Cuthbert the Crab and his Shoelace Shenanigans | How to tie your laces | Review

[Disclosure: We were sent this book in return for an honest review. We know the wonderful author of this book, Sally Beattie, personally - she has a wealth of experience of working with young children as well as being a fabulous mum to her own children.]

Do you remember how you learnt to tie your shoelaces? I found it really tricky until someone taught me the 'bunny ears' method and I remember the school Nurse watching me in fascination as if I was some strange breed because I couldn't do it the 'normal way'. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realised that LOTS of you learnt the same way and it is, in fact, an easier way for most children to tie their laces...

This book, Cuthbert the Crab and his Shoelace Shenanigans, not only makes me feel reassuringly normal (it demonstrates how to tie your laces using the bunny ears method) it is a wonderful introduction into the tricky task of learning to tie your shoelaces...

Honey Bees tuff tray activities - learning through play

Spring is (almost) in the air, we've seen our first buzzy little friend roaming the emerging flower beds and bees still really need our help to thrive - so what better way to teach the next generation all about the importance of bees than a Bees Tuff Tray Activity!

 

It started out with the purchase of a pack of 'bee pollen' from a local supermarket - I was intrigued to learn more about it and I wanted Arthur and Charlotte to join in with a real hands on 'learning through play' approach. I sourced a number of resources which you can find over in the 'bees activity' section of my Amazon store here  (USA followers click here for my US list) and got to work planning some activities:

Parenting Outdoors - Jacamo Menswear Review

Discosure: We were sent the menswear items from Jacamo in return for an honest review.

Jacamo deals in clothing from sizes S - 5XL and aims to provide nothing but legendary style choices to today’s modern man - whether that be a smart look, casual or everyday style. They are part of the Ethical Trading Initiative, and have a range of brands available so that you should be able to find everything you need online for a complete outfit. With next day delivery available, and a range of return options - it makes clothes shopping easy for busy parents!

With his love of fashionable attire, Mr Arthurwears, aka, the Husband/Daddy was tasked with the job of choosing himself a few select pieces for an outfit review from Jacamo. I am lucky enough to have married a man who loves shopping and clothes more than I do ( I know - rare breed!) and I have no doubt that this request to pick something out came as a refreshing change from my usual requests for him to stop buying more shirts, shoes, ties, jackets etc etc...

I had the equally as difficult task of having to take photos of my husband (see my instagram feed for a behind the scenes photo) for the purpose of this review, and even better - I didn't even have to write it myself! I shall now hand you over to the man himself....

Helping Children to be Safe around Dogs | HEY DOG | Book Review

We were recently sent a copy of the book Hey Dog! Let's Talk! by Wendy Keefer - an illustrated guide for children to help them understand dogs and learn to communicate with them in order to keep them safe.

I developed an intense fear of dogs as a child after my own dog passed away when I was 4, and I am very keen to make sure my own children don't pick up on this and react in a similar way. Likewise, it is important to be able to explain what IS appropriate and okay to avoid potentially dangerous situations without making them feel that every dog encounter is either dangerous or completely safe. It does, of course, depend on the dog and the situation - but I felt completely clueless as to how to go about teaching this! 

Within the past year, Arthur has started to become frightened of dogs himself - something that Charlotte is picking up on. This book has come along at the perfect time, enabling me to help Arthur to learn more about how to understand dogs and also giving me the tools to try and do the same as an adult....