Milkshake! Stars DVD Review

Freddy loves watching some of his favourite TV shows to relax after a day at school , so the new Milkshake! Stars DVD is perfect for him.  With episodes from favourite shows such as Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly, Thomas and Friends, Tickety Toc, Jelly Jamm and Chloe's Closet, there is 149 minutes of fantastic fun for kids to watch and enjoy. They can dip in and pick favourite episodes to watch or can watch the DVD in its entirety, especially useful on long car journeys or when away on holiday to keep little ones entertained.

The DVD is out on September 8th.

Freddy is a big fan of the show Igam Ogam about a little cavegirl and her adventures.  The episode "I'm Bouncing" sees her on a veggie hopper that won't stop bouncing about.  It really makes Fred giggle!  Other favourites of his from the DVD are the Peppa Pig episode where George loses Mr Dinosaur and "Fun and Games" with Ben and Holly.  Altogether there are 15 full episodes from 15 different Milkshake! shows on the disc.  Freddy discovered some brand new things like Bert and Ernie and Pip Ahoy! as well as enjoying some old favourites.  It's a great value DVD, perfect for keeping little ones entertained.  At the moment you can pre-order it at Amazon for just £7.00.

If your kids are big Milkshake! fans, why not look out for the Milkshake! Live Party Party tour.   The theatre show features a number of the characters that feature on the DVD such as Bananas in Pyjamas, Tickety Toc, Chloe's Closet, Pip Ahoy!, Little Princess, Toby's Travelling Circus and Jelly Jamm.

You can find more information on the tour here.

http://milkshake.channel5.com/pages/milkshake-live

The LEGO Movie comes to TalkTalk - Everything is Awesome!

TalkTalk, Britain’s fastest growing TV service, brings the smash box office hit, The LEGO Movie, to its TV customers on Monday 21st July 2014!

The exciting full-length animated LEGO adventure will be available to TalkTalk’s TV customers to rent for 48 hours for the price of £4.00. What an excellent treat for the kids at the start of the summer holidays! The movie, which has made over £240 million at the box office, is available on TalkTalk on the same day as the DVD is released, ensuring LEGO fans don’t have to wait to watch it.  You can watch it from the comfort of your home with just a few clicks of your remote control and enjoy a hassle-free and fun family film with the kids.

You will all soon be singing "Everything is Awesome!" and cheering on Emmet as he tries to save the world from Lord Bussiness's evil plan.  It's a great movie with a heartwarming message, that adults and children will love in equal measure.

The LEGO Movie is just one of the exciting things, which will help keep the kids entertained this summer with TalkTalk. TalkTalk will be launching free channel ‘Tasters’, allowing customers to view popular channels usually found only in paid for Boosts. The first of these tasters will launch on the weekend of 1st and 2nd August where the Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior will be free to watch all weekend, helping families kick off the school summer holidays with some Disney fun.

Along with the LEGO Movie, YouView from TalkTalk homes can also watch Non-Stop, The Book Thief and The Grand Budapest Hotel, and later this month TalkTalk viewers will also be able to catch Noah and A Long Way Down.  Plenty of reasons to check out the TV service from TalkTalk.

#WIN a Samsung LED HD Smart TV

With Christmas fast approaching, I have a really prize to give away to one of my readers.  By entering my festive giveaway you could win a fabulous 22" Samsung LED HD Smart TV in white, thanks to the lovely people at Argos!

Ideal for any bedroom or kitchen, this white 22 inch 1080p Full HD Smart TV provides stunning definition with a Freeview digital tuner for your entertainment. The HDMI, USB and SCART sockets provide additional connectivity options, whilst the auto set up feature ensures efficient TV channel and radio station scanning. It has an energy efficiency rating A and is wi-fi enabled.

What a brilliant gift for you to surprise someone special or to keep for yourself so you can keep up to date with your favourite TV shows or even access the internet.  The RRP of this fabulous Smart TV is £249.99.

You can find out more about this Smart TV and other televisions on the Argos website here.

For your chance to win this prize simply fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below and leave a comment on this post telling me what is your favourite TV programme to watch over the festive holidays. Are you a fan of the X Factor or perhaps the soaps or maybe you are a fan of the Queen's Speech??

The giveaway ends at 11.59pm on 11th December 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions.

By participating in this prize draw you are deemed to accept these terms and conditions.

Prize draw open to customers and non-customers aged 18 or over who are UK residents. Draw is not open to employees of Argos, their families or anyone associated with this draw. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request.

The prize is a Samsung UE22F5410 22 In Full HD 1080p LED Smart TV - White, includes postage to the winners UK address. Promotion runs from 27/11/13 and all entries must be received by 11.59pm on  11/12/13 latest.

