Peppa Pig Toys & Paultons Park & Peppa Pig World Ticket Giveaway!

Last Thursday we attended a bloggers' coffee morning at Peppa Pig World to take a look at the new Peppa Pig Merchandise available from the Peppa Pig World Online Toyshop. I took Isla along with me, and she really enjoyed having some time with Mummy alone, particularly as I was taking her to the coolest theme park ever in her eyes!

She got to have a play with a lot of the Peppa Pig toys while I had a natter with some mummy bloggers. She also got to meet Suzy Sheep which was brilliant as sheep are her favourite animal and she’d been carrying around the large size Suzy Sheep from the minute she clapped eyes on it in the room. 

Meeting Suzy Sheep!

Isla's favourite bits of merchandise were:

Jumping Pigs Game - in fact we bought this one at the end of the day!

Large Floor Puzzle, great for little hands!

My favourite item was: 

Perfect for Daddy - "I'm not grumpy" Pyjamas - potential Christmas gift I think!

Once we’d finished looking at everything we were free to go and explore the park. Isla and I have been to Peppa Pig world before, but in term time, so this time it was very busy. So after a run around in the soft play area and a good soaking in the splash area (make sure you take swimming bits and towel!), we headed off to see the rest of Paultons Park, which we didn’t do the last time. I was so impressed – there is so much to do for her age group and I even persuaded her to go on the log flume and she loved it (even though it was quite high!). 

Photo by ChelseaMamma

Other highlights of Paultons were the bouncy castle and trampoline area, the dinosaur walk, more splash areas and the seal ride. We also spent some time with the lovely Chelsea Mamma and her children, and I got some cuddles with her baby boy.

We popped back into Peppa Pig World and we had a go on the balloon ride and Grandpa Pig's boat ride, scoffed an Ice cream and hit the shop! All in all we had a fantastic day, and do check out the online store for Peppa Pig goodies, I know it's a bit early to talk about the 'C' word but for any little Peppa fan there are a few good stocking fillers to be had....

And to make you and your little ones feel like Christmas has come early I have a one day ticket for a family of 4 (children must be under 12 years) for entry to Paultons Park and Peppa Pig World to give away. To enter please complete the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: We were given free entry to Paultons Park

LOLLIBOP SET TO ROCK QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK THIS SUMMER

I'm so happy to announce that I am an official Lollibop blogger. We love Lollibop having been the last 2 years and so over the coming weeks I will be letting you know all about the fun that Lollibop has in store for you and your mini festival goers! The venue is new for this year and will be at The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London - an awe inspiring place I think you'll agree! Keep your eyes peeled on my blog for a family ticket competition, discount codes for ticket purchases and interviews with LolliBop talent and organisers, a behind the scenes look at Lolli as the build takes place at the Olympic Park and lots more. Exciting stuff!
Joining some of the hottest names in kids’ entertainment, as well as hundreds of activities, workshops and interactive demos, are the Mr. Men and Little Miss Village Green Event and Shaun the Sheep’s Championsheeps LIVE!

The ever-popular Mr. Men will be hosting a fun maypole activity area and favourite characters, such as Mr. Bump, Mr. Tickle and Little Miss Sunshine, will be meeting and greeting fans at the Mr. Men and Little Miss reading hubs. 

Shaun the Sheep will be personally on hand at the Championsheeps with sheepy shenanigans, including Shirley’s Pie-athalon, the Naughty Pig’s Sack Race and Get Fit with the Flock. Kids and parents are ‘wool-come’ to get involved!

