#DebsDreamUniform

When I think about back to school I think of uniforms and school bags. So when Debenhams set up an awesome blogger comp with Brummy Mummy of 2 to create a back to school outfit I jumped on the opportunity. I don't necessarily think that uniforms are needed. Especially when children are really young. Max is still in his last year of preschool and I know loads of kids his age who have full on uniforms. Luckily they are allowed to wear what they want as long as they don't mind it getting a bit dirty.

So I have decided to continue that theme and go for the smart casual look. Max is a bit of a rocker so we have gone for a classic mod look mixed with a bit of classy flair. Something that a parent and a teacher would be proud to see in a classroom and playground! Max picked each item himself, he's got the knack from his mum obviously!



Boys Shirt (BlueZoo) - I absolutely adore this shirt. He may have 2 or 3 exactly the same but you can never have too many checked shirts. The amount of dress up and outings we use a checked shirt is unreal. One minute a cowboy next at a christening.

Denim Jeans with Braces (RJR.John Rocha) - There's something adorable about boys in braces and these are no different. Teamed with the shirt they give that impression that he is way older than his years but also cool enough that can get away with anything!

Grey Zip Hoodie (BlueZoo) - The classic hoodie. A grey colour means it goes with any uniform, stains come out easy and it's warm and cosy. I constantly seem to find pine cones and leaves in all of our pockets so these deep ones will allow Max to hide them away for when we do nature crafts.

Black Shoes (Converse) - Who doesn't love a Converse. The great thing about these is that they are black, so go with anything and comfy enough that he could also play sports as well as use them for normal wear. I remember wearing Converse at the end of my school years and feeling like a complete rebel (little did I know that most other kids wore them too!).

In Max's words "Mum I like this outfit because I look really cool like Dougie and Matt from Mcbusted and I can go to school and play lots of music with everyone because I'm a rock star"

(I think he likes it!)


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Fridad

Fri Dad is back after an unannounced weekend off. No worries, simply a change in schedule forced me to alter plans.

I normally take the time to post out parent related discussions. I've always felt that as a parenting blog, I should never stray too far from the subject. I'm well aware Laura can post non parent related topics, but I felt obligated to be stringent, maybe it's the way I was raised.

However, I'm writing today to propose a potential make over of the Fri Dad post.

I've been in thought about Fri Dad for the past few days thinking about how tough it is for me to stick to topics and experiences. What I have noticed is that I enjoy chipping in with bits and bobs that can sometimes go on a tangent.

This gave me a bit of an idea of how to deal with this. I propose a change in format where I essentially break down my post in to 4 to 6 subjects. The subjects can include, personal updates, good ideas, funny incidents and even topical subjects (whatever you read about). Think of it as a guest column just like the Sun, but it's no one famous or controversial, it's just me.

This way I can cut out any guff (though as a writer, a simple edit would make more sense) and cater for as much as I can considering that it's a weekly post.

So now I open it up to you. What do you think? Is Fri Dad in need of a makeover or since it ain't broke, don't fix it?

I've had little chance to interact with you all after discovering when I go missing I'm asked after.

You can simply contact me via Twitter on your opinions...or even if you want to chat with me, I'm @SJCastle_. I look forward to hearing from you and I promise to try my best to give your blogs a look in return.

That's it for Fri Dad, the verdict will be made next week. Have a great weekend.
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A lazy list for a wet summers day.


