I absolutely loved this month's box and I can't wait for next months! It's a little bit of happy each month.

Max, like all kids loves sweet treats. I'm always reluctant to cave in and when I do it tends to only be something like a small sweet or some lemonade. I'm always on the lookout for alternatives for those perfect after school treats, and I think I've found one!

Newton's Appl Fizzics are a refreshing, lightly fizzy apple drink. Made with just apple juice and sparkling water, this drink packs less than 40% sugar than juice on it's own and doesn't have a trace of any nasty preservatives and artificial ingredients.

I'm a fan of anything that's low in sugar but high in flavour, knowing that Max can have a treat and not be filling himself with nasties is fantastic. Max absolutely loved these drinks and told me they were better than the other fizzy apple drinks he had tried! We filled up glasses with ice and poured over the drinks, Max felt really grown up with it being in a bottle.

I loved how refreshing they tasted and it reminded me of a light apple cider. I'm not a heavy drinker and prefer soft drinks so will definitely buy these for myself as a non alcoholic alternative (if Max doesn't drink them first).

When I heard that it was being made into a film I was apprehensive, I tend to always err on the side of caution when it comes to adaptations as you invest so much in a book that you don't want the film makers to get it wrong. Fortunately the author was on hand to make sure the adaptation was as true to the book as it can be and let's just say I was blown away.





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We are massive movie fans, with Scott being an aspiring scriptwriter and Max wanting to YouTube his life it makes sense that we surround ourselves with films of all shapes and sizes. The boys are even in the process of making their own at the moment (I'm the camera person apparently!) which is exciting. 

So when we heard that one of Scott's scriptwriting pals was making a children's movie with another scriptwriter, we couldn't wait to watch it. What was created was Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg? A whodunnit live action kids film. 

The story is set locally in a holiday park in Dorset called Nelson's Retreat. There you find four friends who are growing a bit too old for the antics of loveable Nelson Nutmeg, the parks squirrel mascot. That is until Billie of them witnesses Nelson being pushed off the cliff by an unknown killer. The race is on for Billie and the gang to crack the mystery and work out who really killed Nelson Nutmeg. 





The film really reminded us of an updated Famous Five adventure and we loved the mystery element. Were there any other films and shows that were influences?

We were also influenced by films like The Goonies from the 80s. And then going back to the Children's Film Foundation films in the 60s and 70s. I remember seeing those projected from a 16mm print in my school hall on the last day before the summer holiday. Even though the film wasn't amazing by today's standards, we all loved it! It was the exciting and infectious feeling of watching it together. We also like the slightly bonkers and exaggerated characters from the work of the Coen Brothers and films like The Burbs, so we tried to bring that in too.

The film was part funded through Kickstarter. What made you decide to crowdfund?

We had no official funding for this film so we needed to raise money somehow. We had some money ourselves and some from local investors who we'd worked with in the past. Kickstarter was our only way really of reaching out to find that additional funding. But it worked out really well as it helped us generally reach out into the community and tell people about the movie early on.

The casting was fantastic. We loved the kids as they really captured the fun of the holidays. Did you have any difficulties finding a cast?

We didn't have any specific difficulties, but that was because we knew it would take a lot of time and effort. We had a 6 month plan to hold the auditions. We knew we would hold them in the early summer and that we wanted to spread the word about it as wide as possible. We put some adverts in magazines like the Primary Times, which only comes out quarterly. So that meant we wrote the advert in February. So as early as February we were planning for the first round of auditions in June. That gave us lots of time to speak to stage schools and other organisations as well. If we hadn't planned ahead then we wouldn't probably have found that great local cast.

Have you got any plans to make any more live action kids films? 

Yes is the short answer. Next up is a Christmas movie for the whole family called "Who Kidnapped Santa Christmas?". And we've also teamed up with the guys behind CBBC's "Dixie" to help them produce a spooky movie for children called "Out of Season"

Finally, can you pitch this film to parents in less than ten words?

You could describe it as  "Four kids solve a murder mystery during their summer holiday"

My Two Mums have also set up #geocachingkidsuk on Instagram, a community that brings together families that Geocache in the UK. We can't wait to join in.