Other big names confirmed so far, include:

- LolliBop favourites Dick and Dom return with their special mix of madcap games, songs, jokes and a foam pie or two…

- Peppa Pig will be at the festival all weekend, meeting and greeting all her little fans

- Sid Sloane and Andy Day will be hosting their very own Big Birthday Bash and everyone is invited! Expect lots of energetic songs and silliness and plenty of audience participation

- Watch and learn how to ‘Copy Poppy’ with Poppy Cat on the Lolli Live stage

- Straight from Nickelodeon to the Lolli Live Stage, The Go! Go! Go! Show are bringing brand new pop songs, catchy, easy-to-learn dance moves and loads of laughs

- Sing and dance along with the adorable Cloudbabies mini show

- Witness the amazing wildlife showcase with National Geographic Kids Animal Man

- Laugh along with hilarious antics from the amazing 8ft Titan the Robot

Returning LolliBoppers will also see old favourites mixed with new attractions for 2013, including:

LolliBop Live – Popular CBeebies presenter Alex Winters is comparing the live stage which plays host to some of the biggest names in kids entertainment, with live music and performances from stars of stage and screen.

Lollipalladiam - is a live theatre tent showcasing performances from pioneering and internationally renowned companies and artists. This year it features Spooked, the critically acclaimed Broken Rose Performing Arts first show for children – a hilarious and spectacular blend of dance, theatre and spoken word featuring skeletons Molly, Jinny and Charlie.

Science Zone - Make a rocket, hold a dry ice cube, or get messy with gooey slime in the LolliBop lab - brimming with exploding experiments for pint sized guests to try! London’s Science Museum will also be attending with live demonstrations and interactive activities.

Run wild and have fun in the LolliSports area. With activities including retro favourites like swingball, hula-hoop and frisbee to football tournaments and sports day style races.

3ft and under is also making a comeback but this time is it within the brand new Itsy Bitsy Zone. Activities for babies and toddlers will include soft play, baby massage, storytelling, mini discos and much more

The Lolli Promenade – Situated on the River Lea! We’re very lucky to have a real river running through our new home, so why not relax and enjoy an ice lolly at the Lolli Promenade which also features beach hut crafts and bandstands.

Discovery Zone - will host a number of educational, interactive and hands on activities where kids can learn a new skill like beatboxing in one of the many workshops.

Lolli Stops – Enjoy crafts from puppet making, and customised fashion workshops, to balloon modelling, and graffiti painting, there is a something to make and do around every corner.

The Meadows - A perfect spot to chill out, enjoy your lunch and watch our special street performers.

There is also a wide selection of food and drink stalls at LolliBop. Extensive covered buggy parks, baby changing and breast-feeding areas are also available.


For more tickets and more information: http://www.lollibopfestival.co.uk

PEPPA PIG’S BIG SPLASH LIVE

BRAND NEW & BIGGEST EVER SHOW ON TOUR FROM OCTOBER 2013 

including 

FOURTH WEST END CHRISTMAS SEASON 

www.peppapiglive.com

Fresh from the huge successes of previous tours Peppa Pig’s Party and Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt comes Peppa’s brand new show, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash. Opening at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford on 24 October, this touring production will travel throughout the UK and into Ireland until summer 2014. The tour will also include a fourth consecutive Peppa West End Christmas season (details will be announced in due course) and it will be the biggest ever to date.

The nursery roof is leaking and Peppa and her friends need to fix it quickly. They set up a fete to raise the money for Mr Bull to do the repairs. There’s plenty of fun to be had as Peppa, George, Mummy and Daddy Pig, as well as Danny Dog, Pedro Pony and Suzy Sheep put up bunting, run stalls and organise a great day out. There's also a Champion Puddle Jumping competition judged by Mr Potato where everyone gets wet and Peppa needs to find her Golden Boots. Another all-singing, all-dancing adventure full of songs, games and muddy puddles is guaranteed for all the family.

Peppa Pig returns live on stage with puppets and brilliant sing-a-long songs from BAFTA award-winning composer Mani Svavarsson. Richard Lewis adapts and directs this brand new show, following his previous successes with the first two Peppa Pig stage shows and the the current Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom tour.

Martin Ronan, Executive Producer, said, ‘Fiery Light are delighted to be presenting their third live Peppa show in 2013-2014. Following the huge success of Peppa Pig's Party and Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt comes the biggest tour yet for Peppa. Touring the UK & Ireland for 47 weeks, Peppa Pig's Big Splash will be a fun-packed experience for all Peppa fans. To date Peppa Live has played to almost 650,000 people and as we approach the 10th anniversary of Peppa being a family favourite, we hope the new show will thrill fans up and down the country’.