So summer is over or so it seems. The rain is drenching you as much as that ice bucket challenge did and you are so fed up with soft plays filled with screaming kids galore. But wait, there is still time left of the summer holidays. That means coming up with something that isn't going to the splash park and eating your weight in ice cream! Here are a few things you could do instead (or not- I don't blame you if you don't!):

  • Go to the park. I took Max in the pouring rain. He thought he was a rockstar doing Busted jumps in all the puddles. I may have cursed once we got home and realised he had a pint of water in his wellies though. Still, he might get a job because Charlie Simpson left the band.
  • You could always sit and watch films. I'm sure you have spent so much time playing outside that you forgot what a tv was. We normally go on the kids section of Netflix and pick the first age appropriate film we can find. If I have to hear Frozen one more time I'm going to let it bloody go!
  • Craft. Also known as that one moment you forget that your OCD will kick in when they use more than one colour Playdoh and you find loom bands down the side of every crevice and nook. Also remembering that what mess you make you must tidy.
  • That leads me on to baking. Now that the Great British Bake Off has started you could try your hand at being Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood (or one of the rubbish contestants if you are like me).
  • Dressing up is always really good to do. Until your child is forcing an age 3-4 firemans hat on top on your head and the only fire you really want to put out is the burning sensation on your scalp.
  • And finally, treasure hunts. Also known as that moment in time you can trick your child into searching for one of their toys so you can sit for a moment and drink a cup of tea.

I hope that this has really given you a few ideas for those rubbish raining days! Feel free to share your own ideas too.
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#drynitesmums get crafty!

Last week I got invited to meet and craft with some blogging mums over at Tea and Crafting courtesy of DryNites. The idea was to craft and get talking about night time toilet training. Something that is normally unspoken about in the parenting world but once you give us crafts and some treats we can't say no!

Tea and Crafting is a gorgeous space in Camden where people are able to take part in classes, workshops and learn new things and master some skills. Filled with bunting and Cath Kidston most of us mums were in crafting heaven!

The Craft sessions themselves were hosted by the wonderful Tamara Melvin, one of the finalists in the Great British Sewing Bee (which I for one was obsessed with). The gorgeous graffiti style dress you see on her is one of her makes! Tamara has been working with DryNites to come up with some crafts and projects to help with the process of being dry at night. The idea is to help them feel more grown up and confident in their bedwetting transition.  



Alongside Tamara was child psychologist Emma Kenny who was on hand to give any advice. She completely reassured me with the fact that Max, despite being dry in the day for over a year is still not at night. It's completely normal for children to take longer as it's a completely different psychological mindset. She also pointed out that it was better to use something more age appropriate like the DryNites products rather than nappies as it takes away the grown up aspect of bedtime. 

I have been talking with Max's best friends mum about the fact both boys aren't dry at night and we mentioned that it's something that isn't really talked about compared to all the other things parents seem to brag about. 


We have been using DryNites for the past few months and love them. They are more age appropriate and feel more like pants compared to nappies and pull ups. They are also great as they hold a lot more fluid than a nappy would as they are focused at children with bigger bladders. The bed mats however are things we have seen but only picked up occasionally as we didn't know the best time to use them. As was explained to me, it was great to use them at sleepovers and when they are pretty much there with being dry as it holds up to a pint of liquid and can sit comfortably on top of the mattress as its soft and has sticky pads on the back! Since then we have had one under his bed most nights incase there is an accident. 


Now on to the task in hand, the crafting. Unfortunately I could only stay for one of the craft sessions as I had to look after Max but we made some amazing lamps. To do this we took any simple lamp, we had a cheap touch base one and found some small toys. Our preference was some adorable dinosaurs I found at the bottom of the toy chest. Using some chalk paint (dries quicker - perfect for crafting with kids!) we painted the figures, base and stem of the lamp. 

Whilst it was all drying after a second coat we started decorating the shades. Luckily Tamara was on hand and had already cut the right sizes for us! Using pieces of coloured paper, craft knives and glue guns we managed to create some gorgeous star themed shades. It was a bit tricky to try and glue the paper onto the shade but it looked amazing in the end after some gorgeous fabric trims (Check out two that Tamara made before the event!).


Once it was all put together it looked great, like something I could actually be proud of featuring in Max's bedroom. It's definitely helped with the transition at night time as he can now turn on his lamp when he thinks he needs to go to the loo and make his own way there. He can also sit in his room before bed reading stories with us to ease him into a relaxing bed time.