Thomas has hit our screens once again! This time in a new DVD and we were lucky enough to receive a copy to review.

Thomas & Friends Start Your Engines is a DVD packed with six never seen before episodes. As with all Thomas & Friends DVD's, each episode is jam packed with high speed action to keep each and every fan hooked. I love that between each episode there are moments of trivia, games and the Fat Controller keeping the kids attention.

Max absolutely loved that all the episodes were brand new and the DVD has been on loop constantly throughout the Easter Holidays. I love the fact that each episode showcases some of the other engines, whilst we love Thomas and he's our number 1 we do love it when an episode has everyone else in it too!

It's a fantastic DVD which is great for a weekend afternoon playing along with our train sets. Check out the trailer below and don't forget to pick it up!

We're slightly obsessed with the Thomas Trackmaster Close Call Cliff set. #TeamThomas

A video posted by Laura (@_laura) on Apr 7, 2016 at 5:59am PDT

We absolutely love festivals as a family. Max has been immersed in the music and fun since before he was even born as I went to many a festival pregnant. Since then we've been to big festivals and small local ones, Max loving every minute of the experience. Here's my list of some of the best ones on the south coast.



Common People - Set in Southampton Common, Common People is a relatively new festival. This years lineup includes Craig David and Duran Duran, which is sure to get everyone up and dancing. Whilst this isn't a camping festival, it does have a circus, knitting tent and a kids area that will have you and the family begging to stay!

Camp Bestival - This award winning family festival has cracked the formula for something for all the family. For the grown up's there's acts such as Fatboy Slim and Tears For Fears and the kid's have a choice of Lazytown and Aliens Love Underpants. One of my personal favourites is the poetry and spoken word tent where you can sit back and relax. This years theme is Outer Space and everyone is encouraged to dress up!

Victorious Fest - With Manic Street Preachers and Noel Gallagher headlining, Victorious is an amazing festival for the price of a ticket. Whilst they haven't fully announced the kids lineup, in previous years they have had traditional seaside shows and soft play buses to keep the kids more than occupied in this great festival. It's based in Southsea seafront, which is beautiful in itself.

Butserfest - One of the more edgier and alternative festivals on the list. Butserfest prides itself on being completely alcohol free. Whilst for some parents that might be the deciding factor, we've absolutely loved our experiences there. The line up mainly consists of alternative bands and they are yet to announce the headliners, but in the past have included Don Broco and Kids In Glass Houses. The kids area, whilst relatively small is packed with inflatables, games and activities to keep them all amused.

Larmer Tree - Set in beautiful Victorian gardens on the Wiltshire/Dorset borders, this is definitely one of the quirkiest festivals on the list. The music line up includes Tom Odell and Jamie Cullen, but the kids corner is where the festival comes alive for families. Not only is Mr Bloom putting on a fantastic show, but there is a wealth of craft sessions to make even the most little of Larmers have bucketfuls of fun.

Isle Of Wight - With a stellar line up including The Who, Queen and Faithless, this festival is one that packs a punch. With a great mix of stuff for the adults, there's a great kids area with acts such as the Science Museum and the Ryde Extreme Performers. There's more than enough to keep the whole family amused.

P.S: Check out how great this hot chocolate was! They even added some of the leftover melted chocolate to add a bit of indulgence to it.

This time last year was one of the most important times of our parenting lives. We found out what school Max was going to. Whilst the admissions process had been pain free, we were on edge as we hadn't put our catchment school as our first choice.

Max had grown up in nursery and preschool with his best friend and we wanted them to be together, so we applied for his catchment school. One road separates us and the catchment area, so we thought we had a chance.

Unfortunately when the day came and we opened the email telling us where he was to go, it wasn't the choice we wanted. It was the biggest school in the area, the one where there would be double the amount of kids in a year than the school we wanted him to go to.

We called up our first choice and asked what the chances of getting him in were. When they said slim to none I knew there was not much hope. Finding that siblings and catchment kids didn't even get spots made me focus on the positives of the school that we were given.

We headed to a welcome evening and met the teachers and the classrooms. Everything seemed really nice, they were expanding parts of the school and there was lots going on. We could walk to the school and still have the chance to meet up with our friends after school.

