What words to use

Today is a day tinged with sadness, but sadness that I'm not trying to think about.
Today is my mum's birthday and today if she were alive she would've been 60.
Today the words do not flow freely and this post will be small.

BNM

Who do you think you are?

I love finding out more about our family history, don't you. I have many photos from Mum's side of the family but as both her and Dad were Jones's am not going to start looking at that any time soon. (Yes, its a very popular surname in Wales!)

On my husbands side though, we have a wealth of different histories.
There's his dad's mum who is a Romany Gypsy and who's family tree stretches from London to America to Southampton. I have managed to trace back a bit but due to their name being mispelt in different ways then I am unable to say for sure if they are who we think they are.
Then there's his dad's father who was born in Scotland and Neb's 5 times grandfather who allegedly was involved in the building of this::



Yes, to you non Scots its The Forth Rail Bridge and he was involved in its building - or so the photos show. I am now stuck though as I cannot find any history of the builders anywhere.

His Mum's side has been researched by other members of the family but I love this researching stuff. I have found Genes Reunited so have started to fill in ours - and will register tomorrow!

I will keep you all posted further and if I find that I'm related to anyone interesting, I will let you know!

BNM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/terry_wha/162639921/

Bank Holiday Weather

This was going to be a post about the Bank holiday Weather blues, yes its cold, yes its raining but here in the BNM household we are watching :



So all is now good with the world!

BNM

Crazy fads

In our house we didn't have any crazy fad toys. I don't believe them. I mean we have Playmobil and Lego ranges (duplo, quattro and lego!) but nothing mad, nothing random or so I thought.

The girls are now back from spending 4 days at their grandparents - and what have they bought back - well these:

Do you recognise them, they are zhu zhu hamsters, part of the zhu zhu pet range. They are interactive, hamsters who have their own world which they'll play around - or something like that - I haven't really looked into them. They are noisy and the cats don't like them. One friend thinks they're oh so cute, while another says they freak her out because they chatter to themselves when in the box. Oh great, are they a kind of gremlin!

But, thanks to the in-laws, the fad has now reached our house and the girls want more and more for them! Have any random fads hit your house?

BNM

This is not a review - this is a mummy thinking what the hell? But if you would like to send us Zhu Zhu stuff am sure that two girls would be very happy!! I can also say that they do love playing with them together sans argument (which is fantastic)

The Monkey and The Mouse - REVIEW

A while ago, I started up Feel Good Friday and mentioned a fantastic new web comic that I'd fallen in love with.

The comic written by Kev Brett is loosely based on his children and their interactions with the world.
The Monkey and The Mouse is wet yourself funny and I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the minibook to review recently.

The minibook,entitled the marvelous, mischief and mayhem of The Monkey and the Mouse: Episode 1 is available to buy here  for £1.95 and  is THE best comic book I've read in a while (I would put it on the same level as Calvin & Hobbes which I read on holiday).

I printed the minibook off  and it is a favourite in the BNM household. Neb thinks that it is a funny spin on those things that happen in parenthood but that we could never put in pictures. So well done you Kev for being so artisitc. Our best post is the finished one as its something that used to happen a lot with Car. The Minibook also has guest art from different sources around the web and I love the Dr Whoesque one, I think Monkey looks good in the tardis.

So, if you fancy a good laugh, go buy it or I will have to shoot you!

BNM

I was sent a pdf version of the minibook to review. All opinions given are from the BNM household.
 Image taken from The Monkey and the Mouse website. 

Silence is ...

hard actually, not easy or golden as they say just darned hard.




The kids are still at grandparents, the husband has gone out and its oh so quiet in the house and I don't like it! I'm trying to get things tidy for when they come back tomorrow because even though t'husband has been home alone until today nothing has been done. But I've started and I can't. I feel alone and I want my children home, I want to hear them moan, laugh, cry, snore....

The in-laws were late in ringing tonight and we tried ringing several times and there was no answer and my mind was going into turmoil. Where were they, had they been hurt, I was nearly in tears, I thought the worse (yes, useless, I know I shouldn't do!)