Find out about Peppa Pig's Big Splash UK and Ireland Tour at www.peppapiglive.com

Dates close by in Surrey are:

SAT 2 – SUN 3 NOVEMBER FAIRFIELD HALL CONCERT HALL, CROYDON
Sat 2 at 1 & 4 pm www.fairfield.co.uk
Sun 3 at 10 am & 1 pm

TUES 5 – WED 6 NOVEMBER G LIVE, GUILDFORD
Tues 5 at 1 & 4 pm www.glive.co.uk
Wed 6 at 10 am & 1 pm

Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt Review

CRITERION THEATRE: 6 December 2012 – 6 January 2013

So after our girls afternoon at Aladdin we followed it up by spending Christmas Eve back in London watching Peppa Pig's Treasure hunt with Aunty K and Cousin M. It was fab. The girls both love Peppa Pig and it was the perfect holiday time treat! 

In Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt Peppa Pig and her friends set off on a new adventure, a treasure hunt. Peppa, her brother George and friend Danny Dog get up to fun and games on a day out on Granddad Dog's boat. There are clues aplenty as Pedro Pony, Polly Parrot and Zoe Zebra help them find their treasure as they all enjoy a day of adventure. Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt features true-to-life puppets, sing-along songs and a story that will charm and delight all her fans. 

What did we think?

Well the girls loved it! It was a hit from the very beginning, they were shouting out, singing along, laughing and did the usual worried look when the interval started and said "it is coming back on, isn't it?". The puppets are great and the puppeteers are also good as they manage to convey the characters of the cast of Peppa Pig without being too obviously present on the stage. They also do a really good attempt at sounding like the characters, the girl speaking as Miss Rabbit did a good job of sounding mildly sarcastic! There are some funny moments when George cries and the audience get slightly wet with his tears. We also loved the bit when Peppa is on the beach looking in a rock pool and it all goes dark and then fluorescent starfish, jellyfish and seahorses come out - it felt really magical for the kids. 

The only human character is Daisy who brings the whole story together, talking to audience and helping Peppa and her friends find the clues to the treasure - which was lots of presents from Father Christmas. Father Christmas made an appearance on stage which was very exciting for the girls and everyone sang a rendition of Jingle Bells. 

We had such a lovely morning and it was a really nice way to spend Christmas Eve and start to feel the magic build up. Theatre trips with the kids at Christmas time really are a must! For tickets go to www.peppapiglive.com

Disclaimer: We were given 4 tickets to Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt

WIN TICKETS TO SEE PEPPA PIG'S TREASURE HUNT IN LONDON!

Win Family Fun at Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt this Christmas

A Christmas treat for Peppa Pig fans! I have 1 family ticket up for grabs to see Peppa’s theatre show, Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt, at the Criterion Theatre, London, this Christmas. The lucky family will see the stage production on Tuesday 18th December at 11 am. A family ticket is for 4 people, minimum 1 adult.

In this new theatre production Peppa Pig and her friends set off on a treasure hunt. Peppa, her brother George and friend Danny Dog get up to fun and games on a day out on Granddad Dog's boat. There are clues aplenty as Pedro Pony, Polly Parrot and Zoe Zebra help them find their treasure as they all enjoy a day of adventure. Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt features true-to-life puppets, perfect sing-along songs and a new story that will charm and delight all her fans.

For your chance to win this Family Ticket to see Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt on Tuesday 18th December (11am showing), please leave your answer to the following question in the comment box below. Please leave a way of contacting you in the comment box

Q:        What’s the name of Peppa Pig’s mother?

A - Mummy Pig

B - Mummy Sheep

C - Mummy Rabbit

** For an added entry into the competition please tweet: "I have entered to win tickets to Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt with @iheartmuthahood" - and then leave an additional comment below to say you have done so - for two entries you MUST leave two comments. **

Competition will close at midnight on Saturday 1st December. Winner will be contacted shortly after and details passed on to the PR company.

Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt runs at the Criterion Theatre in London’s West End 6 December – 6 January. For further information on the show please go to www.peppapiglive.com. No cash alternatives, accommodation or travel are provided in this competition. The tickets are non-transferable and only for the date mentioned above.

