Wigwam Review

I was asked a few weeks ago whether the kids would like to review something from Big Game Hunters - an online company who specialise in outdoor games and play equipment, so I thought why the heck not and decided upon a lovely looking Wigwam. It didn't take long to arrive but when it did we were a bit stuck as the weather is not too clever at this time of year and outdoor play is limited to when it's not raining. Eventually we got fed up of waiting for a dry weekend in between the ones where we weren't busy and we decided that the house is as good a place as any to put up a Wigwam. The kids agreed - they loved it. I even did some warpaint on Isla's face so she could get into full Red Indian character. We don't have a huge living room so it was in the way a bit but in the summer I can see it will be great to have it outside and we can invite their friends round to play Cowboys and Indians!

Here's a little snap shot of our afternoon putting up the wigwam and playing with it:

Isla helps to put it together

Really simple, easy instructions!

Oh dear, sitting on top of the Wigwam isn't going to get it made!

Daddy gets down to the building!

Squaw Isla outside her new Wigwam home!

Obviously the following day when I worked from home and the kids were at nursery it was the most beautiful day (sods law!) so I took the wigwam outside so I could see how fabulous it will look in the summer next year:

We'd like to thank the people at Garden Games for this fabulous Wigwam - I would definitely recommend - it's easy to build, it's roomy and the canvas is beautiful! There is so much more to www.gardengames.co.uk - they also sell some brilliant giant games including some fabulous croquet sets! 

We were sent this wigwam free of charge in order to complete this post. We really do LOVE it and can't wait to play with it in the good weather next year.

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.

I AM ROBOT

As a mother I'm very proud that Noah has started talking in sentences - well sort of....I'm definitely using the word sentences loosely - "I am robot" is a sentence, right?  

Silent Sunday

Jam Tarts Recipe - Quick and Fun to Make With Kids!

Last weekend I decided to make something with Isla and I didn't want to make cakes and I remembered how I loved it when I'd get to make jam tarts with my Nan when I was little. We would make jam ones and also lemon curd ones (I liked these the best!) and I remember not being able to wait that long to eat them after they came out of the oven, but you kind of have to with jam tarts or they take the skin off the roof of your mouth! It's also important to not let little fingers near the jam when the tarts come out of the oven as again it is terrifically hot!

So here's the recipe:

250g plain flour
125g softened butter
1 egg beaten - you might only need half of this, depends on how your pastry is coming together

Optional: you can add 20g of icing sugar to the ingredients to make the pastry sweet - although I found that the jam made things sweet enough and I stuck to savoury pastry 

Set oven to 200 degrees/ Gas mark 6

• Put the flour and butter (and icing sugar if you're using it) in the food processor and whizz for 10 seconds. Then add half the beaten egg. Whizz again and watch how the mix is coming together. At this point you may need to add a bit more egg. Then use your hands to bring the pastry together. (You can do all of this with your hands - food processor isn't crucial - you would rub the butter into the flour and then once a breadcrumb texture, gradually add egg in the same way and bring together)
• Flatten the pastry out on the surface to about 3mm and then use a cutter to cut out 12 rounds - my cutter was 6cm.
• Put the rounds into a shallow baking tin and put a teaspoon of jam into each one. We had some scraps of pastry left and we cut out some hearts and put these on the top of the jam to make the tarts a bit prettier!
• Bake for 8 - 12 minutes until the pastry is golden and the jam is all oozy and bubbling, remove to wire rack to cool

The tarts were delicious and there were enough to take over to Nanny's! Isla loved making these, she particularly likes the cutting out bit - and while she was doing the serious baking Noah had a small ball of pastry to play with too! Enjoy!

Sponsored Video - Master Moves Mickey

Disney and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Fisher Price have come together to bring us Master Moves Mickey this Christmas. This Mickey (M3 as he's known to his crew) really does bust some moves in a Hip Hop Style! Mickey has a changed a lot since I was 7 years old and I had a Mickey Mouse watch where his arms went round! This Mickey has 8 original songs and knows 15 original dance moves, including the Windmill (I'm sure I was known for doing that one in my day!) and The Insane Headstand! He's suitable for children aged 2 and over and I'm sure once Isla catches sight of him during the Ad breaks on children's TV he will be in her sights as a Christmas present. He's sure to get the kids up and dancing and if Noah has anything to do with it that means we have to get up too, he's forever saying 'Up, up' when I'm sitting down and he wants me to join in! If anything I think this could be a great way to encourage exercise for all the family and it's cheaper than a Wii Fit!