It was so much fun to sit and chat with other mums who had kids of a similar ages to hear I wasn't alone in the night time training sagas. I'm not concerned now that Max isn't trained at night and think it's great that there is a product out there to help with that transitioning stage! Thanks DryNites for a wonderful day. 

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My Favourite Smoothie

So recently we got a Breville Blend Active. They seem to be the new big thing at the moment and we jumped at the opportunity to use one. I've used my brother's NutriBullet loads but hate the cups you drink out of and find it quite bulky. So we are having smoothies and juices every day. Not a health kick as such but we love fruit and eating it normally gets boring. We also love having loads of combinations of different things. 

Above is my favourite. A blend of loads of fruit to keep me kick started in the morning. 

Ingredients
  • Apple Juice
  • Orange Juice
  • Mango Chunks 
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Chai Seeds
I normally use a handful of all the fruits, mostly from the frozen aisle in the supermarket as it's cheaper and lasts way longer. Then no more than 500ml of the juices and a sprinkle of seeds.

What's your favourite smoothie recipe?

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Autumn Clothes Wishlist: Max

I can't believe it's nearly the end of August. With a holiday, house move and preschool change coming up over the next month (not to mention Scott's birthday) It's time for me to think about what clothes we need to get to wear this autumn. The cold is coming in and I can't wait for thick cardis and plenty of scarves!

First of all though I'm going to start with Max. Of course I would love to spent all my wages donning him in awesome outfits but honestly I make him a lot and buy in sales/in advance. That doesn't mean a girl can't dream though.



Unilqo - Disney Project Sweater - I love this jumper with a subtle hint of the mouse himself!
Next - Stonewash Skinny Jeans - A necessity, these basic jeans are so hard wearing.
M&S - Dinosaur Tee - Max is currently channelling the skater look at the moment.
Vans - Oxblood Skater - To complete his skater look he needs some decent shoes right?
Dr Martens - Max loves my DM's so it's only fitting that my wish list would include a pair for him!
Gap - Rain Jacket - A classic yellow jacket is perfect for any little boy.
Next - Orange Check Shirt - I love this colour, so different and perfect to layer.
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Summer Bucket List Update

This summer we created a summer bucket list of things we wanted to do and achieve. We have been slowly ticking things off our list which is great! There have been a few hiccups but nothing bad. 

Have a family party - We have had 3 birthdays this summer so lots of parties! We have had everything from meals out to BBQ's. It's my cousins birthday this week so we are doing it all over again too!


Book a holiday - Unfortunately this year we weren't picked as Butlin's Ambassadors. That hasn't stopped us booking a last minute Just For Tots week in September before we move. Max has no idea and will be thrilled when he finds out he will be hanging out with Scooby and the Redcoats once again!


Go on a walk - We have been going on walks daily, whether thats just popping to the shops or heading down to the duck pond. Its been great to get fresh air and soak up the sun. Our favourite thing to do is to park in Christchurch and walk down to the quay for some time in the splash park before walking back through town again.


Explore somewhere new - We thought we would surprise Max's best friend and his family by telling them we were moving back. This lead us going on a massive walk to a park that despite living near, we have never been to before. I'm pretty bowled over by how massive and wonderful it is, so looks like this will be our new favourite!

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Our Sweeet Summer

The weather this summer has been glorious. We have spent more time outside than in and frankly found it hard to stay away from the sun. Having said that finding new things to do outside can prove tricky when you are on a low income and don't really have that much to do in your area without travelling. So we came up with a bucket list of low cost things we could do and are slowly ploughing our way through it. Our favourite one being go out at least once a day for a walk.

Having said that our walks normally involve a scooter, some ice cream or an awesome skateboard. We are loving getting out and doing some cheap things so we have come up with a list of things to do outside before you are 4.


