Tractor Ted

One thing that is as sure as night following day is that little children will love tractors!  Whenever they spot a tractor working in a field they are spellbound.  Something about the oversized vehicles is mesmerising to toddlers who can watch them for hours.  It is from this that Tractor Ted was born.  Using real life footage and photos, the first DVD Tractor Ted in Tractorland, was made.  Not only do children enjoy watching the tractors in action, they learn about where healthy food comes from, caring for the environment and the fun of the outdoors.

Tractor Ted combines real life facts and fun to create an entertaining and educational brand that children will love.  The range has expanded to include DVDs, books, clothing, toys and gifts.  We were delighted to receive some lovely Tractor Ted products to try for ourselves.

My first impressions were that I loved the branding.  The photography is lovely and colourful and Tractor Ted is a very appealing character.  The logo gives all the products a strong identity making them instantly recognisable as being part of the Tractor Ted range.

We received the Mighty Maize Machine DVD.  Tractor Ted visits two farms, a cow and a sheep dairy, where he meets the amazing forage harvester that is busy making silage from the maize and grass.  The film is packed with machines such as mowers, feed wagons, rakes and JCBs. The running time is 40 minutes.  Tractor Ted's narration is very informative (sometimes to the point of being quite technical).  It's a bit like a mini-guide to farming in parts, which older farm fanatics will enjoy, but it was a bit too grown up to hold 2 year old Fred's attention.  There are catchy, original songs alongside the imagery of life at the farm, and they did capture Fred's imagination. Don't expect a fictional story, this is educational, packed full of farming facts and the real life day to day work of farmers. This is the latest DVD in the range that now has fifteen titles to choose from.  They are compatible with the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Tractor Ted Meets the Animals is a lovely 32 page picture book featuring farm animals.  It explores cows, pigs and sheep, where they live and what they eat.  It also shows you all the machinery used in the care of the animals including feed wagons and muck spreaders.  The photography is lovely and the paper is thick and glossy.  It is a really great quality book.  The wording is simple but really factual and educational.  There are some activities at the back of the book for little ones to do.  Freddy really liked the pictures of the animals and machines. There are seven titles for your little bookworm!

The plate, bowl and cup Breakfast Set would make a lovely gift that any tractor mad tot will adore.  Made of solid melamine the pieces are really robust and practical.  The striking machinery design is eyecatching with the Tractor Ted logo in a central position smiling at you while you eat!

I love the idea of having Tractor Ted in the bottom of the cup encouraging children to drink up!  The three piece set comes in a gift box making it a lovely present for any young child.  The range of gifts includes a rucksack, jigsaw, placemat, toys and plenty more tractor related goodies!  There is even a Tractor Ted Chocolate!!  The merchandise is definitely suitable for even the youngest tractor fans.

The website www.tractorland.co.uk is wonderful for both kids and adults.  As well as the online shop, the Tractor Ted site has fun games, pictures and video clips.  There is a blog keeping readers up to date with news from the farm.  Ted's even got his own fan club!

The DVDs are £9.99, Books are £4.99 and the Breakfast Set is £19.99.  There are often special offers on the site so check back regularly!

Although the DVD was a bit old for Freddy, he loved the book and the Breakfast Set.  Older children with a passion for farming and tractors will love the DVDs, and they do offer something quite unique and educational.

Classic Festive Family Films

We love to snuggle up with a bowl of popcorn and a festive film.  It is a family Christmas tradition!  

I'm always on the lookout for new films that will appeal to 2 year old Freddy as well as the older kids, so we can watch together.  

I have been sent a range of DVDs that really fit the bill.

Emmett the Otter's Jug Band Christmas, How the Toys Saved Christmas and  the Paul McCartney Music and Animation Collection are all classic Christmas movies.

Emmett the Otter's Jug Band Christmas is a Jim Henson film telling the story of  a poor otter family who risk everything to try to win a cash prize in a talent contest to get some money for Christmas.  Emmett forms a jug band to try to win the $50 prize but the Riverbottom Gang pose some tough (and funky) competition. But they soon learn that there are more important things than winning.  Like family!  The songs are fun in this musical treat and the performing critters delighted my kids.  It's a real Henson gem and bound to become a festive favourite in my house!