Once Max started I was worried I wouldn't make any mum friends. Fortunately Max did that for me, on the first day he met a handful of kids and to this day they are his gang, his best mates and the mums are amazing. Breathing a sigh of relief, I can honestly say these mums are friends for life. They are always there for a coffee and a natter, a trip to the park and a much needed night out.

After nearly a full year at his school I can safely say we made the best choice. Max is thriving, he's made friends and learnt so many new things. He's in a place where he loves and I can honestly say I love the school and Max has so much one on one time with the staff, despite the fact it's the biggest in the area.

To all the parents awaiting their school I just want to let you know, if you don't get your first choice then don't worry. Take a deep breath and weigh up your options. The school further down on your list might just be the right one for you. You never know until you give it a try. At the end of the day you know what's best for your child. But you won't know what a school is like until you are there.

From the moment they came on stage to the moment the cast left, they didn't stop engaging with the audience. From running through the audience to calling people up on stage, they really took their time to get to know the place and people they were performing to.

One thing I really loved was the social media interaction. During the interval they had a selfie frame where kids had the chance to capture their excitement. You are encouraged to tweet and facebook them for shoutouts during the show, which we did and Max absolutely loved the cast saying hello to him.

After the show they met the kids and offered to take photos and sign posters in the foyer. This was a really nice touch as obviously for some kids, this was their first experience of a music concert. The cast took their time to talk and spend time with the kids, making sure they enjoyed their time. Max loved having the chance to chat and tell them how much he loved it. He's still got his posted on the wall next to his bed!
 Thank you Lighthouse and Pop Factor for giving us an awesome night out. Pop Factor is touring the UK at the moment so don't miss it!

The prints are both bold and stylish and really embody the sea element that Saltrock is all about. He's had so many compliments about the top's that he's already browsing to see what else he can buy! In his words they are "The comfiest tops I've owned, I definitely know what I'm adding to my Christmas list".

Saltrock has yet again shown us how great clothing can be produced yet still remain affordable. Thank you Saltrock for gifting us these amazing clothes that are most definitely wardrobe staples now!

I am a DIY optimist. I am always buying something in the hope that I can fix it up to make it look better or repurpose it into something different. Take note of the optimist bit though, as nothing ever really goes to plan. I'm pretty nifty when it comes to a sewing machine and have made everything from a play tent to cushions for Max. But when it comes to hammers and nails I'm a bit of a disaster.


Some things work really well, like this DIY art display I made from bits I found around the house. It's something that we use on a weekly basis and hasn't fallen down. And the DIY dog house for Max's soft toy that lasted a good 6 months before it collapsed on me. Give me fabric or cardboard and I'm fine. But anything else and it's definitely a bad idea!

I normally set out with the best intentions for big DIY projects. We don't have much space in our flat so my main aim was to try and find a way to maximise that space. Max was desperate for some book storage and he has a floor to ceiling window that I wanted to introduce a bit of privacy too. Cue the bookcase bench idea, something similar to the pin below.



I measured between the windows and found a bookcase that fit almost exactly that was for sale on a local selling site. I got it home, rubbed it down and started painting it a bright white. I hit a snag when the paint wasn't applying as good as I hoped it would. I assumed it was because it was coated chipboard and it's not the best surface to paint on. All was going well until I had a brainwave. Instead of popping it on legs (it was quite a heavy unit) I would just pop it on the floor. I got Scott to move it into the bedroom to put down and it didn't fit. After all the perfect measuring and triple checking, I forgot to account for the skirting boards. Even with legs on the unit, it wouldn't fit. I just hadn't measured the unit properly at all. And to make matters worse, I had a badly painted bookcase and paint everywhere. I wish I had taken a photo but at the time I was way too mortified that I'd so badly failed.



Fortunately I managed to sell the unit to someone that wanted it and assured me they were painting it a different colour. I couldn't have cut off an edge as the chipboard was the wrong type of wood to cut through. In the end I spent some money and invested in a toy box/ottoman like the ones from Oak Furniture and I'm in the process of topping it with a cushion so Max can sit and read on it.

As I said before, give me a sewing machine and I can make anything. Give me a hammer and nails and I think you might need to have a backup plan! I don't think I'm cut out for big DIY projects just yet.