Mumlife Archives - A Baby on Board blog

Little Live Pets Review: A Perfect Toy To Help you Pick A Family Pet

Gillian — Fri, 24 May 2024 14:40:38 +0000

We’ve been trying out Little Live Pets to help us pick a family pet – read our Little Live Pets Review to find out what we thought of this range of interactive animal toys, and where you can buy your own Little Live Pets from (this is sponsored content from Very). What’s The Perfect Pet For Our Family? Both my children love animals and are keen for us to get a pet, but we’re still trying to decide on the perfect pet for us. A big factor is that we’re limited on space (no utility room for the pet to live in or big garden for them to run around in!) And we’re all busy bees and pets are a lot of work and a big responsibility, aren’t they? So we want to make sure whatever pet we pick is the right one. Little Live Pets are a range of interactive pets that are designed to mimic real life animals in the ways you can interact with them and care for them. Each pet come in a cage or hutch, with a range of accessories. A little bird told us that Little Live Pets are a perfect toy for animal obsessed kids, and would also be a a good way of giving us a taster of what it was like having an animal around, to hopefully help shape our decision about what pet would work for our family. Very offered to send us some toys from the Little Live Pets range, and the animals we picked – Little Live Pets Mama Surprise Guinea Pig, Little Live Pets Lil’ Bird & Bird Cage: Tiara Twinkles and Little Live Pets Lil Hamsters Playset – are all along the lines of the smaller pets we’re currently considering for real life. Trying Out Little Live Pets The Little Live Pets we were sent are the following: Little Live Pets Mama Surprise Guinea Pig The Little Live Pets Mama Surprise Guinea Pig is a soft, long haired guinea pig that comes with an interactive hutch and care accessories including a brush, comb and food. If you care for the guinea pig Mama by feeding her and brushing her hair, her heart will start to glow. If you then place her inside the interactive hutch and shortly after, one of three new-born guinea pig babies and a special care package will magically appear in the hutch. Spoiler alert – the cage is battery powered, and babies will drop down from the roof on a timer and can even appear overnight. Which is a lot of fun. Little Live Pets Lil’ Bird & Bird Cage: Tiara Twinkles Little Live Pets Tiara Twinkles is a colourful bird with light-up wings that can be played with in and out of her cage. She can chirp, tweet and eventually whistle a tune for you. The more you pet her, the chattier Tiana becomes, and she has a range of over 20 different bird songs in her repertoire. You can also press the button on Tiana’s chest, talk to the bird, and it will then repeat what you say. Needless to say this was a big hit in our house, and we’ve been using it on repeat. Little Live Pets Lil Hamsters Playset The Little Live Pets Lil Live Hamsters Playset includes a toy hamster that makes lifelike sounds and movements, and comes with its own toy cage. The (battery powered) hamster can scoot around its cage and spin on its wheel, or shoot out of the cage to run around on your floor. It did give me flashbacks to my own childhood hamster in the way it dashed off under the sofa – and it also made the same level of noise when it ran on its wheel. Our Little Live Pets Review – What Did We Think? First off, the Little Live Pets are incredibly cute, with big eyes and appealingly pet-shaped features. Each set as a whole is also very engaging and every child who’s been to our house has made a beeline for them. We really loved the wide scope for different play with each of the Little Live Pets. They can be used for imaginative play as a toy animal, both in and out of their cage or habitat. It also adds another level of interaction that you can ‘care’ for the Little Live Pets – by stroking them, combing their hair, talking to them and so on – which also brings rewards, such as fur babies in the case of the Mama Surprise. All of this extends the level of play, and is a good taster of what it’s like to have your own pet to continuously care for. Are We Any Closer To Picking Our Pet? Based on the fun we had with the Little Live Toys, yes! The Mama Surprise Guinea Pig was the biggest hit in our house, as she’s very furry and tactile – and while this is a toy, it was the one my kids had the most enjoyment out of interacting with and caring for. Our friends have guinea pigs, so we’ve offered to look after these next time they are away. Where Can You Buy Little Live Pets From? You can buy a range of Little Live Pets, including the Little Live Pets Mama Surprise Guinea Pig, the Little Live Pets Lil’ Bird & Bird Cage: Tiara Twinkles and the Little Live Pets Lil Hamsters Playset from Very. Thanks to Very for sponsoring this content and sending us Little Live Pets to review Once You’ve Read Our Little Live Pets Review: Once you’ve read our Little Live Pets review, you can read: Children’s book storage ideas / How to make a cardboard box camera / creative bookshelf storage ideas / And follow me on Pinterest