How The Toys Saved Christmas follows what happens when Granny Rose, Santa's helper, falls ill.  She recruits Mr Grimm to deliver the toys.  He has an evil plan to sell the toys to children who can afford them.  The toys flee to try to take matters into their own hands and find their true homes with the children in time for Christmas.  The toys' adventure is memorable and the toy characters themselves are very appealing.  Films like this are the forerunners of Toy Story.  It is a lovely film with lovely moments where the toys have to be brave to deliver themselves.  The crayons are cute little characters!  A real sweet movie for little ones.

Paul McCartney The Music and Animation Collection has three classics to enjoy.  Tropic Island Hum, Tuesday and Rupert and the Frog Chorus.  Most of us remember the Frog Chorus featuring Rupert Bear and it is nice to share it with the children and sing "We all stand together!"  I had never heard of the other two projects before.  Tuesday is a magical, musical story of some bored frogs whose lily pads fly into town so they can have some fun.  Dustin Hoffman voices a part it. Tropic Island Hum really appealed to us being vegetarian.  It is the story of an island where animals are free from hunters and abuse.  It was made with Paul's wife Linda, who was a real advocate for animal protection.  Wirral the Liverpudlian Squirrel is at the centre of the story when he is rescued from hunters by a frog in a hot air balloon and taken to the island.  It is done in old school, hand drawn animation and the kids did question the quality of it.  But I think it is nice for them to appreciate the quality of Pixar against cartoons made just 15 years ago.  This is a piece of animation history.

I have really enjoyed watching some old, traditional festive films with my children.  Introducing them to the animation of McCartney and a Jim Henson classic has really expanded their cultural education!  Emmett the Otter was our favourite...a real timeless movie, although as I love the Muppets I am a bit biased towards it!   This year, why don't you introduce your children to some real Christmas classics!

Sylvanian Families

For years Sylvanian Families have been delighting children with their whimsical animal characters and gorgeous, detailed accessories, which bring to life the idyllic and enchanting land of Sylvania.

The little animals are beautifully made with articulated limbs allowing some positioning.  They come dressed in adorable outfits with incredible attention to detail.  You can't help but be entranced by them!

I saw Flair's new Sylvanian Families range at Christmas in July and enjoyed looking at the exciting range of families including the new Meerkats in the fantastic display.  Everything is so sweetly made and conjures up images of country life and lazy summer days.  It is quite magical.

I was sent some Sylvanian Families sets to test out with my children.  I was secretly more excited than they were when the lovely Motorcycle and Sidecar and Wedding Celebration sets arrived.

George and Mildred Mulberry are raccoons who enjoy riding around the country lanes of Sylvania in their motorcycle and sidecar.  With their matching helmets and George's goggles they look the part.  The bike and sidecar both have handy storage spaces where they can keep their manual, maps and countryside book.  Their little outfits are so cute.  Mildred has a pink scarf to keep her warm as it can get breezy in the sidecar!

The Wedding Celebration set was launched to coincide with the Royal Wedding earlier this year.  Catherine and William Rabbit look wonderful in their wedding attire and are ready for the big day!  Reverand Waters the Beaver is ready to oversee the ceremony, while the bridesmaids and page boy are on their best behaviour to ensure the perfect wedding day!

Sylvanian Families are recommended for ages 4 and up because of the small parts contained.  However Freddy absolutely loved the little characters.  He was particularly taken with the bride with her bouquet and veil!  Kizzy is 9 and adored them.  She regarded them more as collectibles to be looked at, arranged and admired, but she still loved acting out the wedding.  Her only wish was to have the backgrounds that you see on the boxes and in the adverts to complete the land of Sylvania!

Sylvanian Families are a timeless toy that spark a child's imagination, encouraging pretend play as they act out scenarios involving the characters.  The sets stand alone but you can add to your collection.  The range of houses, vehicles, accessories and furniture is huge.  You could end up spending an absolute fortune if you aren't careful!

The Wedding Celebration costs £24.99 (RRP) and the Motorcycle and Sidecar costs £26.99 ( RRP).  These are not cheap toys but are classics that retain their value and will last for years if treated with respect.  We love them!

The Gallery...Something I Am Proud Of.

This week Tara's prompt is "Something I am proud of."  My immediate (and somewhat predictable) thoughts go to my five children who fill me with utter pride everyday.  However, there is another aspect of my life that has made me the person who I am today, and for that I feel very proud.  That is my marriage.