See Ben and Holly Live - Family Ticket Giveaway!

 

SEE BEN AND HOLLY ON STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME!

 

From the makers of Peppa Pig and the producers of the two hugely successful Peppa Pig theatre tours comes the first ever stage version of the BAFTA award-winning TV animation, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom. And I have tickets to give away! We love Ben and Holly in our family - Cousin M up till recently insisted it was Ben and Polly, even when we insisted it wasn't. I personally also love the show, Nanny Plum being my favourite character - so dry and great opposition to the Wise Old Elf. We will be seeing the show at the end of October, so look out for our review.

In case you've been living in a cupboard for the past few years The Little Kingdom – where everyone is very, very small – is home to Princess Holly and her best friend Ben Elf. Holly is a young fairy princess who is still learning how to do magic properly and sometimes her spells don’t work out quite right. Ben is an Elf. Elves don’t do magic but they are very good at making things. Ben doesn’t have wings like Holly but he flies on the back of Gaston the Ladybird.

In this exciting new musical adventure, Ben and Holly have fun and games helping Gaston clean up his messy cave; they go on a trip to The Big World with tooth-fairy Nanny Plum; and still have time to plan a surprise for King Elf’s birthday party, complete with an unplanned jelly flood.

Packed full of games, songs and laughter, this is an enchanting and magical visit to the Little Kingdom, live on stage for the very first time. This beautiful story of elves, princesses and childhood innocence will delight all the family.

This brand new UK tour is on the road from 26 October until July 2013 and I have 1 family ticket up for grabs at the venue of your choice, subject to availability. A family ticket is for 4 people, minimum 1 adult. The tickets are non-transferable. No cash alternatives, accommodation or travel are provided in this competition. For further show information and tour dates: www.benandhollylive.com

 

To enter please submit your answer to the question below in the comments box, with a way of contacting you (email/ twitter ID). If you're successful I will be in touch to find out which venue and performance date and time you would prefer.

 Q: What is Gaston?

A.      Caterpillar

B.      Ladybird

C.      Snail

For an extra entry please tweet "I have entered the @benandhollylive giveaway on @iheartmuthahood blog" and please leave an extra comment below to say you have done so.

 

 

Giveaway closes on 30th September at midnight.

Follow on twitter @benandhollylive

Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ben-and-Hollys-Little-Kingdom-Live/376266865742257?ref=ts

 

 

Peppa Pig's Sports Day App - Review

 

 

NEW PEPPA PIG APP BECOMES AN INSTANT BEST SELLER ON THE APP STORE

Just as London is still in the grip of sport fever with the Olympics just finished and the Para Olympics starting a new Peppa Pig app has come out and it's a sporty one! Peppa Pig's Sports Day allows Peppa fans to join the sporting fun by competing in their very own Sports Day event this summer.

Now available to download for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch from the iTunes App Store, this fun sporting app offers Peppa Pig fans a variety of action-packed and fun-filled activities - guaranteeing hours of interactive family fun.

With single and multiplayer game play options; young players can participate in SIX different sporting and creative games, which include an Obstacle Race, Long Jump, Tug of War and Making Rosettes.

The app also features an additional bonus sticker book where players collect virtual stickers of their favourite characters throughout each game and can arrange them in a Gymnasium, Football Pitch or Basketball Court scene. Featuring original characters, music and sound effects from the smash hit TV show – Peppa Pig’s Sports Day is a must have addition for any Peppa Pig fan’s app collection!

 

 

What did Isla think? She's played it a lot since we got it but unsurprisingly she's more into the making ice-cream game (she'd obviously rather that it was real ice-cream!) and making rosettes! She loves it - it's like the Peppa's Party app - she likes making the birthday cake most over playing the party games. She also likes the bonus sticker book so she can make her own Peppa Pig scenes. I think these apps are fairly priced - this one is £2.99 and I can guarantee that it will keep Isla quiet while I'm cooking dinner or in the car for instance. The only thing I would say is that it's making me really wish we had an iPad as the games would be so much better played on one of those for the bigger screen that you could play it on. It doesn't spoil Isla's enjoyment though as she doesn't know what an iPad is - it's only her mummy that knows and would really love one! She's only played it on her own so far so we've yet to play it as more of a competition, which might make it more fun for her. All in all this game gets the thumbs up.