But I've spoken to them, and they seem to be having a whale of a time and not missing me. Which sucks, because I miss them really bad, like something is missing. Its not me who feels like this, the cats are moping, the guinea pig is sulking and Neb is moping.

And us, me and Neb, have we had fun. Yes, but there seems to be something not right and its probably just me but I feel lost. I'm writing this now because it needs to come out but be thankful its not in pen, because there may be blurry bits. I love him to bits but I don't know if we work without the girls. We've had fun but the first thing he did Monday night at the pub was talk to his friends, Tuesday night I fell asleep on the sofa, last night we went for a meal - granted it wasn't posh only wetherspoons but the first thing he did was to get the wifi on his phone, why, why couldn't he talk to me. I feel like I'm making conversation to myself. We then went to the cinema (more details later) so no talking needed.

Oh crap, just realised that a post on silence has turned into a post of moaning...


Best get back to the tidying - a mother's work is never done and all that.

BNM

That Facebook moment...

I've just logged on to Facebook - as I do every morning  (while eating/not eating breakfast!).

And 'lo there it is - one of those OMG moments.

You know, when somebody who you know kinda well but don't know whether you want to be friends with has requested to be a friend with you. Well its happened.

 When I was in university, I repeated a year (or two) due to lack of learning (I may have been partying a lot!) and met a girl, Ka. She appeared normal and as she had nowhere to live for the next coming academic year, I invited her to join us at our big rented house. And then the downward spiral started, her boyfriend was local and lived on the Wirral somewhere and she used to see him/have him over quite often. But then he rang us, to say they'd finished (he'd dumped her ) and that she was on the way back but wasn't taking things well. She had  issues with her temper and had mood swings, so came back in a suicidal mood.

She came back to the flat and after her shouting and crying and drinking we barricaded ourselves into J's room. Then it went quiet, and I went to check in her. She then turned on me with a syringe in hand (she was diabetic) and told me that if I came any nearer she'd stick it in me. Well, me and J, legged it out of the house and being that we lived in Liverpool managed to find an ambulance. We took them back to the house, worried about Ka, she seeing them turned from evil bitch to flirty girl. Ever since that day, at the house, our friendship crumbled and the following year we found a house separate from her.

So, the request has been made - I don't know how she's found me seeing as I'm married but there goes - my real first name is not that common and I guess you can search by university. I've no idea what to do, I don't know if I want to connect with an ex friend.

What do you think? What would you do?

BNM

Bad Parenting moments

Yes, we've all done it, come on now open up, share your moments. I promise I will not judge!

1. Forget to be the tooth fairy. (this it seems is not as uncommon as I thought) -  only happened once so far but when your eldest refuses to get out of bed because the tooth fairy hasn't been you know you've done bad. To make matters worse, I had no change in the house and then had to lie and say that due to stormy night the fairy couldn't land. This is obviously not the truth, what actually happened is that mummy and daddy got drunk and then went to bed forgetting!
2. Drop your baby - come on I know you have.  This happened to me twice, both with Bel (poor thing). I fell down the stairs at my inlaws with her in my arms, which I guess was ok and then the second time I went to get nappies after leaving her on middle of bed and she rolled off! In my defence, I was tired both times!
3. Break child's favorite toy - this one I blogged about here

Those seem rather tame don't they but when child is in tears you know you've done bad. Not as bad as Typecast who ignored a child's broken arm but bad enough to make you need a drink

If it helps though, this bad parenting malarky must run in the family because when I once fell into pond as a young child, I got out and headed for the backdoor. I told my mum what had happened and the response, well all I got was a "I hope you haven't killed any fish!". Thanks!


BNM

(Thanks to Typecast for blog inspiration and to @TamsinOxford for needing Bad Parenting stories - if you want to help out then DM her on Twitter)

The I should know better post

So the kids are away, and last night we went out.

What I thought was going to be a quiet night in the pub turned into a drinking extravaganza involving Karaoke!

After lots of these:

and then one of these:

(yes, it is a Jaegerbomb never had one before but it was nice! but I downed it so it went quick)


and then some Midori cocktail and some singing (not me, no the BNM does not sing unless its at home to the cats!)