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Young V&A Review: Everything To Know About The New-Look London Museum Of Childhood

Gillian — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 11:39:47 +0000

Young V&A Review: Here’s What We Thought – And What You Need To Know The Young V&A in Bethnal Green, London, is the shiny new version of what was previously the V&A Museum of Childhood. It has recently reopened after a multi-year, £13m revamp. We were all big fans of the the slightly faded charm of the old version, so were keen to see if the Young V&A could live up to my children’s – museum of – childhood memories. Here’s our Young V&A review and everything you need to know before you go. What Is The Young V&A? Young V&A is the newly reopened version of the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum of Childhood, now designed for and – partly – by kids. In the same beautiful old building as the Museum of Childhood, Young V&A has three permanent galleries, Imagine, Play and Design. It showcases over 2,000 objects from across the V&A’s collection, with a lot of old and new childhood favourites both adults and kids will recognise. Including a big selection of Barbie… Where has Sindy gone though? Poor Sindy. There is also a big mix of smaller, interactive exhibitions and a story-telling stage. The new-look museum also houses a dedicated exhibition space, and the first paid exhibition will be Japan: Myths to Manga, opens in October 2023. Is Young V&A Free Entry? Yes, the Young V&A is free to enter, How Busy Is Young V&A? We went at the end of the school holidays and it was, as you’d expect, busy! It is probably a wise idea to get there early, we walked straight in at 10am but when we left after lunch there was a 30 minute queue outside. Be warned, when it is busy, it is also really noisy due, to how echoey the building is. How Long Does It Take To Go Round Young V&A? It is small! If you have kids that like to zip round museums you could probably do the whole of Young V&A pretty quickly. A big chunk of the Play gallery is aimed at younger kids which means it’s even quicker with tweens and teens. I wouldn’t devote a whole day to it (half should be more than fine). What Is There For Younger Children? It’s brilliant for babies and younger kids. The ground floor Play section has two big play areas, including a sensory environment for pre-walkers, and a section with big soft play building blocks. The sensory play area is a safe and clean place to take your just-crawling baby. And hopefully you can sit and drink tea and have a rest. What Is There For Tweens And Teens? The Play Gallery’s game design space ‘The Arcade’ with new and old video and board games is fun. There’s also an interactive Minecraft installation. The Design section focuses on different ways design can change the world and is really absorbing. (I’d love to come back minus-kids during term time). We all liked the Imagination section, with toys, optical illusions and small world houses. Is There A Cafe At Young V&A? Yes there is a café at Young V&A, in the main hall. Be warned, the café doesn’t have the widest choice of options, especially not for the pickier of kids. However, the main hall also has space for you to eat your own food if you’d rather take it with you. There are a lot of other food options in the area outside the museum too. Is There A Gift Shop? Yes as expected, there is also a gift shop. Whereas before it was situation in the main courtyard, it has now been moved to the front of the building, by the entrance and exit. Strangely for a child-focused museum, there’s not the widest choice of fun / small things for kids here either (lots of lovely expensive stuff for adults though!). Is There Pram Storage? Young V&A also has a lot of pram storage. There were a lot of prams! Where Is The Young V&A? Young V&A is at Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA When Is Young V&A Open? It is open every day from 10.00 – 17.45. What Did We Think? We liked it. We were initially sad to see that some of their favourites from the old museum – the rocking horse, the maid fancy dress, the magnetic iron filling heads that never really worked – were long gone. However, there was lots of newness they did love. The Young V&A looks fantastic, especially main hall and the mirrored staircase, and there is a huge amount of attention to colourful detail, from graffiti murals through to neon signs. It’s always going to be hard for a museum that has toys behind glass meaning you can’t play with them to keep it compelling, but there’s a big focus on interaction in other areas. It is also hard to balance everything for all ages but does feel like there’s a little bit less for older kids. My two are probably at the upper end of the age limit for spending the maximum amount of time here, and in the time it’s been closed they’ve come to love the V&A proper, which we can spend hours at. But we’re all looking forward to coming back for the new exhibition. More London Museums For Kids We Love The Tate Modern Florence Nightingale Museum The Postal Museum The Biggin Hill Museum. And follow me on Pinterest.

