Finding a new family festival is quite an exciting experience. Not only is it another excuse to bring out the tent and spend time with the family, but it's also an opportunity to experience the magic of festivals for another weekend of the year. 

This year, festival veterans Dick & Dom are taking on the adventure of bringing their own festival to the Isle of Wight. Named The Great Wonderfest, it's set to be a weekend full of curiosities, wellbeing, fun and music! And I've got to say that at first look, I'm incredibly impressed!

Roll up, roll up because the most Victorious of kids festival line ups has finally been released! This year at the fantastic Victorious Festival, their kids arena is even better than ever before. And I can tell you from experience that it's hard to beat, as the previous years line up's have blown us away! Read my previous reviews of Victorious Festival to see just how much we love it.

With a star studded line up including the Octonauts and Mr Bloom, there is something for everyone big and small to love and enjoy. And keep reading as we have a fantastic competition at the end of this post too.

There's something about building blocks that are fun for kids of any age from 1 to 100. The simple idea of building something up and knocking it down, or creating a structure from your imagination is one that is perfect for all kids. 

Geomag have tapped into this simplicity and added some of their magic to create some amazing new building blocks that are a little bit special and a lot of fun!

 

 About 4 years ago I picked up a copy of Room by Emma Donoghue on recommendation by a colleague. I didn't really know what to expect from it as I normally immerse myself in the world of teen fiction. Let's just say that book was a bit life changing, it changed my perspective on how a child views the world and has really helped me understand the world from Max's eyes. 

Room is the tale of Jack and Ma. Jack is 5 and lives in Room with Ma, they don't go outside and Room is all that Jack knows. They are being held captive by Old Nick and have no means of escape. Until Ma comes up with a plan to get them out of there. It's a heart wrenching tale that really makes you frustrated, angry and emotional all at the same time. 

 

 I don't get to the cinema much now I'm a mum. I work evenings and finding a time to go out is trickier than a Rubiks Cube. So when I was offered the opportunity to review the DVD release I couldn't say yes fast enough. 

The film itself is award winning along with the main actors and I can definitely see why. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay have an amazing on screen relationship and you can truly see that they care deeply for each other. Jacob Tremblay is amazing at playing Jack, it's a difficult character as he is so full of innocence about the world. There was never any moment where the illusion was shattered, same with Brie. Her portrayal was award winning, being stuck in a room for 7 years would drive anyone to the edge but she played it perfectly. 

I came away from the film filled with loads of emotions. It was an amazing depiction that I've been chatting about non stop with to anyone I know. Fortunately for one of my readers I have a copy to give away too! Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below and good luck!

There's something amazing about kids books. They take you far away into a world that you wouldn't ever experience with adults books. Picture books for example can evoke so much emotion from a series of pictures, that the words almost don't matter! 

When I had Max I decided from the get go that he would be surrounded by books. It helps that I have a constant supply of amazing ones to choose from at work, but even if I didn't work where I do then I would still be buying books by the bucketload. It opens them up to a new world where their imaginations can run riot. 

One of our favourite books and authors is Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. It tells the story of a boy who finds a penguin. Obviously he assumes the penguin is lost and he needs to go home. But is that really where the penguin wants to be? It's a classic tale that tells the true meaning of friendship and that happiness can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places. 

The illustrations are amazing and a perfect compliment to the story. It's such a well loved tale that it's even been turned into a short animation. One that even the most hardest of hearts will silently sob at through the musical short. 

Last week and email dropped in my inbox from the lovely lot over at The Works. They have just opened a new store in Bournemouth and invited me to pop down and see what bargains they had. Situated near the triangle end of Bournemouth, The Works is where the old Game store used to be, open to the street but also open to the Avenue shopping arcade. It's the perfect place as it's welcoming and deceiviously spacious.

I love The Works, I don't normally buy books there because I get so many from work but I love the fact that they have so many things to offer that you would find elsewhere at high prices. Each time I go in there I find something new and I'm so glad they have one now in Bournemouth town centre.

We arrived armed with a £20 voucher and a determined mind to see what we could get with our cash. We had a rough idea, things for each of us, treats and things that will fill the void on a rainy day. I must put my hands up and say we went £8 over but as you can see below, it was well worth it.

We ventured back upstairs and grabbed a load of great rainy day activities. Max is really into his arts and crafts so these are a great addition to his box. They're nice and simple and don't take too much effort into setting things up. We've already done the aeroplane gliders which are still being used now!

I saw some book bargains and couldn't leave them. Squash the Spider is a great little tale about a boy and a spider who keeps scaring everyone. Spot A Lot is a great book, similar to Where's Wally but full of zoo animals that have escaped! We have the whole collection of the Usborne Farmyard Tales, these are great pocket adaptations so will be great to leave with the grandparents (how could I say no to that price!).

Finally we grabbed some essentials. A new notebook for me at work, some tissues as Max's nose was streaming like a fountain. A new game which looks great, and some lollies. Let's face it we all need a lolly to cheer us up!

I can't believe how much we managed to grab for so little. I kept staring at the receipt and this huge bag thinking they must have mischarged us somewhere. We've got enough stuff to occupy ourselves with for weeks. I love visiting The Works and will definitely be heading back to pick up some crafty Easter bits and pieces.

And a big thanks to The Works, I have a £20 gift voucher for one of my lucky readers to win. All you have to do is follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. And good luck!