Creator Olivier Blanc said that he had modeled the worm on his father and he is featured on the children's menus at Brasserie Blanc. Henri and his amazing cooking adventures brings to life the journey of plot to pot.

The garden was created by former Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins. It was designed with children in mind. He advised that it is important to get little ones interested in the environment and that he often uses a dalek composter when he talks to school groups to engage them. Little man loved the garden and made himself at home by watering the flowers.


All the children were excited by the chickens. Little man has loved chickens ever since we stayed on a farm this Easter. Infact it is activities like this that the team are keen to encourage. Speaking to Raymond Blanc he advised how taking children to Pick Your Own farms, growing their own vegetables and exploring nature are all things we should encourage to help them understand the environment and where their food comes from.



The garden had some fantastic bug houses and little man loved the wormery, Shouting "Wakey up worms!"


We were then treated to a cookery demo from Raymond Blanc. He talked about using seasonal and locally grown produce. He advised us to be careful with the amount of salt and sugar we add to our food. Instead of salt, he suggested using herbs, lemon or vinegar to add flavour instead. He prepared some wonderfully flavoursome and fresh dishes that can be easily made at home.



Seeing the garden and listening to the ideas behind it, really did get me thinking. As a busy Mum I am often guilty of choosing a prepared meal rather than cooking from scratch and it is the added sugar and salt in these dishes that concerns me. I shall be making an effort to involve the children in preparing meals as well as encouraging them to grow more of their own food. We have a bumper crop of potatoes thanks to big man this year so that is a start.


If you are off to the flower show this week and want a sneaky peek at some of the fantastic show gardens you will see then here are some of my favourites.







We had a lovely time at RHS Hampton Court Flower show and I will be making some of the fantastic recipes that we were shown and those from the app too. Watch this space. You can download the app on itunes and android and Henri Le Worm can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Now that is one worm who knows his social media. Thanks to the whole Henri le worm team for inviting us.

How do you encourage your children to learn about the environment and the food they eat?

My Little Pony fans will be excited to learn that My Little Pony:Putting Your Hoof Down is out on DVD and digital download on 6th July!

Sick of being pushed around by others, Fluttershy goes on an assertiveness class. She is thrilled with her new found confidence but when her friends Rarity and Pinkie Pie confront her about her recent behaviour she takes it the wrong way. She retaliates by insulting them and then distraught by the upset she has caused she locks herself in the cottage.

The story looks at the difference between being assertive and being a bully. The concept is tested when the course leader Iron Will pays Fluttershy a visit and demands payment for his services...

You can pre order the DVD from Amazon now. I also have a copy to give away to one of my lucky readers. Just complete the rafflecopter below. Good Luck!

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I am a massive Harry Potter fan, so you can imagine my excitement at attending a preview event at Warner Brother Studios Tour. I really was like a kid in Honeydukes. This summer from 20th July to 6th September, visitors to the studios will be able to find out about how the prop department made the sweets and treats in the film. What do you think to these. Which do you think are real bakes and which are prop fakes? My boys found it hard to work out and I don't want to give too much away and spoil it for you if you are going this summer.


You will also be able to purchase Butterbeer ice-cream in the Backlot cafe. We enjoyed this caramel tasting ice cream. The Butterbeer itself is a love or hate thing. Personally I liked it. To me it tasted of Coke Tab (remember that from years ago?) with caramel froth on top. Little man was not convinced by it though. Love or hate, you will get a Butterbeer moustache.


The whole tour is a Harry Potter fans dream. I need to go back with an audioguide. There are photo opportunities galore. Some free, some you have to pay for (they start at £12 for a single photo.) The boys were so keen on riding brooms I couldn't say no. I wont lie, I was extremely pleased when little man asked if I would share his broomstick! One thing to note is that green isn't the best colour top to wear to the studios! I hadn't even thought about the green screens when I packed middle mans' clothes and he went invisible without a cloak.



Middle man had me in hysterics when he insisted on wearing a seatbelt on his broom! Which they have. Who knew!


The boys had passports to stamp as they went round the tour which kept them entertained whilst I dreamed of having a science lab Snape.

