Taking kid's to festivals can be a daunting experience. Loads of people, strange surroundings and maybe not everything to their taste. We are fortunate that Max enjoys most of the music we do. That doesn't mean that we have only gone to rock festivals such as Butserfest. We have also been to kid orientated festivals such as Lollibop. Regardless both have similar tips for surviving them with a child!

Festivals are a wonderful place to take a child. Not only are they exposed to some wonderful amazing world, they get to learn about new things, new music and try something they would never expect. There are so many different festivals out there. Day festivals where you are only there for a few hours, camping festivals where you get to get down and dirty in fields and urban weekend festivals that are normally in city surroundings over the course of a weekend.

Here are my top 5 tips for surviving a festival:

1. Plan your day - As with anything, you have to plan when you go anywhere with a child. Festivals are no exception. When I go I tend to work out who we definitely want to go and see and where the important things like toilets are. It's worth remembering that you won't be able to get your kid to sit still through a poetry reading when they can hear the sounds of a recognisable TV character in the background. Having some back up plans is always good!
   
2. Pack light - When we went to Butserfest last year we took a buggy with a rucksack. All that had was some spare clothes, blanket, sun cream, drink and small snacks (my phone and purse too!). When you go out parents tend to pack for all occasions. I chose to take a buggy for Max as I knew by early evening his legs would be fed up of running around the venue (and backstage!). It was great for keeping our stuff secure but it's also tatty enough that someone could take it/break it and it wouldn't matter too much. You don't need to take 3 books, 4 sets of clothes and an umbrella. Remember you have to carry it around all day!
   
3. Ear Defenders are a must - Little ears can get damaged easily. That's why we always have a set of ear defenders with us at any gig/festival. Max might choose to take them off for a bit but for the most of it he will happily sit down with them on. They don't block out the noise completely, merely muffle it a bit so that it isn't as damaging. We love Edz Kidz ear defenders (they even fit over my ears!)
   
4. Expose your child to the music - There's no use taking your kid to a rock festival if they have never heard the music before and will end up screaming the whole time. Similarly, if your child is scared of people dressed up in character outfits then it might be unsettling to take them to a big kid orientated festival where there will be loads of characters. You need to remember that more often that not a child will end up being dragged to something you want. Make sure it's something they love. Blast that cool music instead of the nursery rhymes!
   
5. Embrace the experience - There is no use going to a festival and worrying about everything. It's a new experience for everyone so take it all in, be prepared to jump into something unexpected and be open to trying something new. Festivals are a wealth of culture so immerse yourself in them. There are so many out there for different people and families so find something that suits you and what you want. If you all fancy an ice cream instead of dinner then do it! Treat it like an adventure. 

So my lovely friend Jeni tagged me in the 50 things that make me happy tag.

1. My family are the most important.
2. My friends are always there for me.
3. Having cuddles from Max.
4. Hearing him shout "I LOVE YOU MUMMY"
5. Reading a good book and getting to sell it to someone that will love it too.
6. Going to a gig or festival, with or without Max.
7. Good music.
8. Blasting music in the car on a sunny day.
9. Watching a great series on Netflix.
10. Donuts. Me and my wonderful friend Jess have a thing about donuts.
11. Having a great chat with the girls.
12. Travelling anywhere.
13. Holidays.
14. Disney.
15. Looking at the stars on a clear night.
16. Rekorderlig cider on a warm day.
17. Fresh sheets straight out of the dryer.
18. The smell of freshly baked goods.
19. Blogging.
20. Taking photos for clients that are thrilled with the results.
21. Taking photos for me to remember life.
22. Road trips.
23. Movie afternoons with the boys.
24. Surprise post.
25. Feeling body positive.
26. Seeing a musical with my bestie Jess.
27. New stationary.
28. Gorgeous candles that leave the flat smelling lush.
29. A nice relaxing bath with a bath bomb and a book.
30. 80's movies with the boys.
31. Wearing dresses that make me feel pretty.
32. Cooking anything.
33. Hot chocolate with marshmallows.
34. Strawberries on a summer day.
35. Singing and dancing.
36. Being silly with Max.
37. Unexpected hugs and kisses.
38. Phone calls from people I love.
39. Weddings.
40. Picnics on a sunny day.
41. Mcfly/Mcbusted.
42. My art collection from Neil.
43. Watching old home videos.
44. Going shopping and treating someone.
45. A cheeky takeaway.
46. Crafting anything and everything.
47. Making things for friends/family and seeing them smile.
48. Iced tea. Always peach.
49. Frozen yoghurt. Mango preferred.
50. Taking a moment to appreciate the wonderful place I'm in.