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Zero To Infinity At Tate Modern: 5 Things To Know Before You Go

Gillian — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 19:59:47 +0000

Here Are 5 Things To Know About Rasheed Araeen’s Zero To Infinity At Tate Modern Have you heard about Rasheed Araeen’s Zero To Infinity interactive play exhibition at Tate Modern this summer? You’ve probably seen the colourful cubes all over Instagram: (Including mine!) If you’re looking for free things to do during the summer holidays, here are five things to know about Rasheed Araeen’s Zero To Infinity at Tate Modern. Five Things To Know About Rasheed Araeen’s Zero To Infinity At Tate Modern, London 1. What Is Zero to Infinity At Tate Modern? Rasheed Araeen’s Zero to Infinity at Tate Modern is an interactive play art exhibition consisting of 400 wooden cubes in four bright colours that you’re able to stack and sort into any (short) shape or structure, with an infinite number of possibilities. The cubes were initially stacked as a grid, and by moving and playing with them, everyone is part of a constantly shifting live sculpture It’s part of the Uniqlo Tate Play series of family-friendly art activities. Previous child-focused play exhibitions have included the sticker-tastic Obliteration Room and every child who’s ever drawn on the furniture’s favourite, Mega Please Draw Freely. 2. How Much Is Entry To Zero To Infinity? It’s free. 3. Do You Need To Book / Will You Need To Queue? There’s no need to book. You might have to queue though depending on time of day. We went during the early afternoon and waited for about 15 minutes. There are also crafting and play activities on the balcony upstairs. From which you also get the best overall view. 4. How Long Is Zero To Infinity On For? It’s on till the 27th August in the back of the Tate’s Turbine Hall. Does everyone remember the crack in the floor exhibition? Or the bunk beds? I know everyone remembers the slides. 5. What Age Is It Most Suitable For? While Zero To Infinity is open to all ages, it’s definitely one older kids will get a lot out of. The actual act of lifting and stacking is obviously a lot more physical than stickering, and there are a couple of ‘rules’ – cubes are more on the fragile side and you’re not allowed to climb on them, you can only stack them three high, and so on. What Did We Think Of Zero To Infinity? We really enjoyed it! I’d read mixed things about it online but our session was calm and relaxed. Numbers are limited which helps, and the super-patient staff are clear on what you can / can’t do before you go in e.g. no climbing, only stacks of three blocks high. We went with friends, which was fun, and they all worked together to make an open-air house that’s probably not the best in this weather, but looked lovely and colourful. While they weren’t as engaged for as long as previous exhibitions – mine still talk about the stickering and the drawing – it was a fun and engaging thing to do, and as always a good art-related discussion point. And let’s face it, it’s probably never going to stop raining so the more fun things you can do this summer the better. Let me know what you think if you go! Where Is Tate Modern? Tate Modern is at Bankside London SE1 9TG. The nearest train and tube station is Blackfriars. The Tate website is here. More Fun Things To Do In London With Kids This Summer: Find the photo booth at Coal Drops Yard / The Postal Museum / Biggin Hill Memorial Museum / The London Transport Museum / The Florence Nightingale Museum / The Natural History Museum / and The Horniman Museum.