In the Backlot there are lots more photo opportunities, including Privet Drive, the knight bus and a bridge walkway. The boys were a bit over excited by it all, and they weren't in photo posing mood.


Finally you see some of the masks used, walk through Diagon Alley and last but not least a model of Hogwarts. As you leave the tour your walk through a room filled with wand boxes of the cast and crew.


We had a fantastic time at Warner Bros. Studio tour and it is certainly a place I would like to visit again. Ideally with my husband so I can get in some of the pictures. I had originally thought that the tour was a one time only kind of place, but my children all took different things from it and I now have the urge to rewatch all the films. If you want to go over the summer holidays don't forget that it is a pre-booked tour and you can't buy tickets at the attraction.



Are you a Harry Potter fan? Have you been on the studio tour yet? What would you be most excited about seeing?



We were invited to a preview event at Warner Bros. but bought our own broom photos. All the opinions are my own.

As Sunday was Father's Day, Parragon gave us a book for Dad to review. Project Dad is a book filled with activities that Dad's will find fun to do with the kids. From building bug hotels, making kites and constructing a catapult game, there is something for everyone. Is it just confined to things you can do with Dad? Not at all. I have looked through the book and am quite excited at the thought of doing some of these activities over the summer holidays. My boys are always excited about empty cardboard boxes so I think a trip to Costco is in order so that we can have a go at constructing a drawbridge castle.


There are templates for making planes and shadow theatres, so the kids will not get bored with all the ideas contained in the book.

Obviously Father's have girls as well as boys and there are a variety of tasks that all children will enjoy doing. I went straight to the recipe section of the book and will be making the dinosaur fossil biscuits in the holidays with the boys.

We decided that we would make the fizzy pink cupcakes which look like little milkshakes.



Little man chose some pink fairy case cases and we made up a standard cupcake recipe. The key here is that we put it in 10 cases rather than the 12 that I would normally do. This meant that the cake was higher in the case.

We then made up the buttercream using 4oz of butter, 8oz icing sugar, 1tbsp lemon juice and pink food colouring.



We swirled the icing on the top of the cupcakes and then flattened off the top. The edges were then rolled in some sugar balls. Big man may have put his on the top too!  Finally we cut some straws up and stuck them in the cake. I think these are fun and would be great for a summer party.




Project Dad is full of lots of fun activities and can be purchased from Amazon. Parragon are kindly giving away a copy to one of my readers. Just complete the rafflecopter below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




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He may give me a hard time but he is only getting his own back. After all he is cursed with being the third boy. 

What is this curse? 

Well here is a glimpse into how little man sees the world. 

1. He looks at photographs of days gone by and exclaims things like "big man wear my coat!" or "middle man wear my top" Obviously he is a little shocked that his brothers are wearing his clothes. He has not yet worked out that he lives in hand me downs. 

2. He is resigned to the fact that he is too little for everything. When the answer to a "Can I?" question is no, he will assume that it is because he is too little. 

"Can I go to big man's football club?" 

"No you are too little."

"Can I eat this chocolate?"

"No it's 9am"

"Me too little?" 

"Yes" 

3. He thinks that it is perfectly acceptable to befriend someone by bundling them. This generally only causes a problem with younger first born children. 

4. He has learnt to play on his baby status. Babies are cute right? Little man has grasped this fact and plays it to his advantage. Middle man pretends to be a dog. Little man bounds over saying "me baby dog!" Middle man pretends to be an alien. Little man trumps him with baby alien status.

Clever.

This cute status runs into playing with older children. He looks up at an older child, pretends to be cute and before you know it "me legs not working" and they are carrying him around.

5. He is surrounded by pictures of people that look like him on the walls but who are not him.

"That me Mummy?"

"No, it's your brother."

Note to self must update some canvases. 

6. He knows that he has to go to bed first. There are only so many toilet and drink requests that can be had whilst trying to work out what amazingly exciting things his brothers are up too. His payback is to be first up at stupid o'clock and play with electronic toys.