Basil Brush can be called a national treasure of kid's tv. He seems to have amused generations of adults and children alike. In fact he's been entertaining for over 50 years! So when I heard that he was on tour and we got offered tickets I couldn't really say no to the fabulous fox that keeps on saying Boom Boom.

Tell A Story Day is a day that is becoming increasingly popular here in the UK. It happens each year on the 27th April and this year Room To Grow have asked some bloggers to create stories using prompts that we have given each other.

We were given Hannah the Elephant, a pair of scissors and the circus. We had so many ideas running through our heads but we finally came up with an idea (that included Max as he was determined to have his name in there!) We hope you like it!



Hannah was an elephant, and the proudest elephant at that. For she worked in the biggest and best circus in the country. She got to travel town to town entertaining grown up's and kid's by blowing streams of water and playing with her fellow elephant pals.

The circus had just rolled into a new town, the big top making it's grand entrance in the middle of the massive field. As the elephants were warming up and getting ready to make their grand appearance in the opening of the show disaster struck!

The ringmaster ran over to the elephants "Oh help Hannah and friends, Max the cheeky monkey has cut the ropes to the big top with some big, sharp scissors! It keeps falling down, what are we to do?!"

Hannah and her friends thought long and hard. They could try and find some logs to hold the tent up but there wasn't a forest nearby. They could try and pull the ropes tight but there was nothing to help the tent prop up. But then Hannah got a brainwave.

"WHY DON'T WE BLOW THE TENT TO SIZE" she shouted. "If we can spray enough water to soak an audience, we can blow enough air to keep the tent up whilst the others tie it in place. That will help the tent stand up!" The other's looked a bit scared at the idea. What if they didn't have enough air to blow the big top out. But after a bit of encouragement they decided to give it a go.

So the elephants trundled into the big top and huffed and puffed with all their might. The big top slowly started to grow big like a balloon until all of a sudden it had fully inflated! Everyone outside scrambled to tie the ropes down (even Max the monkey who looked a bit embarrassed) until at last it was secure.

Hurrah! Hannah and her elephant friends saved the day! The audience cheered in line to come in and Hannah performed with the biggest smile on her face knowing that she saved the day.

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Me and Max love making up stories. And it was great to have some inspiration from someone else to get us started. So I thought I would leave some prompts here for you to write a story of your own.

Character: Billy the naughty goblin
Place: A school
Object: A bowl of popcorn.

As many of you know, Max is a massive McFly/McBusted/Busted fan. We always listen to the cd's, we have the DVD on repeat and he wanted his own electric guitar so that he could pretend he was part of the band! You can even say he saw them before he was born (I went to a McFly show when I was pregnant!)


For his birthday, his Aunty Jess treated him to a ticket to see them in Bournemouth on Monday night! The wait for him was agonising but the day came round and he was bouncing off the walls. Having been to festivals and gigs before we knew he would love it and sure enough he did. The photo sums up how he looked the whole night! A face of glee and joy. Singing along to all the songs and headbanging in the appropriate parts. He yawned at the end but persevered ending the night by saying "I'm going to be on stage like that one day"







I want to thank them (even though they will probably never read this!) for being true gents with Max. He's an over excited 4 year old that loves a band so much that he dreams about joining them on stage for a rendition of Stargirl. For creating music that me and him can love and enjoy together and (from now) go to shows together. Because let's face it, I won't be able to go without him!

1. Be Realistic - Don't expect to clean your whole house in 2 hours. If you manage to do that then you haven't done it properly. It took me 6 hours to spring clean mine and Scott's bedroom. That included pulling out furniture and wiping down walls. Not to mention putting it all back and sorting through the rubbish. Even if you start a drawer at a time, you could easily do that in 10 minute bursts whilst the adverts of your favourite show are on.
   
2. If in doubt, throw it out - I can't count the amount of times I have kept things thinking that I might use them at some point. All that means is that I accumulate more and more clutter so when a clear out happens it's a complete mess and harder to do. Go through your wardrobes regularly and the same with your cupboards. Be honest, are you really going to wear that top you bought 10 years ago again?
   
3. Repurpose your old stuff - I've really got into the whole upcycling thing recently. We are in the process of turning a bookcase that was neglected into a bench for Max's room and we have created collage walls out of old cards and pictures using washi tape. It's amazing what you can make with a gluestick and a staple gun!
   