While out I met 2 women who at first I though were a lesbian couple.. well you would have done too, one had mohican and tattoos and the other was a pretty blonde. They in fact aren't and both are separate married and have a multitude of kids. They made my evening and made me feel welcome and hopefully many more nights of debauchery will follow..


Tonight, hopefully will be a quiet one with pizza and TV, because even though great fun was had, I'm tired and the lucozade -coke hangover cure isn't working!

BNM

Moral of story - don't drink on a work night, don't go for a quiet drink to pub and remember your not that young any more and you need your sleep.

Night Night

Image: tungphoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tonight the house will be quiet

Tonight no bedtime story will be needed.

Tonight no toothpaste battles.

Tonight I will miss saying our rhyme:

Nos Da, Night Night
Sweet dreams. Sleep Tight
Don't let the bed bugs bite
See you in the morning light
(FART) goes my bum bum!!!

Tongiht you will both be at grandma and grandpas and I will miss you terribly. It will be the first time that you both will have gone and Daddy and me will both miss you. We will miss our routine and just be us again - a couple and not a family. I know you will both have fun and we will be so happy to see you on Friday.


Sweet dreams blodyn

BNM

Silent Sunday - the late paint edition

Laughter and Fun

 

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 The girls are outside playing and dressing up . My ipod is in demand and happiness is in charge. Not even the moaning of Car is annoying them. Bel, Gan and Lew are all outside recreating X factor! The games they play may not be the same as the games of my youth but they are not far apart. I remember sitting in my room, taping songs off the radio and then lip-syncing to them with hairbrush in hand. The ways they listen to it may have changed but the joy in their hearts is the same as mine.

I hope they remember these times forever and make up songs like I used to do.

I'm running away from home
I'm running away from my family
I'm running away from the people I love  and the people who care for me.


Lovely song isn't it , no I never ran away but that is the song we made up (me and Gle).


There is some moaning though as apparently my taste in music doesn't quite hit that of the pre-teen demands.
Bel has just run in demanding "More Pop"! No I don't have any!! Cheese and old songs all the way for me.....


BNM

Bel dropped the bombshell

See that, that cat coming out of the bag, well that nearly happened on holiday.

We were sat outside the Bagby Inn, having some drinks, taking photos of the girls being mad when Bel piped up, oh mummy you could put this on Facebook and I said of course I will hunny, and then the bomb dropped:

or you could put it on Barenakedmummy........

Shit bugger, arse my brain went blank - and then I went ......

Oh no hunny thats a blog I read its nothing to do with me!

Fuck, fuck there's me going redder and then Neb steps in and says....

Its Ok Bel, mummy reads lots of weird blogs and I then said they're not weird they're just about everyone's everyday life and they're interesting . (And I had no idea, if he knew/knows this is me and didn't say anything!)

When talking to RP, on last night of the  holidays I was debating telling him, but she said I shouldn't, I should just carry on.. so here I am carrying on, making sure that little eyes don't pry anymore!

BNM

Bramble Rambling

Image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net



Last weekend, I decided to take the girls blackberry picking. I love picking blackberries and also love eating them only when they are well washed though. I have a memory as a young girl of picking blackberries with my mum and gran (as well as picking field mushrooms). My gran (my dad's mum ) used to make the best apple and blackberry pies due to her having cold hands for the pastry (that is what mum used to say anyway!), though she did make the pastry in a huge farmhouse kitchen which was warmed by an aga so I guess it can't be that cold there!

Car and Bel were very excited to be going blackberry picking, so off we went armed with an old stork tub.  At first we were unsure if we'd find any but then lo and behold we found many. Many of the brambles were though next to stinging nettles and Car kept on saying Next time, daddy come too and he pick them  - poor Neb we will have to cover him so he doesn't get stung.

Both girls loved it though Car had a funny idea about what to do with bad one. She was throwing them on the path and stamping on them. If you followed the trail you'd find us that day.

When we got home I decided that out would come my cooking book again and I would try to make a crumble. Thankfully even I couldn't get this wrong and after following the recipe, which is this one, luckily as it is classed as easy.