The Peppa Pig’s Sports Day app is now available for £2.99 from the App Store or at www.itunes.com/appstore 

 

 

 

We were sent a code in order to download this app free of charge, but this review was written honestly. 

 

 

 

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom - Live Stage Show

BEN & HOLLY’S LITTLE KINGDOM

LIVE ON STAGE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME

FROM THE MAKERS OF PEPPA PIG

NEW UK TOUR FOR 2012/2013

TOUR DATES FOR 2012 ANNOUNCED:

OPENS 26 OCTOBER at THE ORCHARD THEATRE, DARTFORD

 

From the makers of Peppa Pig and the producers of the two hugely successful Peppa Pig theatre tours comes the first ever stage version of the BAFTA award-winning TV animation, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom. This brand new UK tour opens at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford on 26 October at the start of an extensive UK tour, booking through till summer 2013.

The Little Kingdom – where everyone is very, very small – is home to Princess Holly and her best friend Ben Elf. Holly is a young fairy princess who is still learning how to do magic properly and sometimes her spells don’t work out quite right. Ben is an Elf. Elves don’t do magic but they are very good at making things. Ben doesn’t have wings like Holly but he flies on the back of Gaston the Ladybird.

In this exciting new musical adventure, Ben and Holly have fun and games helping Gaston clean up his messy cave; they go on a trip to The Big World with tooth-fairy Nanny Plum; and still have time to plan a surprise for King Elf’s birthday party, complete with an unplanned jelly flood.

Packed full of games, songs and laughter, this is an enchanting and magical visit to the Little Kingdom, live on stage for the very first time. This beautiful story of elves, princesses and childhood innocence will delight all the family.

Information about the show can be found at www.benandhollylive.com

Isla and Noah's Party

So after Noah's birthday came Isla's birthday, born 2 years and 4 days apart this now allows for a bit of cunning for a few years at least - JOINT PARTIES! They had their party at a local soft play centre with 16 friends (not including baby siblings) - it was a full house and I think the kids loved it.  Before we even got in the soft play Noah managed to fall over, bang his nose and make it bleed. Grrr. Luckily it stopped pretty quickly and he got stuck into the bouncy castle. They bounced, they ran around, they yelled and cried and did all the things that excitable 3 year olds do really. After an hour of madness we went off to eat - most of them don't touch the 'real' food as they're too hyped by the thought of cake and ice cream.

Isla loved her birthday cake - Peppa Pig - i was given my orders months before, so I bought some edible Peppa Pig characters from a lady on eBay and I fixed them to a pre-made plain white iced cake. And also because it was Noah's party too he got a Thomas the Tank Engine  - he is already obsessed with that train!

I decided not to do the traditional party bag thing and bought all the kids a painting set instead from Tesco - Princesses for girls and Cars for boys. Everyone took cake and a handful of chocolate treats and a balloon home. It felt like it went really well and I definitely know that it lived up to Isla's expectations. My only regret is that I didn't get to spend as much time just watching them having a brilliant time. And something I've realised lately is that I do just love watching them, especially when they don't realise it. The pure joy written all over their faces is just priceless.

Two days after the party it was Isla's birthday and the night before I was busy wrapping and organising her presents and balloons. I was really excited because she was getting her first bike and she'd recently been talking about how much she wanted a princess bike. We'd had a slight hitch with the whole bike surprise thing ealier in the day when she'd walked into our bedroom and come face to face with it. Me and the OH froze and didn't speak and she looked open mouthed at us and whispered 'biiiiiike'. We hurried her out and told her that Daddy was fixing one of her friends bikes! The little white lie we'd told her obviously stuck in her mind the following morning as she had actually thought that it was her friends bike so we then had to convince her it was hers. The hazards of having a small house with nowhere to hide things!