7. Little man has never had organic vegetables puréed for him. With my first born I spent my evenings boiling up organic carrots and freezing them in ice cube trays. By the time middle man came along, carrots where banned for their staining abilities. By the time little man came along he ate food straight from the pouches!  

8. When he asks for toys from the TV it goes on a birthday list. Actually it does for all the boys now. It comes to his birthday and I really wished I had actually written down the list.

9. Someone has already done everything first. I feel sorry for little man, but unless he starts doing back flips on a tight rope, then it has probably been done before by one of his brothers. All the boys attended the same nursery but he deals with his place there in a Hitler style fashion. We go to pick him up and before anyone has stepped out of the nursery door he is screaming at his brothers that there is "No running in my school!"

10. He does less classes. Big man was enrolled in baby college, music, signing, football, swimming. You name it he did it. Not the same if you are the third child. He does do swimming lessons but that is mainly so I have less to worry about on holiday. 

And with that, I had better make sure that I am nicer to little man. After all it could be him that chooses my nursing home. With all this evidence it will be the cheapest one he can find! 

In the words of one of my favourite Disney movies "there's more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done." Travelling and seeing the world is important to me and something I would like to do more with the boys. Of course travelling with children is neither easy or cheap, and many chose to do the bulk of their travelling once the children have left home.

Now retired my parents are often on holiday. Being able to travel in term time and having travel companies like Saga which cater specifically for the the over 50's means they are able to get some great deals. They often choose Spain and the Canaries as the weather is good most of the year and the flight time is short. However, recently they have been discussing the Caribbean. They visited Antigua 10 years ago and loved the beautiful beaches and relaxed atmosphere.

My friends Mother has recently decided to visit Cuba. I have to admit that it is not a place I had really considered visiting or recommending my parents visit until I talked to her. Temperatures are good most of the year, it has beautiful beaches, historic Havana, salsa dancing and cocktails. It is certainly worth consideration.

Whilst my husband and I are looking forward to exploring the world together once the children have left home, I am more than aware that plans should not be put on hold when you have children. Growing old is a privilege rather than a right and I would like to experience some of the world with my boys as well. We are planning some exciting trips next year. Trying to decided on the places to go is proving harder than I thought. Top of my list are the rainforests in Borneo and the blue lagoon in Iceland, but you will have to wait and see where we end up.

Where in the world would you like to visit the most?

My boys love chocolate and I like them getting crafty, so was more that happy for them to review the Make-a-bar chocolate factory kits. The kit comes with some printed designs, a tray to make the chocolate bar, instruction booklet and pouches of dark, white and milk chocolate.


You start by taking a design and putting the tray over the top. You then heat the pouches win hot water. If you look at them carefully one end of the pouch has a triangle on it and this can be snipped to draw with. It is best to outline with the dark chocolate, colour in with the white and then place the milk chocolate over the whole bar.


Big man is 7 and whilst his might not be the neatest, he enjoyed doing it. If you go to the website you can make your own template. We did this and big man did a drawing of Daddy.


I had to help him a bit with the outline as his picture was a little fiddly, but he was happy with the outcome.


Unfortunately middle man found one of the bars in the fridge, and helped himself to some. It does mean, however, that I can tell you that the chocolate tastes nice. I think these are a lovely idea. Great for Father's Day or as an activity at a child's birthday party. They could make it at the party and then take it home!

MagicChocUK have kindly offered a Make-A-Bar Chocolate Factory to giveaway to one of my readers. Just complete the Gleam widget below. Good Luck!


Make-a-bar

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I have always enjoyed going to the theatre and in turn I have tried my best to let my boys enjoy it too. When it comes to children's theatre we have had mixed experiences but on the whole we have enjoyed it. When I heard that Tree Fu Tom was touring, I didn't really know what to expect. Middle man used to be a big fan and will still happily watch it on the TV. Little man again isn't a massive fan but will be enthralled when he watches it.

I was therefore delighted when we were offered to review the show. Here are my boys practicing their Tree Fu before the show.