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Find The Photo Booth At Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross

Gillian — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 10:13:13 +0000

How to Find The Coal Drops Yard Photo Booth This Summer If you’re looking for fun things to do in London with tweens and teens, we love taking photos at the photo booth at Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross. The Coal Drops Yard booth is one of the only traditional photo booths left in London which will instantly print your photos in old fashioned photo strips. Which is such a novelty for digital-camera-era children (and adults!). Now my children are getting slightly older – not so much babies on board any more! – the type of thing they like to do in London has changed. While they’re not so keen on some of the things we used to do all the time when they were younger, there is, however, SO much for tweens and tween to do in London. Taking photos at the photo booth at Coal Drops Yard is a slightly random but fun thing my kids ask to do every holiday. What Is Coal Drops Yard? And Where Is It? The Coal Drops Yard area of Kings Cross was originally the place of historical ‘coal drop’ buildings built in 1850. Right by the Regents Canal, the area was originally used as a coal distribution and storage facility. It eventually became warehouse, a nightclub (which I went to in my youth!) and offices. before becoming derelict. It has since been regenerated as a super-modern shopping and food area. It’s also the home of Autofoto, the booth where you can take photos. Coal Drops Yard is at N1C 4DQ, nearest stations are Kings Cross and St Pancras stations. Where Is The Autofoto Booth At Coal Drops Yard? Autofoto is under the Lower Stable Street Arch off Stable Street (at the end of this photo, tucked way near the stairs) Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross, London, NC1 4DQ. You can find a handful of other booths around London here. How Much Is The Photo Booth (And How Do You Pay?) The photo booth costs £5 a strip, and the photos are printed within about five minutes. You pay for photos via contactless credit card. What Else Is There To Do Around Kings Cross? Once you’re found the photo booth at Coal Drops Yard, in terms of other things for tweens and tweens to do around Kings Cross, we like the following: More Things to Do In London More things we like to do in London with tweens include: The Tate Modern The Florence Nightingale Museum The Transport Museum

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3 Tips To Sleep Well When You Have Small Children

Gillian — Wed, 03 May 2023 12:15:59 +0000

Here Are 3 Tips To Sleep Well When You Have Small Children ad – Sleeping well never stops being important, especially so when you have small children and sleep is in short supply, so here are three tips to sleep well and the best pillows to help. No matter what type of sleeper you are, from an early bird to a night owl, here are tips to make the most of the sleep you do have (especially when it becomes more precious than ever!). What’s Your Sleep Personality? What time do you go to bed? If I’m asleep by 11:30pm it’s an early night. Sleep deprivation is tough – something Even Prince William referenced, read my post on the seven rules of the sleep deprivation society – but despite swearing every morning that I’ll be in bed by ten that evening, guess what? I never do it. I’m the stereotypical mum who stays up late because I value my precious pockets of child-free evening time as THE time to get everything done. Even if that time is spent reading or scrolling through Instagram until the early hours. (It’s not just me, right?). It was no surprise that I’m a night owl, according to the sleep experts at TEMPUR®. They define a night owl as someone who is more productive in the evenings, doesn’t go to bed until midnight or later, and finds early mornings are their least favourite way to start the day. Which sounds spot on! Find out your sleep personality by taking the quiz here. Making The Most Of Your Precious Sleep Because sleep is in short supply when you’re a night owl with small children, it’s important to make the most of the sleep that you do get. Read our three tips to sleep well when you have small children, including the best pillows for a sweet sleep, however short it is. Three Tips To Sleep Well When You Have Small Children Buy The Biggest bed You Can My top tip for happy parenting is to get the biggest bed you can. Because at some point you’ll all be sleeping in it. It’s inevitable! You will need the extra space. Buying bigger bed bases can be life-changing. Trust me It means you’re not squished on a narrow strip of the mattress with a small foot in your face. We went from a small sized double to a super king in the space of two kids. Warning: it’s impossible to go back. Make Your Sleep As Comfortable As Possible Having a comfortable bed will make a world of difference to sleep. Buy a big duvet so you’re all covered. Having a memory foam mattress can also help. When it comes to the best pillows to help you sleep well, TEMPUR® is rated #1 in quality of sleep by customers, so they know what they’re talking about. To help this night owl get a good night of sleep, TEMPUR® sent us the Classic Comfort Original Pillow, which is filled with TEMPUR®Material micro-cushions. This means it’s huggable and shapeable to you, while still being supportive. Which makes it super comfortable. I had no idea pillows could be this cosy. Everyone in my house is currently fighting over it. The pillow is also machine washable – perfect when you have little ones in with you – and it fits a standard pillow case. Eliminate Night-time Distractions My final sleep tip is to get rid of anything that can distract you and stop you sleeping. For me, this means: Using an eye mask An eye mask will block out all light and let you sleep well in seconds, even in the day. I have an eye mask that wraps around my entire head (this works brilliantly for naps). I now take it absolutely everywhere. Playing Sleep Sounds Playing white noise or ambient sleep sounds can help you block out all other sounds. It’s also super soothing when you’re trying to sleep. Our favourite is rainforest sounds, or a sleep sound called ‘rain on a tent.’ P.S. this works for both adults and children. Don’t Look At Your Phone In The Night I’d love to say don’t look at your phone before bed but, well…it would be a lie. Instead, if I wake up for any reason. I never look at my phone as the light wakes me up so much I can’t go back to sleep quickly. It’s much easier to go back to sleep if you just don’t look. You can watch my TEMPUR® reel over on Instagram. Sweet dreams! Also read what not to do when you’re sleep deprived and twelve signs your child is no friends of sleep and follow me on Pinterest. This post is in conjunction with TEMPUR® but all thoughts are my own.

