(AD) Win a Swimfin!

The boys have really been loving their Swimfins and today we have an exciting competition for you over on on our Instagram page where you can win your very own Swimfin!!

Visit https://www.instagram.com/mrshockallz/ and like the photo, follow us and also follow https://www.instagram.com/swimfingb/

You have until midnight on 14th July to enter
Terms & Conditions: No cash alternative, Colours are subject to availability, Decision is final. 

Living Arrows 2019 27/52

Welcome to Living Arrows post 2019! If you haven't heard of the linky before, This was set up by Donna at What the Redhead Said and the name comes from the poem by Kahlil Gibran "You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth" Each week I post one photo of James and one photo of Freddie and share what they have been up to that week! 

This week has been quite a busy one for James. On Wednesday they had Decathlete David Guest in school to do a sponsored sports event in school, Then Thursday he had the school's annual singing picnic where his class sang Witch Doctor by the Cartoons. Then also on Thursday he had a trip to the local Apple Store with Beavers to do one of their badges for this term! So by the time we got home on Thursday night he was shattered!

Freddie had a great week at playgroup, its sad to think he only has 9 sessions left after today. I know he will miss all the staff so much and I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for him since he started a year past January. 

Review of Milkshake Live

As a parent, kids TV shows, especially in the mornings are a life saver! My two boys love Milkshake on Channel 5 in the mornings before they go to school and playgroup!

The team behind Milkshake, over the last few years, have started to put on live theatre shows using some of the characters from the programmes they show. We first saw one of the live productions when James was two and he's now almost 7!

The latest offering is Milkshake Monkey's Musical, based around the channel's mascot - Milkshake Monkey! 

When we saw the show was coming to Sage at Gateshead we knew we would have to take the boys! We missed the last theatre show they did as we were away when they were here, so we knew we had to take them to this one!

So mummy booked the tickets to take the boys to see the show!

We booked to see the 11am show on 30th June as we knew seeing the earlier show would allow us more time afterwards for getting back home!

This tour they have two different types of ticket, the standard ticket and the VIP ticket which allows you to meet some of the characters from the show! We decided to get the VIP tickets this time, so after the show we got to meet Milkshake Monkey and Shimmer and Shine which both the boys loved!

The show features characters from shows that are on Milkshake including Digby Dragon, Fireman Sam, Nella the princess knight, Shimmer and Shine, Whisper, Noddy and the Floogals! There are also two of the Milkshake presenters. The show we were at had Derek and Olivia. 

In the show Milkshake Monkey wants to put on his very own musical and so the show is based around him getting everything ready for the show, even though he has a bout of stage fright! I won't go into too much detail about the show as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who has not seen it! But what I will say is it was fantastic!

The show had a prompt start and including the interval it ran for just over an hour and a half which I think was a perfect length for small children. Even thought Freddie had his own seat, he actually chose to sit on my knee so he could see even more! He only started to get ants in his pants right at the very end!

The tour runs till the start of Novermber 2019, when it breaks for panto season, so check out https://www.milkshake.tv/milkshakelive for dates!

**We were not asked to write this review and we paid for our own tickets! We just wanted to tell everyone what a great family show it is!**

**Images are courtesy of Mark Thompson Productions on Instagram**

My Top 3 Spotify Most Played!

Music has always been a big part of my life, but since we bought the Google Home Mini back in January I always have music on in the kitchen when I am cooking or sorting washing out. I will also have music on while I am working on the laptop! In fact I have music on while I am writing this post! 

We have got my Spotify account attached to the Home Mini So today's post is all about what are my most played albums on Spotify!

Album Number One is Disney Lullaby Album. This album has been a godsend for getting Freddie to sleep on a night. 

Freddie is one of those kids that needs music to go to sleep. Where as James would use his Baby Tad, Freddie seems to need music to get to sleep!

 Normally the album only needs playing once and then he is asleep, but a few times it has had to be played two or three times!

Album Two is Stronger Together by D-Side. Now this band was a huge part of my teenage years and my early twenties. 

This album was the only one released in the UK, but another three were released in Japan, which I actually ordered online and imported! 

I am always playing this in the house as it is one of my favourite albums! I still keep in touch with some of the guys online. In fact Derek actually presents on Milkshake on Channel 5 which the boys love!

And finally Album Number Three is Elliot Minor by you guessed it Elliot Minor! I first saw this band when they were called The Academy and they supported McFly in Newcastle. 

After that I was hooked on them! I saw them do small shows on their own tours, They also did a full tour supporting McFly and I saw them in Manchester when I was at university and then I came home to see them play in Newcastle as we were front row! They released two albums, but this one is my favourite and I have it on virtually every day!

So there you go these are my Top Three Spotify most played albums! If you can suggest any music to listen too or if you have listened to these three let me know what you think of them!

Living Arrows 2019 26/52

Welcome to Living Arrows post 2019! If you haven't heard of the linky before, This was set up by Donna at What the Redhead Said and the name comes from the poem by Kahlil Gibran "You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth" Each week I post one photo of James and one photo of Freddie and share what they have been up to that week! 

This week has seen the return of the sunshine! We started the week with daddy having two days off work, so he was able to do some of the school drop offs and pick ups for James which James was thrilled about! James as normal had Beavers which mummy was a parent helper this week!

Freddie has had a lovely week at playgroup and we even managed to finally get him to let Gaga cut his hair! He looks so much more grown up with short hair! Mummy kept saying when it was long he looked like a member of a 90s boyband!!