  1. Learn how to use a scooter (or a skateboard if you are cool like that) and race a parent.
  2. Get a piggy back off mum or dad so you can grab a massive leaf in the tree.
  3. Climb the biggest tree stump you can find so you are king of the castle.
  4. Make an outdoor collage using the things you find around you.
  5. Draw a family portrait with outdoor chalk.
  6. Splash in puddles and get everyone wet.
  7. Learn how to use the proper swings and feel like your flying.
  8. Build a wildlife nest or a hideaway (with help from mum and dad)
  9. Score a goal (or shoot a hoop) against a parent.
  10. Have a picnic with your family, pick up a pack of fabulous BN biscuits.



We were sent these BN biscuits to try out on our summer challenge. The biggest challenge though was taking a photo before the greedy fingers prised them open! They are great for on the go snacks and treats on our summer picnics. The best thing is that they come prepackaged in a cardboard tube so no broken biscuits on our days out. Max is obsessed with the chocolate ones whilst I am surprised that I prefer the raspberry ones. I remember having BN's as a kid myself so it's a bit of nostalgia at the bottom of the picnic bag!


Summer doesn't need to be all about expensive days out in heaving theme parks. We would much prefer to have a quiet day with family and friends soaking up the sun and doing something different. I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for us!


This post is an entry for 42 Days of Summer Linky Challenge sponsored by McVitie’s BN. Learn more at http://bit.ly/1mRpMCL

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Lollibop 2014

On Friday we headed up to Hatfield with Helen and Max  to attend Lollibop festival as I had won some tickets. I was a bit apprehensive as me and Max are more used to proper music festivals and the prospect of Cbeebies on stage didn't seem all to thrilling to me on a day off. But it was something different, not too far and a few things on the bill caught my eye. 

So we packed the car up and picked up Helen and Max at some ungodly hour in the morning for the drive. The kid's were really well behaved, stopping once half way for a pit stop and giggling at each other in the back so me and Helen could have a bit of a gossip. 

We arrived at just gone 10 to find a maze of yellow signs telling us to go this way and that way, not uncommon for festivals but a bit confusing when the main entry sign is covered by a contractors truck and guys standing around doing nothing. The car park itself cost £10, pricey compared to other events I've been to but nonetheless cheaper than what the train would have been at the end of the day.


Once we got there and got our tickets (which turned out to be blogger passes-good job we are actually bloggers! We also didn't have bag checks which confused me as at a kids event security should be the main priority.) we headed over to see if we could catch Scooby Doo, one of the main things we wanted to see as the kids are Scooby mad. Unfortunately there was a queue out the door and the show hadn't even started. To say the kids were gutted was an understatement. We decided from then that we would steer clear of that tent as it didn't seem worth the hours waiting. 

We took a look at the main stage and did a quick wander before settling with a hot dog (really well priced for festival food) and waiting it out for Mister Maker. Max is a bit of a Thomas fan so we let him see the show, despite it being fairly similar in set up to the one we saw at Butlins. It made up for the fact that the queue to see Thomas was massive. We then watched a couple more acts and Mister Maker - we are seeing him at Butlins next month so it was good to see what to expect as I was confused as to how a live show would work. It was fairly entertaining but by this time the rain had started and we were a bit damp so we went for a walk to find somewhere in a bit of shelter.


We wandered around a bit and took in the stalls and other attractions. We loved the look of the dress up tents and the alternative disco. The boys loved playing with the Baby Annabel's and the Heart deckchair whilst we had a natter with the reps there. I was a bit confused with the layout and expressed it to them as it seemed like quite a few things were on their own away from the heart of the action so could be missed unless you were heading that way on purpose. 



We realised that the timetables that were handed out were wrong so we missed a few things that we wanted to see and do. This lead us back to the start of the venue where Max created a top with River Island, complete with a rock and roll pose for his photo! We then went to try and go in the Lollikitchen only to find out it was ticketed and it was all handed out throughout the day before settling to have a catch up with a couple of other bloggers over ice cream.