Ian and I met at secondary school and dated when we were 15, but like most teen relationships, it didn't last.  We never lost touch though and Ian was always there for me, even at the most destructive times in my life.  When we finally decided to make another go of our relationship when we were in our early twenties, a lot of people were sceptical of my motives. They thought I was using Ian who had never stopped loving me.  They questioned why after all these years I would want to get back together with Ian.  For us it was simple...the time was right.

We got married in 1997 and I'm sure there were a lot of our 'friends' who thought it would never last and that I'd break Ian's heart. Well, it's been fifteen years now and I still adore my husband with every fibre of my being!  We're bringing up five amazing children together and loving every moment of our family.  We've come a long way and have worked through the tough times to create the best life that we can.  I am so proud of "us".

Our wedding day in 1997.

In the words of Shania Twain's " You're the One":

Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday

They said "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong.

(You're still the one)
You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
(You're still the one)
You're still the one I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night.

Self Portrait Oct 2011

The Next Blogger Event

Setting off on a foggy morning with Freddy to attend the Next Blogger Event along with  Lou and Tala, meant an early start for us all.  Thankfully, the journey was uneventful, the boys were fabulous and we arrived at the Next Head Office in Leicester stress-free and raring to go!  Freddy  looked great in his Next outfit...the perfect little ambassador for the brand!  The lightweight woollen hoodie in grey and oatmeal looked great with a pair of jeans.  (Next provided us with a £30 gift card to kit our kids out for the event...thanks Next!!)

We were directed to the mock shop where we were treated to coffee and cake before being introduced to the new range of Next children's clothing for next season.  The kids were kept entertained with toys and by some lovely attentive ladies from Next who Freddy seemed very fond of!

I admit to getting broody looking at the beautiful girls' clothes for the SS12 range.  Some lovely Peppa Pig character clothing caught my eye.  Instead of the usual transfer on a T-Shirt, Next have come up with some distinctive pieces using images of Peppa printed into the fabric with a real retro feel.  There are some  gorgeous denim jumpsuits, smart blazers and the cutest pleated skirts in the range.

I absolutely loved this 2 pack of sleepsuits featuring a brilliant hippo design.  They are really cute and not your usual pink/blue colour.  I love how original they are.

There are also unisex "I Love Mummy" and "I Love Daddy" sleepsuits with bold multicoloured stripy sleeves.  I really liked that they were suitable for either girls and boys and  were aimed at either parent.  Perfect for any combination of family members!

The boys' range included a lot of sporty hoodies and polo shirts, preppy chinos and knitwear.  I really liked the lightweight hoodies that came in lovely muted colours.  This cardigan was really sweet.  I love the turquoise and grey combo!  Very Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl!

We were given the opportunity to discuss what we would like to see in store.  I'd like to see more black garments in Next's boys' range.  Some retro rock themed T-Shirts would be a great addition along with some skinny jeans in different colours.   I love the mini-rockstar look and as I am the one who buys Freddy's clothes, having high street access to clothes like this would make me abuse my credit card in Next far too regularly!

Overall, Next have got the range spot on with many on-trend key pieces that will look great on kids next season.  The colours and designs were fabulous.  It was however the baby girls' clothing that really had me oohing and ahhing the most, so if you have a baby daughter be sure to check out Next's range.  The clothes were just so scrummy!

After viewing the clothes we had the chance to have photos taken of our children in their Next outfits.  Unfortunately Freddy had ditched his jumper by this point but he had a long sleeved white T-Shirt underneath and looked pretty cool.  I can't wait to see the photos!  Freddy couldn't resist a cupcake after posing for the photographer!

Following our fun in the Next shop, we made our way to a lovely restaurant to enjoy a three course meal.  The children were again perfectly catered for with a kids' meal and some entertainment supplied by Jo Jingles.  Freddy enjoyed playing with maracas, chasing bubbles and waving a tinsel pom pom along to the music!  Every child was given a lovely rucksack which Fred wanted to wear continuously, even when in the highchair!  It was a big hit!

It was a lovely (and noisy) lunch time which the children thoroughly enjoyed!  The food was fabulous including an amazing mushroom risotto.  We were all spoiled!!  It was lovely seeing a few familiar faces and meeting some new bloggers too.  The spoiling continued as we were presented with a grown up goodie bag on the way out.

Thanks to Next for putting on such an excellent event with the focus on the children. It was so nice to share the day with my little boy and have him so taken care of.  Freddy had a lovely time and he and Tala slept soundly on the 2 hour journey back home!