She opened all her presents (there were loads), had a ride on her Princess bike and then we got ready for a trip to the farm with some friends. We had a great time, it was miraculously a dry, partly sunny day in a mostly wet and unseasonally cold week. It was just a lovely family day and looking at my little family I realised that we now have a new toddler in the house and my old toddler is really a bit too grown up to be called that anymore. Happy days.

Noah at 11 months

It feels like in the last month Noah has really changed from baby to almost toddler. Traces of babyhood remain but he's growing up so fast! He also seems to be doing things a lot quicker than Isla did and I guess that must be the influence of having an older sibling and wanting to do everything that she does.

In the past few weeks he has been practising his standing up on his own skills. He stands up hands free and looks around for appreciation, which of course he gets. Yesterday he was even standing up lifting a ride on toy up in the air, I'm wondering if it's too late to enter him into Olympic weight lifting?

He's also understanding so much of what we say to him now. If you ask him to clap he'll do it. He'll also give kisses too! The one development that I'm not so keen on is the shaking his head 'no'. I seem to remember 'no' becoming Isla's favourite word so I'm not looking forward to that phase starting again. He also whistles, it started with him blowing and then it became a whistle, so funny because I can't even whistle, neither can Isla and reminds me of an episode of Peppa Pig where she desparately wants to whistle and can't but even George can do it. He's also a pro at playing the harmonica....

He is a climber in a way that Isla never was, he wants to climb on chairs, Isla's bed and if we accidentally leave the downstairs stair gate open he's up like a shot. Needless to say it's staying shut a lot now, even though this then proves tricky when Isla wants to make a dash for the loo - why do kids always wait till the last minute?!

What else is he up to? Well he eats really well, doesn't refuse very much (yet), his sleep has improved slightly, there are fewer 5am starts than say 2 months ago but still more than I'd like! He has recently started to like some characters on TV - In the Night Garden has become a favourite since we went to see the show - when it comes on TV he points to the photo that we had taken with Iggle Piggle! He also loves Thomas the Tank Engine. Gets really excited when he hears the music for it. Bedtime reading is also one of his favourite times and he loves books with sounds, but his favourite one is the same as Isla's was at his age - a book called Peepo Sun. He's also got a favourite toy/comforter called Doggy the Bob. I swore after Big Sheepy that we wouldn't go down that route again but I find myself in a similar situation again where he loves this toy and gets upset when either someone else has taken it or he's not ready to give it up when he's woken up. He sleeps cuddling it - it really is too bloody cute!

Oh and he's also very nearly got 6 teeth and its so obvious that he finds them a bit strange as he pulls all kinds of faces and is constantly rolling his tongue over them, I guess it must be weird all of a sudden these sharp little things spring up in your gummy mouth.

He's still totally devoted to me and cries blue murder if I have to walk away from him for anything. He's settled at nursery though now and is comfortable with the girls there and recognises where he's going when we show up there.

So he's almost 1 years old and I can't quite believe it, it has to be the fastest year of my life. I'm so enjoying watching him grow and become the most gorgeous little boy. MY little boy.

Isla, my fashion conscious toddler

In the past couple of months Isla has become very assertive when it comes to what she wants to wear. I say fashion conscious, but that's not really it as what she decides to wear isn't really Spring/ Summer 2012 or anything, it's just that she knows what she likes and what she doesn't like!

Initially it was all rooted in wearing everything with Peppa Pig on it. I found that she was wearing clothes with cartoon characters on all the time and it drove me a little crazy. Grandparents would buy her Peppa clothing and she loved it! I do love all that kind of thing but I also wanted her to wear other non branded clothing. So, the purchases of Peppa clothing slowed down a bit until I made a trip to Asda with Isla before Christmas. We were taking a look at the clothes when she spotted a pink stripey Peppa Pig dress. Now, I really didn't like it but I got the impression that things were going to be a bit tricky in the supermarket if I didn't get her that dress and when they're priced so cheaply it was no sweat to buy it for her.  Here is the offending item....