On Sunday I set off to our local theatre to see what it was all about. I couldn't have been happier with the outcome. The play has a lot singing but it is all associated with the story so more of a musical than random songs. The costumes are fantastic.I would recommend it to anyone that has children that likes the show that are aged between 3 and 6.

The show follows the story of finding a treasure map. Some naughty mushrooms called mushas steal it and then Tom and his friends have to get it back.



The audience have to get up out of their seats to help with some "big world magic" and I am pleased to say that most adults joined in.

I have seen quite a few theatre shows that have originated from children's TV shows and this really was one of the best. The characters look like the show whilst still being actors and the children really got whirled up in the story. Little man has even been asking when he can go again and practicing his big world magic!

If you haven't seen it yet, you can find out more about Tree Fu Tom Live here.






We recieved tickets to the show for the purpose of this review but the opinions here are my own.

You may remember that a few weeks ago I posted about the Weight Watchers Pop Up stands this summer. Unfortunately I was not able to make it, so they kindly sent me some goodies to try.

I could do with losing half a stone at the moment. I would love to say that I would cut out all sweet treats but I can't. I would love to say that I will just eat a smaller portion of a cake I make. Again I can't. I need to be able to snack on a low fat alternative and this is when there weight watchers snack have been helpful. I particularly liked the milk chocolate digestive biscuits and the chocolate rolls. These tasted really good. Only problem with these was making sure I didn't eat too many at once!



The fruit pouches we handy for me to take on a picnic as were the crinkle chips.

I was slightly disappointed by the custard creams and bourbons. But not disappointed enough not to eat them. They give you a biscuit fix even if they aren't the real thing.

Again I have to say how much I liked the spicy pasta sauce. I hadn't really thought about them being packed with sugar before.

All in all I was impressed with the goodies they sent me and shall be using them as "Mummy's snacks" when the children have their own. If you live in Birmingham or Leeds then you still have time to visit the Pop Up's just click here to check the venues and dates.

Weight Watchers have kindly offered me a box of goodies to giveaway to one of my readers. Just complete the Gleam entry below. Good Luck!

Weight Watchers Goodies

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I have to admit that when an e mail landed in my inbox about a buy and sell gift card website I was skeptical to say the least. My initial reaction was why would someone want to sell a gift voucher for less money than it is worth? Then I thought about it. I think we have all received a voucher before for a shop that we never usually shop in. I know the boys have been sent them where the nearest shop is 45mins drive away. Whilst it's lovely to receive a Sainsbury's gift card, it isn't that helpful if you only ever shop in Tesco. Maybe you won a gift card in a raffle or giveaway, but are struggling to think of anything to buy? Well ZEEK might just be what you are looking for. Here you can sell a gift card for slightly less than the origin value, but it means that you get the cash. To spend on what and more importantly where you want. 

Looking for a bargain? 

Then you need to look at purchasing a gift card. I like a bargain, but saving money requires organisation and thinking ahead. I was given some credit to try out ZEEK for myself. As it was for review purposes, I played it safe with a Sainsbury's gift card. I have a store just around the corner and can go there easily. The money saving was £4 which is ok but some of the other deals are much better.




I downloaded the app to my phone and it was really simple to use. I chose a £50 Sainsbury's giftcard. I used £45 of credit and paid £1 via Paypal to verify the purchase. The card was then sent out to me via registered delivery and took a few days.

That was it. Simple. £50 to use in Sainsbury's for £46.

It went well so I tried again, this time with a Next voucher. Here I mainly used my own money - but hey that is what I would do when I go into Next. But this way I received a £30 card for the price of £28. Not a massive saving this time but again every little helps! The only downside is once you have sent up your app to connect to Paypal it is really really easy to buy vouchers. Note to self make sure the boys don't play on my phone! 

It is worth noting that the cards come recorded delivery and you need to sign for them. If you are spending your saving on parking charges to go and pick them up then that is no good, just make sure that it is delivered where it can be signed for.

There are bigger savings to be had on some vouchers, and there are also some that have online codes that can be used straight away. Why not go and have a look yourself. I have a referral code of 2hzt8q which will give you £5 of free credit. (And then I will get some in return and the same happens when you refer people too)