Butlins - Only 3 more sleeps! #ButlinsAmbassadors

An exciting email landed in my inbox this morning, our first Butlins holiday is just 3 more sleeps away!  Roo has been on countdown since the beginning of the month and with the schools breaking up for Half Term today she is even more excited.

I would love to tell you all that I'm super organised by being packed and ready to go, but I'm not! In fact I'm no where near ready to go.  After taking a look at the what (not) to pack section the website I realise that I don't need to pack everything including the kitchen sink. I do however I have a to do list for tomorrow...

Get Tigger's haircut
Buy Roo some new canvas/summer shoes
Buy Tigger a new zip up hoodie
Send Mr Boo into loft to find our suitcase
Sort clothes into piles and make sure everything we need is clean and ironed
Make sure I have camera and phone chargers
Remember to pack my GHD's (can't live without those!)


Let me give you a little insight in to what our Butlins trip has instore for us:

Accommodation

We are staying in the Shoreline Hotel (home of Billy Bear!), in one of the Nelson's Staterooms.  Thankfully my initial worries about both Roo and Tigger sleeping in the bunk beds have subsided after they have slept in Roo's bunk beds whilst the builder were here.  I can however forsee some debate on what they will be watching on the TV, if Tigger gets his way it will be Thomas, Thomas and more Thomas the Tank Engine!

Nelson's Stateroom Floor Plan

I'm loving that the room isn't your standard box, the flowing curved window looks so inviting.  I'm just hoping that it is warm enough to enjoy the balcony a little, I would love to catch a few sunsets whilst sitting out there.

What's One Guide

The lovely Laura from Tired Mummy of Two has been filling my head full of all the wonderful things to see and do at Butlins.  After checking out their what's on guide for the half term week I don't think we are going to stop.  I've printed it off and highlighted like you do to the Radio Times at Christmas, making sure we don't miss out on any of the fabulous shows and activities.

I'm not sure who is more excited the children or me and Mr Boo!

Boo xxx

Disclosure Policy: I am a Butlins Ambassador, for which I will be reviewing the Shoreline Hotel on their behalf.

What's your happy driving song?

There is an unspoken rule in the Boo Roo and Tigger Too household, whoever is driving gets to chose the music.  Usually if we go on a family day out Mr Boo will drive and hooks up the iPod and off we go.  I'm happy to sing away to most things but some song choices earn him the 'do we really have to listen to this?' stare.

When I'm driving I like to have the music pumping out.  When I was pregnant with Roo I can remember driving to work every morning with the windows down, volume turned up and singing along to Thunder In My Heart...

My love of dance music has clearly rubbed off on Roo and Tigger as they always craze me to put Gangnam Style on so they can sing and dance along to it in the back of the car...

What's your happy driving song?

How can you take part?

• Nominate your favourite driving song via a hashtag on Twitter (#carcraftsingalongs) or share a suggestion on the CarCraft Facebook page.
• Be part of their survey and nominate the songs you love
• All the nominated entries will then be added to a list on the CarCraft website and voting will be opened to find the overall favourite
• CarCraft hope to gather a list of sing along songs that make people drive happy!

Boo xxx

Disclosure Policy: I have received an Amazone voucher for letting you know about this fabulous poll, now off to buy Mr Boo some decent music for Father's Day!

Parent Governor

Before Christmas Roo's school secretary asked me whether I'd considered becoming a parent governor.  I explained that I hadn't and thought that you needed to be elected in to the position.  She advised me that they hold elections when there is more candidates than positions available.  She handed me an application form and off I went.

Unfortunately this form went into my 'to do' pile and well, that's where it stayed.  Every now and again she would remind me and I would say 'oh yes I'll get that to you by the end of the week'.  Of course the end of the week came and went, but about a month or so ago I finally handed in the form.

So now I am parent governor for Roo's junior school... eek!  

Tonight is my first meeting and worse still its a full governors meeting so everyone will be there... double eek!

I'm already part of the PTA or Friends as they are called at the school so I have some idea of the schools fundraising strategies.  However I have no idea what is expected of me as a parent governor, my plan of action is to simply smile and nod.

Are you a parent governor?

Any advice is welcomed!

Boo xxx

REVIEW: ChillFactor™ - Freeze, Pour, Squeeze Cup Slushy Maker

With summer just around the corner (hopefully!) what better way to get in the mood than enjoying a delicious slushy.  Most people enjoy a lovely refreshing slushy on a warm sunny day but don't tend to make them at home as they can be seen as too much fuss... Well not anymore! 

Introducing the Chill Factor Squeeze Cup Slushy Maker...

As the most affordable and easy to use kid's slushy maker ever, ChillFactor™ is the patented handheld squeezable cup that is kept in the freezer. When a cup of cool slush is called for, it’s always at hand; simply pour in your chosen drink and squeeze for a very short time to produce frozen sweet slush as the result.