To inspire you to get on your own Mickey Dance journey the Master Moves Mickey Website is offering your child the chance to win £1000 and a bundle of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse toys. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize is film your children throwing some great dance shapes, make it as hip hop or as unique as you like! Upload the video to Youtube and then post your Youtube link here. Take a look at some of the entries to get some inspiration - there's some energetic Mickey impersonators out there! Good luck!

If you want to know more about Master Moves Mickey, Like Mattel on Facebook and Follow on Twitter


This is a Sponsored Post, but all thoughts are my own.

Frankie and Benny's Review - Includes Cocktails!

A couple of weeks ago 3 lovely ladies (i.e. me and my 2 best friends) went for a rare evening out together where we could talk, eat and drink without being interrupted 500 times by children who need a drink, need a biscuit, need the toilet, need their nose wiped. It was fab and it was thanks to Frankie and Benny's. We were charged with the difficult task of trying out their new cocktail menu (designed by Andy Pearson, award winning mixologist and formerly of Something for the Weekend) and have a 2 course meal thrown in. As you know we reviewed Frankie and Benny's as a family previously here and that was obviously a very different experience to going out in the evening with girlfriends. So here's my round up:

Cocktails: 
I had a Mojito and a Bramble - apparently a Mojito drinker is someone who can't resist a bit of spice and are usually first to the dance floor. I would say this aptly describes the pre-family me to a tee, however these days I'm usually asleep before the dancing starts! I really enjoyed my cocktails. Mojito is my cocktail of choice and although the Bramble was a nice change I could drink a large Mo' all night long! My only negative comment about the Mojito was - the mint garnish was a bit wilted - it needs to be FRESH! B1 (Best friend 1 - imagine Bananas in Pyjamas) said that she didn't think her cocktails were brilliant, she had a Cosmopolitan and a Bramble. But she did think that maybe she had her 'wine head' on that night and really enjoyed the glass of house Sauvignon. B2 was designated driver so she had just had a glass of wine that she also reported was delicious.

The food:

Full Rack of BBQ Ribs!

My meal was totally delicious. I enjoyed this meal so much more than I did on my last visit to Frankie and Benny's - it's an Italian American diner, so it's not fine dining or anything but it was tasty and I enjoyed every single mouthful of those ribs! The corn was melt in the mouth. Chips are chips I guess, but those ribs were fab. I had Frankie's Calamari to start and it was also scrumptious - the batter was crispy and fresh and the squid was good. 

BBQ Chicken and Ribs

B1 said:

My loaded skins were OK, but not great. I thought my ribs, chips and corn were lovely, but the chicken was over cooked and very dry. The coleslaw was cheap and not home made (I have to agree on the coleslaw point - it would really make a difference to have a lovely creamy coleslaw on the side).  What I tasted of the Eton Mess was DELICIOUS! I like the restaurant generally. I think the food choice is good. When I have been there with my children the staff have been great to them including giving them balloons which is a lovely touch. The waiter was really attentive. 

8oz Larder Trim Sirloin

B2 said:

I really enjoyed my meal. The skins I thought were fab as they were done how I like them (crispier as opposed to half being like half a jacket potato which is what a lot of places loaded skins end up like) and I thought the portion size was just right for a starter. My main course was lovely, nice taste and steak cooked just as I asked it to be.  Again , it was a good portion size as it was on the lighter bite menu and came out as such. Pudding superb (Eton Mess). No complaints at all on size or quality. Service was second to none, we should have got waiters name as I was watching him at other tables and he was equally as attentive with them. Only grumble was that the main came out within minutes of us finishing our starters and I would have liked a little longer in between. 

I'd like to add that the waiter was good that night, really attentive and friendly. He couldn't have done enough for us really. The restaurant was reasonably busy that night but not once did we feel we waited too long for anything and if we needed anything I know it would have been dealt with. Thank you Frankie and Benny's for inviting us along!

I was sent a voucher for a meal for 2 and 2 free cocktails each. We paid for the 3rd meal. All opinions are our own and have been written honestly.