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Reading When You Have Kids: 10 Ways To Find Time

Gillian — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:12:00 +0000

Find Reading When You Have Kids Impossible? Here Are 10 Ways To Find The Time And Focus Reading when you have kids…does everyone struggle with this? Here’s what’s helped me to pick up books this year. And actually finish them (Post contains affiliate links) Closing The Book On Reading Once You’re A Parent Reading is a life-long love of mine. As a child I read anything I could get my hands on, and more. Even as an adult, I read a book a day and was never without one. But since becoming a parent – and, if we’re reeeeally honest – the owner of an iPhone – me and my two second, constantly-needing-to-do-things attention span just fell out of love with it. I found it hard to read when you don’t have the free time to be completely absorbed in it. And let’s face it, it’s quite frustrating when the usual day-to-day interruptions and you can’t lose yourself in it. Even though my children are older now, and can entertain themselves for longer, I never quite got back in further than a couple of holiday reads. A New Reading Challenge For 2023 However, I miss it! As a mum of tweens I have enough pockets of spare time that I could be filling with something more useful that checking Instagram, again. And it’s important for my children – who also love reading, luckily – to see me with a book in my hand more. Inspired by people’s end-of-year book lists and new challenges for the new year, I decided to sign up to the GoodReads challenge and set myself a low limit of one book a month. And guess what? So far I’ve read more than double my challenge this year. And most importantly, I’m enjoying it and finding it really thought-provoking, interesting and enriching. Here’s what’s helped get me reading again. 10 Ways To Read When You Have Kids – What’s Helped Get Me Reading 1. Choice Of Books Is Important Finding things to read I actually want to read, not things everyone’s reading has really helped. At the moment it’s travel books and biographies. This site is also great for second hand bargains. 2. Carrying My Book Around Everywhere Helps Carrying my book around with me everywhere, around the house and out of it, means it’s always with me. Reminding me to read it. 3. Reaching For My Book, Not My Phone Having my book with me helps to reach for that and not my phone. Be gone, doomscroll. 4. Having A Kindle I love paper books, but having a Kindle is sometimes a lot easier. I have a really basic Kindle – similar to this one – but have my eyes on the jazzier one that actually has a light, like this one. 5. Having The Kindle App Having the Kindle app on your phone is also useful! I have an iPhone and the app is great (if you don’t mind reading on screens). 6. Reading Together What helps with reading when you have kids is to minimise disruptions. So now we have informal ‘reading club’ after school where we huddle on the sofa and all read together (everything sounds better as a club, doesn’t it? This also gets the school books read. 7. Listening To Audiobooks If you prefer audiobooks, I’ve found that having airpods really helps so you can do whatever you’re doing around the house, and you’re not tied to your phone. 8. Going To Bed Early To Read I am a) terrible at going to bed early and b) terrible at doing anything other than late night phone-looking. So I’ve had to push myself to do this, but it is relaxing. 9. Closing The Book If I’m Not Enjoying It I also promised myself to stop if I wasn’t enjoying anything. 10. Challenging myself! Even though one book a month is a very low target I’m now determined to beat it. I’m Gill Crawshaw on Goodreads – say hello if you’re on there. Books I’ve Read In 2023 Here’s what I’ve read so far in 2023. Any recommendations for what’s next? Once You’ve Read My Post On Reading As A Parent, Read These: Our favourite Nintendo Switch games / Kids bookshelf ideas / My favourite interior design books / Our review of the Postal Museum This post contains affiliate links