Winners will be drawn at random at the end of the promotion.

The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative. The promoter’s decision is final in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into. The promoter reserves the right (a) to add to or waive any rules on reasonable notice (b) cancel or postpone the promotion at any stage in the event of circumstances beyond its reasonable control; or (c) in its reasonable discretion to substitute a prize of equal or greater value.

If a prize remains unclaimed after reasonable efforts have been made to contact the winner the promoter will be entitled to dispose of the prize as it sees fit without any liability to the winner for having done so.

The promoter reserves the right to alter, amend or foreclose the promotion without prior notice.

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

What's Hot, What's Not - January Edition

What's Hot

TV  The new year heralds the start of a lot of great new TV shows and the return of many favourites that disappeared over the festive period.  American Horror Story - Asylum is one of the best things I've seen on TV for a while.  I love the bravery of the producers to use the same cast from the first series, throwing them into different roles and settings.  Genius!  It's very scary with great special effects and incredibly creepy music.  Other favourites include Pram Face, Revenge, Glee, Dancing on Ice (don't judge me) and the imminent return of series 7 of Dexter!  I know I am a bit of a telly addict but I love sitting on my sofa with the kids being entertained.  I am so easily pleased :)

My Crock Pot Slow Cooker this has been a bit of an under used product in my kitchen until recently.  I don't know why it has taken me so long to appreciate the benefit of chucking in the ingredients in the morning and having a warming dinner ready to serve up in the evening.  I guess Freddy being at nursery has made this easier as prior to that I would have a demanding toddler trying to 'help' (or attempting to wield knives and throw vegetables).  Warming stews with dumplings are the perfect antidote to this cold weather.

JooMo It may only be a face wash but it has been quite life changing!  This is the first winter that my face hasn't flared up with an attack of red, inflamed and itchy dry skin.  I put that down to using JooMo which is made of all natural ingredients.  It's all I use now and it works.

Being A Grandma I get to have cuddles and feel all the love in the world, but I have none of the responsibility.  Holding newborn Ted I wondered how I ever coped with a baby.  It suddenly felt like an enormous task to have to look after an infant.  I knew at that moment that my own baby producing days are over.  Plus I know the joy of welcoming the next generation into our family and it's wonderful.

What's Not

This Weather It's cold...but not impressively so.  It is still wet and the waterlogged fields and high rivers are not subsiding giving rise to a lingering degree of worry and concern.  We are told it will snow but then it doesn't.  A few weeks ago it was unseasonably mild and many flowers started to make a tentative appearance. They have all died.  I guess this is typical UK weather with its non-distinct seasons, where our little island is at the mercy of the weather fronts that come in from around the planet.  But it is still suckish not knowing what will happen from one week to the next.

Bugs The kids have only been back at school for 5 minutes and both Ella and Kizzy have got poorly.  Ella was off yesterday and Kizzy was sent home today.  The post Christmas spread of germs is always a problem and is a reminder of how easily serious epidemics can occur.  I don't feel right, but I just have to get on with things whilst feeling slightly sick, slightly coldy and slightly dizzy.  Oh the joys!

Sponsored NSPCC Event I am all for helping out charitable causes when I can.  Yesterday Kizzy came home really excited about the assembly she had had at school that morning.  A woman from the NSPCC had come to their school to talk about the work of the charity.  It included some very emotive material which pulled at Kizzy's heart strings.  Her school is taking part in some sponsored sporting events on behalf of the charity.  I usually sponsor her for a few pounds as do her grandparents. However, the NSPCC encourage kids to get as many sponsors as they can by offering a reward system.  A green badge for up to three sponsors, escalating to a gold medal for those who fill the whole sheet with sponsors.  The kids were told to get their parents to take the form to work to ask colleagues to sponsor them to get as many names on the form as they could to get the gold medal.  When I said to Kizzy that this wasn't happening she was disappointed. Am I just mean or is this method of fundraising just fundamentally flawed?  How much of the much needed funds are spent producing badges and medals (which will probably wind up in the bin eventually anyway)?  Why should children be made to feel like they have let the charity down if they don't get a gold medal?  Why do the children contributing need a reward at all?  This is to raise much needed cash for underprivileged and at risk children. Knowing you have contributed in any way should be reward enough.  Do we live in a society where nobody will do anything unless they are personally rewarded?  I just think it is all wrong and don't understand that in an economical situation where every penny counts why this charity is wasting our donated cash unnecessarily and turning the fundraising into a competition which causes division and disappointment.  Shame.