4. Don't buy expensive cleaning products - Seriously don't! You can clean grouting and unblock plugs with a bicarbonate of soda paste,  you can bring out the white shine in shoes with toothpaste and if you haven't heard of the miracle uses of white vinegar then you have been living under a rock! There are so many how to sites that show you how using something that you have in your cupboards can clean up a stain that you won't ever need to head for that aisle again! I even got a biro stain out of the carpet with exfoliating pads.
   
5. Embrace it! - It won't get done properly if you don't enjoy it. Whack on the radio, open the windows and sing and dance whilst you clean those rooms!

All of our drinks, food and desserts came in at £49.95 which for what we had was amazing value, especially when you consider its made fresh on site with great ingredients. You could see the wide array of fruit and veg behind the chefs as they cooked! I have to say that we well and truly indulged ourselves and had a fabulous experience in the restaurant too. I have to say that we will 100% be back, it's a great place and there is so much more on the menu that we are yet to try.

I have to give a special mention to Jules, our waiter. He was more than amazing and went above and beyond anything we had ever received whilst eating out.  He knew the menu inside out, was great engaging with Max and keeping us all entertained. I watched as he did the same with every other customer too, making them feel like this was a mighty special occasion. He is a true credit to the Jamie's Italian brand!

Saturday is caption day! So can you add a caption to this photo I took of us at Jamie's Italian. Max had just bitten into a huge wedge of lemon which frankly was hilarious! We did warn him.

The LGBT community is one that has had a bit of neglect in the book industry previously. I don't know if it's the fact it's a hard topic to talk about for some or if it's that straight people don't want to come across as patronising. But something shifted and there is some amazing books out that there look into the LGBT community without seeming patronising or unrealistic. There are loads out there but here are my top 5.



Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda - Seriously I am going to harp on about this book for a long time. It's one that I read in one sitting and have re-read a few times already. Simon is a boy that is gay, he knows he has been for a while but hasn't come out to anyone except Blue, a mystery boy at his school who he can tell anything to. Over the course of the book you learn all about both of their coming out stories, how the people around them react and how the community feels about them. You also find out who Blue is at the end and oh gosh it's such an adorable love story.

The Art of Being Normal - The first book I picked up to read this year and I absolutely loved it. The tale of two boys, one is desperate to be a girl though. It's amazing to see a genuinely love read about transgender teens. One where the characters stand out from other LGBT books and the story is written informatively and tactfully. Where you are rooting for them and their journey and want to thrust it in everyones hand at the end.

Two Boys Kissing - David Levithan writes amazing stuff for the LGBT community. It seems like every novel of his touches upon the subject Two boys join in to break a world record for the longest kiss. Whilst doing so the book touches on everything from coming out as a teen to the gay AIDS epidemic. Levithan writes in such a way that you don't want to turn the last page, you want to keep reading and immersing yourself in the world of the characters.

Alex As Well - Meet Alex and Alex. One is a boy and one is a girl. They are both the same person. Alex has grown up thinking she is a boy, but inside she is screaming to be a girl, yet doesn't know that she was born intersex. Her mum says it's all Alex's fault and her dad has walked out. But for once Alex is going to do what is right for her. This book is powerful. One that shook me to my core and made me want to reach through the pages and hug Alex. It reminded me that no matter what anyone else said you need to live life for you.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson - What do you get when you mix a king of LGBT YA and a king of YA? Well this book. Two boys, both names Will Grayson meet in an unexpected place. Apart from their names they are poles apart from each other, but with a little help from Tiny Cooper a surprising friendship appears. This is a wonderful LGBT book that revolves around teens trying to work out who they are and forge a place for themselves in the world.

Other notable books:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I'll Give You The Sun
Every Day
Grasshopper Jungle
Everything Leads To You

I love a good hamper. Normally for someone's birthday or Christmas I get my thinking cap on and put something together. Not only does it feel more personal as it's tailored to their taste, but you can add a bit of everything. So when Spicers of Hythe sent me an email asking to review a hamper of course I couldn't say no. I might even pick up some tips!

When trying to pick a hamper, I wanted something that had variety. Something that all of my brood would love, so I ended up selecting their Easter hamper. It looked like a great blend of sweet and savory treats to indulge in over the (fitting) Easter weekend.

Ikea is one of my favourite shops. They are doing all kinds of things right in the affordable homewares stakes that if I could I would probably take the whole store/site. But I thought that I would take a breath and focus on some of my firm favourites on there in this weeks wish list.