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How To Make Googly Eyes For Plants

Gillian — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 09:48:47 +0000

Here’s How To Make Googly Eyes For Plants How to make googly eyes for your plants…but why would you want to make googly eyes for your plants, I hear you ask? Well, why not? It something really simple to do that looks fun. And plant eyes are a good Halloween decoration, if you decorate your house for Halloween a lot (or even if you just want some simple touches that won’t get glitter and glue everywhere). Or it’s a decoration for any other time of the year too. If you have a lot of plants – which I know loads of us do, as a post-lockdown hobby – then they will be a huge part of your house, so it makes sense to decorate them too. It’s also really fun for children, as it’s simple to do and really easy for them to help out and get involved in. What You’ll Need To Make Googly Plant Eyes Here’s what you’ll need to make googly eyes for your plants. (Contains affiliate links). How To Make Your Googly Plant Eyes It’s really simple! Here’s what you need to do to make googly eyes for your plants. And there you go! Ever feel like someone’s watching you? You can see more over on my Instagram: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gill Crawshaw (@gill_crawshaw) More Crafts For Children Once you’ve made google eyes for your plants, try one of these ideas:

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The Postal Museum & Mail Rail Review: Everything You Need To Know

Gillian — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:34:59 +0000

We Take A Trip To London’s Postal Museum And Ride The Mail Rail Underground Railway If you fancy dressing up as an old-fashioned postman and riding on London’s secret underground mail network, then pay a visit to The Postal Museum and ride the Mail Rail railway. This is one of those London museums we’ve meaning to visit since it opened, but never quite got round to (because, well…). We were enticed in this summer after seeing a tube ad for the museum’s Mail Rail, where visitors get to ride on a train through the tunnels of London’s old underground mail delivery network. What can I say? We just love public transport. What Is There To Do At The Postal Museum? The Main Museum The Post Museum is on the smaller side of the bigger London museums and galleries (think Florence Nightingale Museum rather than Natural History or the Tate Modern). However, it packs a lot in and my two tween-ish aged kids were entertained for a good while. There’s a medium amount of postal history, and a good amount of hands-on activities, from post person dress-up to a stamp designing computer, and rotary dial phones. That made me feel about 100 years old. There’s also Postman Pat (of course!) And I really loved the vintage post posters and retro stamp designs. The Mail Rail At The Postal Museum Included in the ticket price is a ride on the Mail Rail, where you take a trip on a tiny train through underground tunnels that were used to deliver mail around London. There’s an audio / visual guide told from the perspective of an old employee, with video projections on the wall of the tunnel. You go past old equipment and even see the old staff dartboard. Once the trip ends, you exit through a section of the museum section that explains a bit more about the background and mechanics of the railway, with a couple of switching and sorting games. We loved the train, and found it all pretty fascinating. It was probably our favourite part of the museum. But be warned, the train compartment is tiny and pretty squashed. Probably not great if you’re claustrophobic! The Mail Rail is located in a separate building to the main museum, and you’re given a time slot on your ticket (however, no-one checked our ticket). Sorted! At The Postal Museum – Mail-Themed Soft Play Sorted! Is the postal place space, in the same building as the Mail Rail. It’s a postal-themed soft play area of the museum, set up as a mini soft-play town children can deliver post around. Sorted! is for ages 8 and under, and you’ll need a separate ticket (you can visit Sorted without buying a ticket to the main museum). Mine are sadly too big and far too tall for this bit, but it looked fun. On the day we visited there was a big queue, but if you go out of school holidays I suspect it will be less busy. Where Is The Postal Museum? The Postal Museum is at 15-20 Phoenix Place, London, WC1X 0DA. The Mail Rail and Sorted! the soft play area, are both in a separate building to the main museum. What’s The Nearest Tube To The Postal Museum? The nearest tubes to the Postal Museum are Farringdon and Russell Square. We walked