So for your viewing pleasure - here is the crumble:
Before

After

And you know what it was bloody gorgeous, even though bless Car the blackberries were a bit on the sour side and she did pull a few faces before deciding not to eat any more. Success!!

BNM

Facebook Page

Did you know I've done it - finally I am there on Facebook, me BNM....

So if you want to go and play and see, or drop me some love then click link at side and please be nice

(Big thanks to the folk at Ebuzzing for their step by step idiot guide to doing it though!)

BNM

The Phone Call

There are phone calls  that I made many moons ago which changed my life. On this day, seventeen years ago after getting my A Level results, I made the phone call. I had not passed all my A levels and though that was it - my dream was over. I came home cried a bit and then sat in the hall way making that call. I was so nervous I couldn't even breath. I first rang my insurance choice, to be told that I didn't need to ring them but that I should ring my first choice. So, I sat down and made another call. I sat and waited for it to be picked up and then I explained my situation, that I hadn't passed all my A levels (if you want to know I got a C in Maths, E in Chemistry and unfortunately had failed Biology*). After talking and explaining I heard the person I was talking to pass the message on to a colleague, and then it sounded like the message got passed through the room as I heard it passed on to different people.
Then she came back on the phone and said Yes you have a place. I'd been holding my breath waiting for an answer and she had to say Yes again before I reacted. I was overjoyed - I had been accepted. Liverpool John Moores and my life as a student was starting.
I then put down the phone ran to tell my dad that all was fine and in floods of tears had to make that final call to my mother (who was in work) to say that all was good. I think that she had been panicking more than I had and was overjoyed at the result.

Now,here I am 17 years later, working in an university department. Today, we have the unenviable task of telling most students who haven't hit their offer that there is not a place for them. Today, I am thankful that I got my place, but for parents out there who are waiting for choices to be confirmed, don't panic. There is always Clearing and there is always a helpful voice on the end of the phone.


Good Luck to all

BNM

* this may have something to do with screaming when seeing a maggot in my practical exam !!

Image: akeeris / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Introducing...

...rap mummy in da house. Booyakasha!

Wat's up dolls, BNM is busy wid da packing of da office so she let me in.

Bel and Car think its funny when I do da rapping, yo, innit!!

you see I'm a rap mummy and I don't care, I run around with da red hair.

Yo,Yo RAP MUMMY IN DA HOUSE!!!!

And now I have to offski before she comes back!!

Keep rapping coolios...

Selling your car?

One of my friends bony* keeps on saying that we should sell our car and get something smaller. She has a shed as a car (don't ask me what its called it just looks like a shed on wheels!) and keeps on saying how good it is for petrol etc. Now our car is bigger, we have a ford focus estate which granted we do need - it was packed full when we went away on holiday and I am thankful for its space.

But with the raise in inflation and prices of everything going up, I wonder whether we should sell it and get something smaller. The problem is of course, with no-one having any spare money to spend on a car whether someone would buy it. There are though many other ways to sell my car and one of the ways is to use a website such as wewillbuyyourcar.com.

The website will give you an offer on your car and when you accept it they will then transfer the money within 10 minutes and even arrange to pick your car up for free. See:

 

Easy, peasy, no having to place ads, no having to worry about strangers phoning you up at all hours. Done, just like that..SIMPLES!!

So, if I was going to sell my car London then it would be done. No faffing needed. I know that when I next sell my car then I would look at them first. No fuss, just easy money! And if you are unsure of how good they are just go and check out the website and the testimonials from happy customers that you can read.

BNM 

* Not her real name but what we call her in though she is in fact more than just bones!

This is a guest post for we will buy your car.com  for which I have been compensated. The opinions expressed are my own.

Bacon Lettuce Tomato...

(this post is because Typecast decided to start a debate on Bacon sarnies, via 100 words)

The BLT to me is the best sandwich in the world. I like to throw a spanner in to the works and say that I like the BLT with mayo and mustard (French’s/ English mustard only). No BELT either because if you want egg with bacon you may as well have a fry up! Whilst in University there was a shop which served BLT’s and other sarnies late at night after we’d all left the club and bars.

