great value at just £4.99.

Keep your eyes out for Aldi's special buys for lots of excellent bargains for all the family.  Find out what is coming up in store by checking out the website here!

On Site With My 1st JCB

My 1st JCB On Site play sets from Golden Bear combine construction and role play for pre-schoolers who get to complete important tasks with their favourite JCB characters.  The chunky sets from Golden Bear are robust and  loaded with kid appeal!

The On Site Charlie Crane Set includes Joey, everyone's favourite JCB!  He is ready and waiting to collect the barrels that Charlie Crane is picking up with his giant claws and dropping down the chute.  Charlie has to be careful not to knock down the collapsible wall as he works.  A JCB garage, a giant turn table and the office, where the crane operator can oversee the job at hand, are part of the play set offering lots of scope for imaginative play.  Charlie says seven different phrases with the touch of a button and has a wind up, gripping claw so is very interactive.

The On Site Rock Loader Set includes Doug the Dump Truck.  He must deliver rocks from the excavation site up the chute and into the hopper where they are stored ready to drop and be taken away.  The control panel is up a ladder for the workman to use.

Both sets work together making an action packed and exciting construction site for budding little builders to explore.  Freddy was lucky enough to be sent them both to try out and he really loved putting them through their paces!

Both sets need to be put together and have the stickers put onto them, but full instructions are included.  Once built, they are very sturdy and solid and look great.  There are lots of things to explore and both sets include one workman and a vehicle to add to the play value.  The Crane Set includes a wall that can be built up like a jigsaw puzzle and knocked down by the swinging jaws of the crane.

Charlie Crane requires two AAA batteries (which are not included) which enables him to say phrases to add to the play value.  Other than that, everything else is kid powered!  The sets are fully compatible with existing JCB products so the fun can just keep building.

I love these sets.  The branding is brilliant.  The size, durability and solidity of the sets are superior to many others on the market. The are brightly coloured and look great.  The faces of the characters are just so appealing.  Little hands develop fine motor skills with the interactive features and pretend play is promoted by these imaginative toys.  Freddy really enjoyed role playing with the little workman and the vehicles.  He enjoyed transporting the rocks and the barrels and whizzed the vehicles up and down the slopes.  He had a lot of fun with the two playsets.

The On Site Charlie Crane Play Set is £34.99 (RRP) and the On Site Rock Loader Play Set is £24.99 (RRP).  They are available to buy alongside other toys in the JCB range at www.goldenbeartoys.com.

Win a HP Deskjet Printer to Celebrate the Release of The Lorax

The Lorax in UK Cinemas Now

To celebrate the release of The Lorax, in cinemas now, Inside the Wendy House is giving one lucky person the chance to win a HP Deskjet printer!

 A Universal Picture © 2012 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. 

HP has partnered up with Universal to celebrate the launch of the feature film Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. HP encourages eco-conscious choices when printing, such as choosing ENERGY-star qualified printers, using responsibly-sourced paper and recycling HP print cartridges through the Planet Partners programme. Every Inkling makes a difference.

 The 3D-CGI feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope.  The animated adventure follows the journey of a boy as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams.  To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world. 

Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler.  Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic young boy who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Ashley, the girl of Ted’s dreams.  Rob Riggle will play financial king O’Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted’s wise Grammy Norma. 

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is the third feature created by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me, Hop).

THE LORAX is in UK cinemas now

For more information on The Lorax visit: http://www.facebook.com/theloraxuk

For more information on HP visit: www.hp.com/uk/recycle/supplies

Fill in the Rafflecopter Entry Form to be in with a chance of winning this great prize.  Closes 12.01am on August 16th.


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A Universal Picture © 2012 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.


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Ghost Gang Review

New Children's Series of Books: Ghost Gang by James Parkin

James Parkin is a self-published children's author who has written a series of books for 8-12 year olds about the "Ghost Gang".  We were asked by the author to review the first book in the series.

The Ghost Gang are a group of friendly young ghosts who reside in the old abandoned West Tower at Claire Rock Primary.  During the day they float around, braintalk with each other and look out for any children who are unhappy.  At nighttime they can enter a child's dream and try to help them with any problems they have.

The "New Ghost" tells the story of Winston, a young boy who drowned following an argument with his family on a day out at the park.  On becoming a ghost, he wants to become the sixth member of the gang, but his quick temper and habit of calling others cruel names gets him into trouble.  Will he sort out his problems and be accepted by the others?


Both Kizzy and I read this book so we could give both an adult's and the target audience's perspective.  
Kizzy was actually slightly uncomfortable by the premise of the story.  At first she thought it was "a little bit distressing" having a story about dead children, however, she did like the idea of the ghost children helping other children with their problems in their dreams and enjoyed the book. Winston's story was actually quite heartbreaking and from the opening line "'It was about half past three on a Sunday afternoon when my life as a child ended and my life as a ghost began" you feel sympathy for the main character.  Death is not something generally written about so graphically in a children's book, so I think it may take a little getting used to. I couldn't help but  think about all the broken families left devastated by the death of the children who are now in the Ghost Gang.

The settings, situations, dialogue and characters are all really familiar and children will relate to them.  The only difference is that the children in the gang are dead.  They are like a Deceased Famous Five on a mission to help other kids with their day to day problems involving friendship and family.  There are some important life lessons within the pages of the book and the overall message of finding solutions to problems is a good one.  The use of the 'ghosts' in such familiar settings is an unusual twist.  I could almost imagine this as a CBBC series!

You can read a short story and purchase the first three books on Kindle and paperback over at the website bigredsock.com.