from King’s Cross, which took around 20 minutes. How Much Are Tickets To The Postal Museum? Postal Museum tickets cost £17 for adults and £12 for children aged 3-15. It is on the expensive side compared to the bigger, free museums. However, you save £1 (!) on each tickets by booking online in advance. Tickets to the main museum include a ride on the Mail Rail and unlimited visits to the museum for a year. You need to buy a separate ticket for the Sorted! soft play area, which is £5 (adults don’t need a ticket). What Are The Postal Museum Opening Times? The Postal Museum opening times are Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 – 17:00. Is There A Café? Yes, there is a café at the postal museum. There’s also an small indoor and outdoor seating area. And there’s a gift shop in both buildings. Do You Need To Book Tickets To The Postal Museum In Advance? The website advises that you book in advance, and you do save £1 from each ticket. However, I’m pretty sure you can just turn up and you’ll be OK. How Much Time Do You Need At The Postal Museum? If you’re heading to the Sorted! soft play, then you’ll be given a 45 minute play slot. The Mail Rail takes about 30 minutes in total if you hang out after. The main museum kept mine occupied for a while (however, it’s quite small, so if you zip through museums you can probably do it quicker), Once You’ve Read Our Postal Museum Review, Read These Posts: Read review of the London Transport Museum / The Biggin Hill Museum / The Horniman Museum / And follow me on Pinterest

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The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern: 5 Things To Know Before You Go

Gillian — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:03:04 +0000

Here Are Five Things You Need To Know About Yayoi Kusama’s The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern, London Have you heard about Yayoi Kusama’s The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern this summer? It’s an interactive art exhibition where visitors are given a sheet of colourful stickers and are invited to stick them anywhere they want. Yes, absolutely anywhere. I’m having toddler flashbacks. It’s a brilliant free, summer holiday activity for kids, and adults, if you’re in London this summer (spoiler: it’s also a LOT of fun). The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern: 5 Things To Know Before You Get Stuck In 1. What Is The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern? Yayoi Kusama’s The Obliteration Room is a giant white space built in the Tate’s Turbine Hall (like last year’s Mega Please Draw Freely). The art exhibition is designed as a mini apartment, with furniture, and it starts off as being all white. Everyone, including the adults, are given a sheet of dotty stickers. And unlike with most art exhibitions when you’re not allowed to even get close, with this one you can stick the stickers absolutely anywhere. The aim is to ‘obliterate’ all of the white with colour. And they do mean anywhere! You can stick them on the white walls and floor, plus all of the furniture – there’s a bed, wardrobes, kitchen, sofa, and so on. The room contains lots of all-white items including a table football table you can play, Connect 4, musical instruments that work, plants, soft play toys among others. There’s even a computer plus mouse. You can see more in our Instagram Reel of our trip. 2. How Much Does The Obliteration Room cost? It’s free! 3. Do You Need To Book A Ticket Or Time Slot To The Obliteration Room? You don’t need a ticket or to book a time slot to the Obliteration Room at Tate Modern. Unlike last year when you needed to book a timed slot for the Tate, in 2022 you can just walk in and take part. Be warned, you might need to queue though. We were first in when it opened at 10am and there was already was a queue when we left (but it seemed to be moving quickly). 4. How Long Is The Obliteration Room Open For? It’s open until 29th August. 5. What Will Happen To All The Stickers? The stickers won’t be removed (unlike in most parent’s houses!). The idea is that the room will get more and more stickered-on over the summer, until all the white is covered. It’s a ridiculous amount of fun! It also looks incredibly cool and it’s fab to be able to interact so much with everything in the room. We all absolutely loved it. Go get stuck in. Tate Modern is at Bankside London SE1 9TG. The nearest station is Blackfriars. More Fun Things To Do In London With Kids This Summer: The London Transport Museum / The Florence Nightingale Museum / The Natural History Museum / The Horniman Museum and our favourite south London parks and our favourite Nintendo Switch games