This dress has now become her favourite item of clothing and she teams it up with some (non-matching) pink leggings and stripey socks. She LOVES it. The only way we can get away with her not wearing it is to say it's in the wash!
Having said that she likes all things Peppa, she will not wear this particular Peppa top that I bought for her from Tesco.

I really liked it as it wasn't the typical pink, girly style, it's purple and blue and in my eyes a bit more funky. Can I get her to wear it? NO. I even give her a choice now in the mornings and every now and then I get this top out along with another more plain one and she always says "I'll wear that one later" to the Peppa Pig top! When she says she'll do anything later it basically means NEVER.
Then at Christmas time Isla got an outfit bought for her by her great aunt, some jeans and a top. The top was navy blue with a pink pattern on. One morning I got the outfit from the draw and went to put it on her. I got the jeans on but when I went to put the top over her head, she flatly refused to wear it. I tried again a few days later and again she really wouldn't wear it. Luckily I hadn't taken the tags off and I decided that there was no point in forcing her to wear something she didn't like and I took it back to the shop for something else.

To me this all seems a bit early for her to have such opinions on what she wears. A couple of weeks ago she had her first ballet lesson and afterwards I promised her i would get her a net ballet style skirt. I'd already seen one in Next and so we headed there. She proceeded to lead me all round the store pointing out what she liked and refusing a lot of what I was pointing out! We also came away with the headband she is wearing in the pictures above.

I love it and I'm finding her new found girliness and desire for dresses really sweet as up until now I've not really dressed her like that. She's been more like a mini me - wearing jeans and tops and nearly always trainers. I'm looking forward to summer and her wearing all sorts of pretty stuff!

Is your toddler as assertive about what they want to wear? Does it differ between boys and girls? Do you tend to dress your little one like a mini you? I'd love to know your thoughts.

My toddler this week #2

Potty in the background, nice! Proudly showing her clever puzzle skills!

So this week I'm noticing all the things that Isla has been saying. I notice that sometimes when I've said something to her she stops and looks at me really seriously. This is when she is thinking about something I've said, mulling it over and trying to make sense of it. One of my favourites recently has been this:

Me: You're such a clever old stick!
About a minutes silence
Isla: I'm not a clever old stick, I'm Isla!

See, very clever!

My other favourite is this one:

Me: What's the magic word
Isla: Abra....
Me: No, not that magic word
Isla: Oh, thank you!

I loved that one, she has a magic wand and is so into changing us into frogs or rabbits at the moment.

Another one that I have no idea where it came from is her saying "Bravo!" when we've achieved something! Not something I've ever really said, so I'm assuming this is a nursery thing.

We've also had a lot of references to 'best friends' this week. Just to show how fickle toddlers are, here are two examples, the first one happened when I was laid up in bed with a bad back this week. I can hear Isla downstairs harassing the Other Half to come upstairs and see me..

Isla: I want to see mummy, mummy is my best fwwwweind

On the flip side of this, the following morning when I was trying to get her dressed, (me still having the bad back) I got cross as she was escaping my clutches! So this time:

Isla: You're not my best fwwwweind anymore

The final two Isla quotes can be solely attributed to Peppa Pig and Ben and Holly:

"Sit down your majesty" and "Ahoy there me hearties"

The first one I'm trying to get her to say to my Dad, just because I think this would be funny. I'm loving Isla's chit chat most of the time and I'm going to keep trying to record her 'Islaisms' so we can look back on them and have a good giggle!

Peppa Pig - International Day & Other Stories - Review & Competition

Isla is absolutely obsessed with Peppa Pig, if I let her she would watch it over and over again! Not to mention the numerous t-shirts, slippers, hats all emblazoned with Peppa. In order to satisfy her thirst for all things Peppa she even went to Peppa Pig World this summer and tomorrow is going to see Peppa Pig Live, so you see we have a true fan on our hands! So when we were sent 'International Day and Other Stories to review she was so excited and if I'm honest so was I because it has episodes with my favourite character - Grampy Rabbit! Who can resist a character voiced by Brian Blessed?! Needless to say this DVD has already been watched 4 times in 3 days so I think it has Isla's seal of approval. I love watching her reactions to the characters and hearing her giggle to the tales of this cheeky piggy!  