We realised that on the stage was Mister Maker again, confusing when it was the exact same show. Made us think and suggest amongst ourselves that perhaps all acts could do one show on each stage rather than two on the one stage each day. This way everyone could see and the queues would be at a minimum. 


I'm going to be honest, Lollibop wasn't for us. Yes Max enjoyed the bits that he saw, but he was also confused that the festival I had been telling him about wasn't music filled and featured lots of people he saw on TV. I think I was disheartened for the fact that there seemed to be a range of answers for simple questions, there wasn't much control or ways to deal with the queues (that apparently only got worse the next day) and so much confusion on what was happening that it led us to leave earlier than we thought. That's not to say that Lollibop wasn't good. I've read and heard so many mixed reviews and so many people that enjoyed themselves. I honestly just think we are a family that doesn't do the commercial Cbeebies on stage thing well. Give us indie music festivals any day!


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Fridad

Yessir, Fri Dad is back.

Fri Dad had another one of his unplanned vacations last week, but that's okay because I was inspired to write this little number whilse I was away.

As followers of Laura's blog will know, we took two young ladies to Summer In The City 2014. If you don't follow Laura's blog, that's what we did. Summer In The City is a HUGE conventions for YouTube channel owners who vlog, make music, films, express hobbies and all sorts of stuff. All ages range in YouTubers, however, the fan base was a young group...mostly early teens.

Laura and I were given the responsibility of chaperoning these two 15/16 year old girls for the weekend so they could enjoy themselves and get all fangirly as everyone pretty much did.

I said to Laura the day before 'this is going to be easy. Max always needs our attention, all we gotta' do is...well nothing, they're almost adults.'.

Though so used to being hands on, we were ready to hit AutoPilot. How stupid we were to think so.

The whole weekend, we were separated. Yes, we knew that we would, 8,000 people is a lot of people to get lost in and amongst. As another persons parent, you don't think you'll be so concerned, but being given the responsibility you DO!

I can't think of enough times I spent in the queue talking to them about taking everyones number, making sure everyone used their phone little and made sure we had a meeting point.

I thought for certain we'd receive texts and calls saying their lost, someone stole something, something's gone missing or a potential fight might kick off between them over schedule clashes.

In the end, it was the complete reverse. I spent the whole time texting to see if they were okay, if they had eaten and if they needed anything. I wasn't overly concerned about the event as I knew little of the people their. I was too busy arranging taxi's to and from the venue, making sure everything else was fine with Laura.

We then hit disaster the following day when we got caught in heavy rain during the queue to get in. NO ONE WAS PREPARED FOR IT, especially me. I was wearing only a white tee on top, before the day begun everyone could naturally make the shape of my nipples with their cold, wet hands.

We had a lot of trouble making sure everyone had dried off, gotten dry clothes from the merch stand (needs must. I bought a tee I didn't particularly want, but whatever saved any nipple heckles).

We had problems making sure they had everything together from the overnight stay, making sure they kept fragile bits safe such as posters caught in the rain.

I remember at one point walking around with Laura who was pretty annoyed that it was hassle. That being said, the girls WERE well behaved and not a serious issue throughout the weekend.

Eventually we got ourselves home and had our son back in our desperate arms. We had missed the little man, even with his major hyper activity from too much sweets (thanks, Nan).

I remember laying in bed and realising something, you never really stop parenting and parenting gets no easier as the child at hand gets older. You always feel like you need to be on your toes about things and you remain paranoid that something WILL go wrong. Either way, parenting is a task done only by the passionate...and the slightly crazy.

That;s all for this weekend. Take the time to give your children a big hug and say that they're great fun at the age they are, because you'll grow together and learn more and more about each other and learn to love each stage (even when they get 'too cool' to love you).