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Father’s Day Gift Guide: 5 Ideas For The-Difficult-To-Buy-For Dad

Gillian — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 13:15:03 +0000

Looking For Father’s Day Present Ideas? Read Our Father’s Day Gift Guide For The Difficult-To-Buy-For Dad In conjunction with Boots UK, here’s a Father’s Day Gift Guide for the dad who’s difficult to buy for. If you need present ideas for the father figures in your life – or your own children’s father – here are five ideas for those difficult-to-buy-for dads. Need Father’s Day Gift Ideas? Why are some dads so difficult to buy for? With two small children I’m responsible for souring the Father’s Day gifts in this house and my husband is pretty tricky to buy presents for. Mainly as he buys everything for himself whenever he needs it! If you’re in a similar boat, here are five Father’s Day ideas in our Father’s Day gift idea guide. All of these gifts were sent to us by Boots and are available from Boots.com A Father’s Day Gift Guide: 5 Fathers Day Gift Ideas For Dads Who Are Hard To Buy For Father’s Day Gift Guide Idea 1: Something Personal For the dad who has everything – or has already bought everything for himself – give him something unique and personal to him. Frame a photo of for his desk, or the wall, to remind him what brilliant kids he has! We used the Boots Sixtrees Park Lane rose gold photo frame, which is 5×7 and costs £13. You could also get your children to draw a picture and frame that instead of a photo, or craft something unique (if you need craft inspiration, there’s lots on our home activity ideas post). Father’s Day Gift Guide Idea 2: Home Workout Equipment For When He Can’t Get To The Gym Does the dad in your life like to work out but can’t always make it to the gym? Buy him home fitness equipment for living room workouts. We like the Primal Strength Premium Home Dumbbell Pair 3kg, which are £21.00. Father’s Day Gift Guide Idea 3: Something For His Post-Workout Recovery Also for the fitness fantastic father, help him wind down after a workout with the Aroma Active Muscle Bundle. This contains an Aroma Active muscle recovery soak, muscle recovery balm and muscle cooling gel for £29.25 Father’s Day Gift Guide Idea 4: Self Care For The Dad Who Doesn’t DO Self Care Everyone needs a good skincare routine, so even if the difficult dad you’re buying for isn’t into self care, make sure he has the basics covered with a skincare starter kit. This is the Clinique For Men Starter Kit – Daily Intense Hydration for £12. Father’s Day Gift Guide Idea 5: Calm For The Post-Bedtime Wind-Down We all know bedtime can be stressful when you’re a parent, right? So help dads – and you – wind down once everyone’s finally gone to sleep. Light the Cowshed Relax Calming Room Candle, which is £38.00. And watch something great to help to unwind, we’re currently loving Severance on Apple TV. And relax… All of these gifts for him are available from Boots.com. AD/ This post is in conjunction with Boots UK, who also provided the products, but all ideas and thoughts are my own. Once You’ve Read Our Father’s Day Gift Guide, Read These:

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