Entertainment One would like to offer one of my readers the chance to win a copy of this DVD. All you have to do is comment below with the answer to the following question:

Who is Peppa Pig's best friend?

(a) Zoe Zebra
(b) Rebbecca Rabbit
(c) Susie Sheep

Please leave contact details along with your answer so I can get in touch should you be the winner! Entries need to be in by 24th October.

And should you need any convincing that this is a great DVD, Check out the blurb.....

International Day and Other Stories

AVAILABLE TO OWN ON DVD FROM MONDAY 24^th OCTOBER 2011

Peppa Pig, the UK’s No. 1 pre-school character, returns to entertain your little ones this autumn in a brand new DVD Peppa Pig International Day and Other Stories.

Available from Monday 24^th October 2011 (£12.99 RRP, Cert U, Entertainment One) just in time for the school and nursery half term break, the DVD is packed with 11 fun-filled tales about Peppa Pig and her family with all the joy and laughter we’ve come to expect from this adorable character.

Peppa Pig is a loveable, cheeky piggy who lives with her little brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa’s favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and jumping in muddy puddles. Her adventures always end happily with loud snorts of laughter.

Join Peppa Pig and her little brother George for the lead International Day episode, where Peppa and all her friends at playgroup dress up as different countries from all over the world, and 10 other adventures that will have the whole family singing Peppa Pig – Oink Oink!

EPISODE LISTING

International Day - Grampy Rabbit's Boatyard - Shake Rattle and Bang - Pottery -- Mr Fox's Van - Biggest Puddle in the World - Chatterbox - Chloe's Big Friends - Edmond Elephant's Birthday -  Gym Class

BONUS EPISODE - Paper Aeroplane

Lollibop Update and Ticket Giveaway!

I've blogged previously about how we've been given the opportunity to be an Official Lollibop family for this years Lollibop Festival in Regent's Park - a festival aimed at the under 10's. We're so excited and can't wait for Isla to have a fun day with all the attractions that will be there.

Recent additions to the line up include Peppa Pig and Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom - both of these will get Isla extremely excited as these are her two favourite TV programmes!



Rastamouse is also on the programme and I know that there are a lot of parents who like that let alone the kids! I'm particularly looking forward to 'Minimission' - an Ibizan style club for kids with music from Baby does Disco - where there will be a beach, tea, treatments and mini makeovers! There's also a Bubble Zone and Face Painting - both things that Isla has enjoyed in the past. The best thing about all this is that once in the festival all these things are free (apart from the food/ drinks and I think we'll probably take a picnic to get over that!) and so no need to put your hand in your pocket.

So after reading all that, what are you waiting for? At the moment there is an exclusive promo code that enables people to purchase LolliBop tickets at the (now ceased) Early Bird rate of £19 per ticket – rather than the current price of £23.

The promo code is LOLLIBLOG (case sensitive) and is only available through Ticketmaster - http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Lollibop-Festival-tickets/artist/1106046.

But bigger news than this is that the fantastic Lollibop people have given my blog readers the chance to win a ticket for a family of 4 to gain free entrance on any day over the weekend, 5th - 7th August - you choose! This is such a great prize and would usually set you back £80 as an advance online purchase or £108 on the gate!

So for your chance to win, compulsory entry is to please visit the official Lollibop site and come back and leave a comment below telling me what you and your children would most like to see at this years Lollibop festival - there is so much to choose from, so I don't mind if it's a long list!

For a second extra entry please 'Like' the Lollibop Facebook page here: http://on.fb.me/hOqELv

and I Heart Motherhood Facebook Page here: http://on.fb.me/lIUiHW and leave a separate comment to say you have done both of these - if you already 'Like' then please let me know.

For a final extra opportunity to win Tweet to say you have entered this competition including the Twitter ID @iheartmuthahood and @lollibopuk and again leave another comment saying you have done this.

For all entries please leave either your email address or twitter ID as a method of contacting you should you win.

This competition is open until 30th June, so good luck!