Now when I was offered the opportunity to review this I have to say I was I little skeptical about just how easy it would be to make a slushy in a squeeze cup.

To make the perfect slushy

Step 1 - Place squeeze cup into the freezer until frozen (ensuring the cup is upright and not squashed)
Step 2 - Pour in your favourite chilled drink (only use refrigerated drinks, room temperature ot hot drinks will not slush)
Step 3 - Squeeze the cup, within seconds you will have a delicious frozen treat

Upon unpacking the cup which come ready assembled I placed in the freezer.  Later that day whilst making Mr Boo's tea I noticed his glass of apple juice sitting on the side and wondered whether it would make a nice slushy.  So I grabbed the frozen cup from the freezer and poured in his chilled apple juice.  Slowly starting to squeeze the cup has that crunching sensation which sends chills down your spine. After just two or three squeezes I could start to see the frozen flakes starting to form.  It's like watching a science experiment in front of your eyes.

Once I had finished squeezing I asked Mr Boo to have a try and he loved it, sharp, refreshing and chilled. The ChillFactor™ comes with a straw/spoon which if you chose to keep your slushy in the cup can be quite difficult to get the last slush out.

Boo Roo and Tigger Too's thoughts...

After my initial reservations on just how easy it would be make a slushy in seconds I hold my hands up and say 'WOW!'.  Roo is fascinated by it and cannot understand how squeeze the cup it makes her drink into a delicious slushy... Bless her she thinks it's magic cup (who am I to disillusion her?).

Priced at £12.99, you may be put off my the initial outlay but I promise you will be constantly refreezing the cup to make more yummy slushes.

Available from Amazon

Boo xxx

Disclosure Policy: We received the Chill Factor Squeeze Cup Slushy Maker FOC for the purpose of review.

Tefal launches Ingenio in the UK

Today Tefal announced the launch of Ingenio in the UK.  The stackable pots and pan range that go from the hob, into the oven, to the table and to the fridge.

Having only a galley kitchen these would certainly ease my storage issues with convectional pots and pans.  They really look versatile and no wonder 20 million people worldwide have already bought and loved them.

Want to be amongst the very first to own Ingenio in the UK? Then you best head over to Ideal World!  To learn more, visit: www.idealworld.tv/tefal-ingenio.aspx

From tomorrow, you’ll be able to win Ingenio products from the Tefal UK Facebook page. Watch this space!

Boo xxx

Disclosure Policy: I am a member of the Tefal Innovation Panel, I have not been asked to share this information with you but it's so amazing I just wanted to!

Do you really need underlay?

Upon finally deciding to take the plunge and get the bedrooms renovated we started to make a list of all the must have items and those that we would like if we had enough money left over.

Underlay was one of those 'do we really need it?' questions that at first thought was no we don't need it.  Then whilst packing up the bedrooms and removing the old carpet we realised that maybe we did need it.

Why?? 

Well I was surprised to see that there was in fact no underlay under the previous carpet... only brown paper.  Yes, brown paper!  No wonder we could feel the floorboards through the carpet, we just assumed it was because the carpet was old.

Now I confess, I know nothing about underlay... well apart from the fact it should be under your carpets.  So I went off in search of underlay information and found this on the Carpetright website.

I'm loving their tagline of Make Underlay Your Second Priority! It's very true when you think about it, the money you spend on your actual carpet and then you don't make the best of it by not putting underlay down and reducing the wear-ability of it.

So decision made, we need underlay!

Boo xxx

Disclosure Policy: I have received Tred Air underlay FOC in exchange for highlighting the need for underlay.  Trust me, underlay really makes a difference.

Do you remember you first house?

It's funny the things you remember from you childhood...

I remember our first family home, although actually it was in reality our second (we moved when I was just a baby, so I don't count it as my first home).  Whenever I go home to see my mam I always make a point of driving past it and reminiscing about the good old days.

I remember playing in the front garden (we lived on the corner so had a large front garden) as the back garden was full of nettles.  I remember my mam making us a play tent by pegging two sheets to the washing line, popping stones on the corners to form the tent shape.

Childrens Wendy Houses have certainly changed from when I was younger m,y first wendy house the ones where you had to slot the plastic poles together and place a cover over the top.  The problem with this was that somehow it ripped up the back so we would joke that we had a front and back door to our house.  I wish we had a large enough garden to allow Roo and Tigger to have a wendy house.

Dutch Barn Playhouse

Sadly we only have a yard which we could probably squeeze a wendy house into but then nothing else. So until we are in the position to move to another house Roo and Tigger will just have to wait.

Boo xxx

Disclosure Policy: I have received no products or financial compensation for this post, I do really miss my wendy house and would love Roo and Tigger to have one of their own.