The best part of the weekend was on Sunday mummy and the boys went to see Milkshake live with Derek and Olivia at Sage in Gateshead! The boys had a wonderful time and mummy was glad to see Derek after a few years! Derek used to be in a band that mummy loved when she was growing up and she still listens to them now!

Living Arrows 2019 25/52

Welcome to Living Arrows post 2019! If you haven't heard of the linky before, This was set up by Donna at What the Redhead Said and the name comes from the poem by Kahlil Gibran "You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth" Each week I post one photo of James and one photo of Freddie and share what they have been up to that week! 

This week James came home with his sponsor form for a sponsored event that is taking part in school in a few weeks time along side the GB Decathlete David Guest! The kids are also practising for the annual singing picnic. James class are singing Witch Doctor by the Cartoons this year and James has been playing it none stop to learn the words meaning Freddie is now totally obsessed with it!

Freddie has been having a great time with playgroup. He bounces in every day! Quite often as soon as the gate is opened he runs in ahead of mummy!


We also had a lovely family day out to Intu Metrocentre so gaga could get on with doing some of the work in the boys bedroom without little fingers trying to help!

Its hard to believe we only have a few weeks left of term before the boys finish for the summer!

Saving Money On Your Summer Family Fun

Juggling your family’s expenses can be difficult at the best of times. Faced with

he summer holidays, however, the pressures of managing your money can become

even tighter.

That being said, you can enjoy your summer holidays on a budget. From finding activities

you can do at home to saving money on days out and activities, you can make sure you

give your family the best summer yet.

Here are some easy ways to save money on your summer family fun.

Image Credit: Unsplash under Creative Commons

Do some film/book/game swaps

Watching a film or reading a good book can be a good way to spend a summer day,

but even your little one can tire of the same ones over and over again. Why not suggest

a swap with some other parents where you exchange books, games, and films for a few

weeks? It means you don’t have to spend money on easy entertainment and other families

will benefit too!

You can always pick up some great bargains on games, DVDs and books in local charity

shops, as well as donate items that you no longer need.

Keep an eye out for day out deals

Day trips like theme parks, zoos, etc., can come at a high price, especially if you’ve

got more than one child. But what you should know is that many of these destinations

have good deals on tickets if you know where to find them. A little search online for

discounts on family activities could help you save some pennies. You can pick up

some deals in advance as well to help you spread the cost over the summer months.

Plan some fun rainy day activities

With the British weather as unpredictable as it is, you’re not always going to be able to

go out and do things in the sun. But that’s ok, as there are plenty of fun activities you can

do indoors this summer. Get baking, make a den and or have a film day - there’s a lot you

can get up to when you need to think of ideas.

It also helps to have some sort of ‘rainy day kit’ to hand so that you can do things like

making crafts or colour in. Essential supplies like pens, crayons, paper, and card are a

must, and you can make more advanced crafts using things like hot melt glue guns,

soldering irons and others. You can easily find fun tutorials online to help you think of

some amazing craft ideas.

Look for a last-minute holiday

Going on holiday can be out of the question when money is tight, but you might just find

some ways of scoring a very cheap deal. There are options for short breaks, holidays

you pay monthly for, UK breaks and more. Airbnb can be a good idea to get away for

an evening just for a change of scene and to visit a different city or the countryside. You

can pick up a cheap last-minute deal if you have some flexibility over when you can travel.

Enjoy picnics in the park

Sometimes the simplest ideas can be the most enjoyable. So why not spend some

summer days enjoying picnics in the park? As long as you’ve got a blanket, something to

read and some toys with you, you can spend a lovely afternoon just enjoying the sun.

Take a look at some healthy picnic ideas you can take with you to make sure you sneak

some fruit and vegetables in there too.

Go to the beach

The beach is always a classic destination for the summer holidays. If you live near

enough to make it a day trip, you can make it a regular thing on those sunny days.

With the sea and sand providing a lot of entertainment for little ones, you can make

it a super affordable day out. Take a packed lunch and plenty of sun cream and enjoy

a day at the seaside.

Camp in the garden

Camping isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s much more enjoyable from your back garden

and in walking distance of the kettle! Instead of heading out into the wilderness

(or your nearest camping spot), you can still help your little one have an adventure outside.

Get plenty of fairy lights and something comfy to sleep on for a great night in the garden.

Camping in the garden also makes a great sleepover idea if you’re short on affordable ideas.

The kids can always come back inside if it’s too cold or it starts to rain.

Make the most of free visitor attractions

Have you taken advantage of all of the free activities your local area has to offer?

Museums and different visitor attractions can make excellent free days out. TripAdvisor

is the place to go for recommendations of free attractions near you, and you can check

out some of the message boards too to get even more ideas for things to do!

See what’s on in your local area

Summer is a great time for local events and things to do. A quick glance at your local

listings will tell you when different events are taking place like food festivals or family

fun days, which will be great for finding things to do across the summer. Facebook and

Eventbrite are also some great ways to see what’s taking place and how you can get

involved. It’s also worth finding out from other families what they’re getting up to in case

you find something you miss.

It can be a struggle to afford everything when you’re a full-time mum, but it’s surprising what

you can come up with on a tight budget, especially over the holiday. So with a few good ideas

and a bit of planning, you can help your kids have a great summer that you can enjoy too.

Now, let’s cross fingers for some good weather this summer so that you can get out and about

and make the most of that sunshine.

**Collaborative Post**