If BLT is not available then bacon sarnies on white for me please.

BNM

(100 word post without title and brackets.)

School Holidays nearly over...

So, there are 3 weeks left. Yes only 3 weeks... how are you all surviving? Have you managed not to kill the kids yet? After our holiday, I've now gone back to work so I'm back to just having the girls all to myself in the weekends.
And after next week, Bel and Car are having their own holiday at Grandma and Grandpas house and I have 2 days with my husband - just us two! I have no idea how we'll cope but I guarantee there will be some drinking, some sleeping and possibly lots of late night activities (I'm not spelling it out, but we may have some undisturbed loud stuff!!)

But, I know that now is the time to start thinking of getting more uniform again for Bel as she has grown so everything will have shrunk. Luckily, this year again I am being sent another Back to School pack from Tesco's. I was so excited that they asked if they could send me another pack. The quality of the clothes in the pack last year was great and though she has outgrown them, I know that they will be fine for Car when she is at that age.
If you are looking for uniform, Tesco's are currently offering the Uniform Bundle until Sunday, where you can pick up a coat, trousers, skirts/pinafore and 3 pack of polos/shirts all for £15! A fantastic bargain!! 

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the holidays, I've got to pop off now as I've left the girls painting in the dining room!!


BNM

This is not a sponsored post, this is a huge thank you post to Tesco's. I love you guys!!
 

The one about the holiday

You know I'd get round to it and as promised this is the post about our holidays.

We had a fab time. It was fantastic. We relaxed, we enjoyed, we explored, we had adventures.

We stayed here and the cottage was lovely. Both girls shared a room in the attic but they slept well as we did try to knacker them out each day.  Our bed was the best ever bed we have slept in. The cottage was small but well formed with a bookshelf that had a book for every occasion. 

The weather was dry yet humid, we managed not to get rained on until the last day and even then we found things to entertain the kids!

So what did we do -

As you can see lots of walking, castles, abbeys, some trains, a cathedral, and mainly fun.

On the first day of our holiday, we joined the English Heritage which was a lifesaver. With so many properties in the area either National Trust (of which we are members already) or English Heritage we had free admission. It was great. I know your probably thinking that it was mad us joining (being from Wales) but when they currently offer half price admission to Cadw (which will be free from next year) and when we spend a lot of time at my in-laws then it make sense. The English borders are only a 2hr drive from our house (well the mid ones are) so it also means that future days out are sorted.

The girls enjoyed the day out at Whitby abbey mostly because they got to join the Time Travellers Go. They got given their own passports and to earn the sticker we had to walk around finding out what had punishment had been given to a local man who had committed a crime.

Had he been :

 burnt at the stake, like witches are ? Well, I'm not going to tell you just in case you go to one!

The kids thought it was fun and I've already spotted that we can go and do some Halloween fun not far from Grandma's! When you complete the card you get to send it off and claim a prize which Bel is keen to get!

And what else did we do, if that wasn't enough...
well we ate Fish and Chips in Whitby, let Neb see lots of trains, use many white roads (you know the ones on maps that are declassified and tiny and Neb hates me using them but I am the map reader!!). Mostly, we had fun and the girls enjoyed themselves. I had armed myself with dvds in case riots broke out but they were fine.No big arguments.

To top off our holiday we then spent a night with my friend, Rambling Pages. It was the first time my girls had seen her boys and they played really nicely. As Little Man has ADHD and Aspergers, Neb was unsure how he'd react but truthfully since the time when he and Bel didn't get on he is a different person. He is polite and so bright and I'm proud that you (RP) have done a great job with him. To see him show Bel his treasure box which I know surprised you and for them to get on so nicely even when he gave up his bed, I know is a big thing. Car and Mini Man decided they were getting married  (and apparently according to Car have done so!!)  and will be now know as Mr & Mrs Hungry!!

So, Yorkshire , thank you for our visit, thank you for our welcome and to let you know we will be back!!!

BNM

Mummy brain?