Have a great weekend! 
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Summer In The City Day 1

Last weekend me and Scott chaperoned my cousin and her best friend to Summer In The City, a Youtube festival/convention at Alexandra Palace. I'm not a massive Youtube fan, I merely watch a handful of channels every now and again. The girls on the other hand were squealing at the prospect of being in the same place as some of their favourite stars. 

Alongside all the meet and greets there were a host of talks and panels across different subjects for you to learn and gain insight into various parts of youtube, video making and vlogging. I came away really interested in a few aspects. I'm not the best at sitting in front of a camera so it will probably never happen but a girl can dream! I went to the Booktube talk and learnt loads about book vlogging and a talk about mental health, one that really struck with me especially as I have blogged about my own experiences. 

There was a great host of brands on site that I managed to speak to and learn loads from that I will probably feature over the coming weeks. We also got a great chance at playing new games from Playstation and Disney. 











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Our Week

The past week we have been in a whirlwind of homes, travelling and mixed weather. So the moment the sun came out me and Max jumped on our scooters and went to the park. Normally we head to the skate park but because it's summer the place is busy, so we headed to the bandstand to scoot up and down the hill at top speeds.

I feel like a bit of an idiot on the scooter, but it's easy to catch up with Max and have fun with him whilst getting a bit fitter in this summer sun (that seems to be disappearing).






Hat: Next
Top: Next
Shorts: Next
Shoes: Vans
Scooter: Retro Street Cruz Scooter

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New House! Wishlist 1


So we did it, we finally found a property in Bournemouth that fit our budget and lifestyle. Big rooms and even space for a dining table in the kitchen makes me really excited about moving day. Unfortunately we snapped up the place almost 6 weeks before the current tenants leave so we have a while to wait. For now though I can dream. We don't have a big budget, nor know what we are allowed to do cosmetic wise. Having said that I'm not one for paint. Give me some wall decals and amazing artwork and I'm happier. We have a modest budget to buy some furniture so have been browsing for key pieces. Max has all his furniture it's just everything else!

So first up is the lounge. Grabbing stuff I'm in love with on Pinterest this is a neutral colour scheme and one that Scott actually loves too! It's got a mix of expensive and cheap and sure to fill our room. 


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Bournemouth Oceanarium

When Max was little we had a season pass for the aquarium. Somewhere we could kill some time when we had a bit of a bored moment. We soon got sick of it as you do and haven't been for a good 18 months. Scott decided on the spur of the moment that we would pop down to see if anything had changed, and it made us fall in love with the place all over again. 












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Some Awesome Threads.

Summer is the time of picnics and BBQ's with family and friends. That's no different for us. Picnics in the park and ice creams by the beach are the favourites for us as we can immerse ourselves in our surroundings and hopefully not get any sand in our strawberries!

This summer House Of Fraser have their Summer BBQ campaign running. To help us kit ourselves and kids out in awesome outfits that are perfect for the summer sun. We had such a blast picking our outfit that we raced out for a family picnic followed by ice cream in Bournemouth Gardens after, absorbing all the fun family things that were going on.

We have always had a tough time finding gorgeous clothes for Max but there is an amazing selection on the House Of Fraser website. We are in love with the gorgeous Scooby Doo top from the new Fabric Flavours brand. It fits in perfectly with Max's obsession with the TV show which has us shouting "yikes! Scooby snacks!" all the time!

The Havaianas are gorgeous. Max is always wearing his uncle Joe's around the house so a pair of his own are perfect for the summer nights. We wore them to the beach and it was brilliant to not have to fully clean all his feet off for his shoes. He's also obsessed with putting them on and taking them off.

Finally we have a gorgeous fleecy jacket from the company over at Burgs. It's so soft and warm so it's great for the evenings when the temperature drops but the conversation and drinks are still flowing. This is a little bit big for Max despite being 3-4 so it will last him a good while through the winter too. 








House Of Fraser are one of our favourite stores. With so many brands under one roof you are spoilt for choice! Thank you so much for these gorgeous clothes, Max adores them!



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