Win a Minene Cosy Foot Muff for Winter!

The Minene Innovative Cosy Foot Muff is designed to be used as a warm and snuggly foot muff and blanket in the Winter, the fleece blanket can then be zipped off and it can be used as a pushchair liner in the Summer.

It fits all standard pushchairs and is machine washable. 

Available in 6 designs 

£28.99 at www.minene.co.uk 

Minene design and manufacture high-end innovative nursery products that are taking the UK by storm.

Minene (my child) was established in Israel in 2005 by three mothers with a vision to create practical yet stylish products for the new generation of parents, babies and toddlers. Their range of products include: changing bags, cot bedding, activity mats, bibs, pushchair accessories, towels, muslins, baby clothing & more. All products have been meticulously designed with clever features to make parents lives as easy as possible.

Some stand-out products are their multipurpose 3 in1 Activity Mat, which accommodates different stages of a child’s development, changing from a play pen to a play mat and finally to a comfy sofa, saving parents from buying three different products. Their award-winning bedding is another example of their ingenuity, the 100% jersey cotton sheets come with three detachable dribble pads that can simply be replaced instead of changing the sheet when the area becomes wet. Their revolutionary changing bags are also creating quite a buzz. With a growing celebrity following these multi-functional changing bags are a must-have for all new mums. They even come with multi-wear straps so they can be worn as a traditional shoulder bag or as a backpack and even attach on to your pushchair.

Minene are constantly introducing new and exciting products to their existing collections and have just launched their brand new UK website www.minene.co.uk

To be in with a chance of winning one of their fantastic 2 in 1 Cosy Foot Muffs simply fill out the entry form here http://www.jotform.com/13244612288

Leave me a commemt below to let me know you've entered!!

I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here

I've been tagged by the lovely Liska from New Mum Online in this rather topical meme started by Kate on Thin Ice.

The Rules:

1) Answer the 10 questions and consider the mission.
2) Tag a blogger or two or more to do the same
3) Come back to me and tell me you have done the questions and answers.


So here goes:

1. What one thing about being a parent makes you scream “Get me out of here!”


Gag inducing incidents involving poo, phlegm or vomit...I have a weak stomach!  

2. What skills, if any, do you have that would be useful in the jungle?


I cook with rice and beans all the time, so I could knock up some nice veggie food over the camp fire using the basic rations.  Perfect if no-one wins any stars!

3. How are you likely to annoy people in your were stuck with them for 3 weeks?


I have a tendency to misbehave.  I am not good at being serious and I'm sure that would get on some people's nerves!

4. What is the worst thing you have ever eaten?


I once tried a spoonful of Cod Liver Oil...oh my god the stuff is beyond rank.  I heaved it up and felt sick for hours.

5. What luxury item would you take into the jungle with you?


I'd take my Thinking Slimmer Slimpod on my MP3 player.  Food would not be an issue if I was listening to it every night.  I'd be totally chilled and suffer no hunger pangs or cravings.  

6. What is the most daring thing you have ever done?


I'm not into anything extreme so I don't find myself in many situations that require me to be daring.  But I did once take on a group of yobs who threw a can of beer at the V festival, which barely missed Ian's head.  I went uncharacteristically mental and needed restraining!  So...the moral of this story is don't mess with my man!!

7. Who would you miss most if you went into the jungle with a bunch of strangers?


I could not comprehend being without Ian and the kids for any length of time without contact.  It'd be like having half of me missing.

8. What celebrity alive or dead would you like to have with you in the jungle?


I'm torn between choosing eye candy like Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp to ease the pain of missing my husband, or picking someone practical who could knock me up an elaborate bug-proof shelter, and fashion me my own en suite bathroom out of sticks, stones and rocks.  No sod it...I'll have Brad!

9. What would scare you about being in the jungle?


I hate bugs.  Ever since having an unfortunate altercation with a stick insect as a child, I've had a phobia of creepy crawlies.  I'd fail miserably in the jungle!

10. After leaving the jungle, you go to a luxury hotel. What would be the first thing you did on reaching your hotel?

Check my emails!!

11th mission should you choose to accept it is to tell us why the person who tagged you is a star. 

Liska is a wonderfully warm, caring and genuinely lovely lady.  She also has an incredibly cute little boy who always makes me smile when I see him on her blog! 

I tag:


 Bloggomy
Would Like to be a Yummy Mummy