You know after you've had kids your brain starts going a bit loopy. You forget things, you become scatty. Its to do with the lack of sleep or something like that. I don't think there's actually any scientific proof that its happening!
But, I've found that a good way of not forgetting things, is to do some memorising. You know, like I put Child A in jeans, shirt, blue pants, pink socks when I left the house this morning. This obviously doesn't help if you are combating potty training because child will inevitably get changed Or you might have a child who decides half way through day that the day that they need a new outfit.

So another way of memorising things is to make it into a game, either with the kids or even better by playing the new Innocent game (at least that way there will be no cheating!)



As well as this game, there are three games to play on the OJ site so you can just click through to play the other games one the site.

Have Fun

BNM

Story Kits

Bedtime in our house can sometimes be stressful as a story has to be found that Car will let us read her. Currently the story books are in Bel's room until we sort out Car's room and move them across. Car has no problems in going and getting a story but is adamant that she is the one who picks the book. Sometimes me, Neb and Bel get to pick for her but there will be moans!

Last night though it was different. Yesterday, unbeknown to me or Neb, Bel had made a story bag. When Neb was helping Car get into her PJ's last night she passed him a brown envelope.
In it, were some random items and Neb had to make up a story for Car and her with them.  The items were :

a green pipe cleaner, a toilet roll tube, a Winnie the pooh drawer knob, a toy tea plate and 2 toy frogs. A very random mix of items but bless him Neb managed to create a story for them in which the pipe cleaner was the washing up fairies wand, the toilet roll became a magic tunnel to the 100 acre wood, Winnie the Pooh was himself, and the girls got changed into frogs when they ate snacks off the tea plate!

I am grateful that my daughter has a vivid imagination and that she had off her own back decided to do this. I am grateful that my husband took what she gave him and made up a story that two little girls loved.

BNM

Cooking Fail

After cooking up the curries with Rambling Pages last week at our (what is soon to be an annual) meet up, I decided to sort out my cookery magazines.

I have bought Good Food magazine (either through subscription or just as an when) since 2002 and have collected a rather big stack of them. As our house is not very big and in need of a clear out and cut back, I decided that they have to go. So, last night I spent some of the evening quaffing wine and chucking out. I have managed to get rid of one magazine holder full of 12 magazines already. Instead of just chucking them though I have been copying recipes that I will seriously use into a small notebook, easier to use and hopefully will turn into a black book of recipes like my mum had.
While copying and reminiscing, I found some of the recipes for cakes that my mum used to cook, and put them in there too. Namely, Bara Brith and Rock Cakes.
I then felt the urge to bake something and as I don't like Bara Brith I decided on the Rock Cakes. The recipe is below:

Coconut and Chocolate Drop Rock Cakes

5oz self raising flour
4oz sugar
4oz margarine
2 eggs
2oz dessicated coconut
2oz chocolate drops
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2tbsp milk

Mix all items together.
Put heaps on baking sheet. 
Cook for 20-25 mins at Gas Mark 4
 
And so I went about to make it and after hunting high and low I eventually found the coconut. I then realised that I had no chocolate drops so taking out my anger on some galaxy bar I used that instead. Everything, then went well - or so I thought. I also didn't have any vanilla essence either but hey ho, seat of pants kinda girl!

Rock cakes are meant to look like this:

and mine, well they don't they look like this:

Yep, a complete fail!
But the kids seem to like them, as there's not many left  so I guess they're OK!

Neb seems to think that the problem was no baking powder and and over mixed batter but god knows!
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

BNM

Can you be arsed with it?

When I first started blogging there were memes and awards a plenty - you can see the ones I've had so far up there or click here...

Recently though they seem to have gone out of fashion, or it was just me who wasn't getting them so I asked the wise peeps over at Blogger Ed they're opinion.

Many thought it was due to not having any time for meme/ award blog posts, many thought it was because the Gallery and Silent Sunday, as well as the Listography had taken over these style of things. Some thought that they were in fact the virtual equivalent of the Chain Letter and sometimes couldn't be arsed joining in.

I then got challenged by Typecast to make one up and tag everyone in it. So, just for her I made the :

 

"I cannot be arsed with this and I'll just say what I think" award.

This award goes out to everyone who has ever sat in front of the screen and thought what should I blog about! This award is for you,  if you very often open your mouth and say just what comes to mind! If you cannot be bothered and say it anyway then its for you. If you cannot be arsed with awards in general then this is for you. Take it, spread it, have fun. Please remember to take the pic - you'll have to copy it because I can't do the fancy pic code stuff, but try and link back. Ta.


So to start this award off on its journey, I tag Typecast (for daring me to do this), Daddacool (because he can't be arsed!), Who's the Mummy (because I hold my hands up and remember that I did get tagged in the Fridge of a Bad Parent Meme, but never did it!!), I know I need to stop talking (because I know this happens quite often!) and Gigi from Gigi's Ramblings (because to be fair this also happens often to you too! - 16 bananas! need I say more).

BNM

I would be grateful if someone does do this as I am a sad and lonely person who may slit wrists if you don't (crying into my tango!) (LOL)


PS Yes, that is one of my children's bum and yes, they will hate me for it in future!

Bumpeez - the new toy collectible REVIEW

Before we went on holiday, we in the BNM household were sent the brand new pocket money toy to try out - the Bumpeez®

So what is it, I hear you ask , well a Bumpeez® is a collectible toy consisting of two parts - a circular chip,
which is encased in a highly tactile, removable silicon ring that comes in a variety of different shapes, colours and sizes. Different shaped rings require varying degrees of skill to bounce.

Bel was very excited when I gave her the bag and when she opened it the first thing she did was to throw the first ring against the wall. The first ring came with its chip in place while I struggled to get the second chip into the ring. (Neb took over and managed it easily, then Bel tried and managed it so its just me!)

Bel thought that the fact that you could collect the inner chips (of which there are over 100) each with different personalities was great. She is at that age now when collecting things is great.

Priced at £1.99 they are an ideal pocket money toy. Each pack contains 2 Bumpeez® and as can be seen from the picture above you can't see what you get until you open the pack. There are also special rare packs which contain Silver, Swirl (bi-colour)and Golden Bumpeez®. Every Golden Bumpee® wins a prize.

I liked the toy because Bel could make up games for it. When it launches on the 24th August there will be a website where kids can access cool games. I think that this is something I will buy in the future for treats when Bel has behaved and also something I know she will buy and play with again.

So, don't forget to keep an eye out in newsagents,independent toy stores such as The Entertainer, national supermarkets and high street stores including WHSmith and Toys R Us for the new toy collectible which is sure to be a craze.

BNM

Images courtesy of Bumpeez
We were sent this item to review, all opinions given in this post are mine and Bel's!



 

Milestones

As my girls get older the milestones that we went through when they were babies have changed. No longer do I have to worry about first words (both of them Dada, the little madams!), first steps, first wee in potty (Yes, Too much information I know!), first night in own bed, first dry night but there are still many firsts to come
 
Bel has long passed the first tooth for Tooth Fairy stage but I know that when Car turns 5 then that will be happening. There will be the first day in big school stage for Car after Easter next year which we know she will be fine with. Then they will both reach the age where they will be in Bigger school, first boyfriend, first kiss (I've no idea if they'll share this with me!) and then there will be the other milestones that turn my girls into women but that is hopefully a future post!

But, I'm waffling (again!), today though Bel has reached a new milestone.

This: 

is going in the bin. (OK then, its not going in the bin, it'll probably go in the boot of the car)

And the milestone she has reached -well according to the AA, she is now legal to be in the car without it. You see my little girl is now 1m36cm tall (or 4ft 5") and therefore doesn't need it.

The fact that she is growing into a tall girl of just legs (yes, honestly she is just legs!) was proven last weekend when we visited a dear old friend, The Rambling Pages and met up with her family and then another close friend Kitty and her family. Kitty is and always has been 4ft 11¾ and not the 5ft she thinks she is. Bel was up to the bottom of her head and will not be long in passing her.

It brings a lump in my throat to think how much she has grown, my little girl now becoming bigger and at 7 there won't be long until she's at Bigger school. I don't wish her childhood away but I wish she could stay smaller for longer.

BNM