Celebrating the Jubilee Weekend With Aldi

A Right Royal Knees Up with the Big Jubilee Price Bash At Aldi

This weekend heralds the much anticipated Diamond Jubilee weekend.  With people up and down the country celebrating all that is British, Aldi is offering some great priced products to make your party go with a patriotic bang!  I have been sent a selection to try out.

If you are having a street party, Aldi have a range of party ware in Union Jack, Official Jubilee and Keep Calm and Carry on designs.  Packs of 8 Cups, 8 Plates and a Tablecloth cost just 99p each.  I love the quality of their tableware.  Jubilee Face Paints will  add an element of fun and at just £1.99 for six crayons are a real bargain.  Fly a Union Flag with pride for just £1.99!  The eyelets allow you to hang it from any pole with ease. Tall Top Hats will prove to be the crowning glory of any party and are available in red or blue for just £2.99.  The velvet feel, novelty headwear are emblazoned with the Union flag and will definitely get you noticed!  I love the Keep Calm and Carry On mug twin packs that cost just £2.99.  They will make a great souvenir after the event!  I really like the popular Keep Calm and Carry On design and am really pleased that it appears on so many of the Aldi Jubilee range.  It is so stylish and so very British!

Also available are a range of kitchen textiles.  The tea-towel three packs for £2.99 are great quality and value.  In the same three themes of the party ware, they are colourful and cute.  This floral Union Jack design is just gorgeous.  It's a touch Cath Kidston but at a fraction of the price. 

With hundreds of great everyday savings you can buy food and drinks that represent great value and quality.  A four pack of Great British Ales is just £4.99.   Or treat the kids to a huge jar of sweeties for just £2.99.  The Let's Party range offers buffet goodies from just £1 a box.  So whether you are having a small family gathering or a street party for all your neighbours, Aldi can help cater for your needs!

So have a fantastic weekend and celebrate in style with Aldi.

These offers and many more fabulous items are available in store while stocks last.  Find out more on the Special Buys page at www.aldi.co.uk

Russell Hobbs Jubilee 30% Discount Code

Voucher Code for Russell Hobbs Heritage Range

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, Russell Hobbs are offering a fabulous 30% off their Heritage range kettle and toasters.  Stylishly designed with a timeless appeal, the Heritage Collection would look perfect in any kitchen.

Heritage Kettle

Heritage Four Slice Toaster

The voucher offer is 30% off the Russell Hobbs Heritage range – in red, blue and cream on the selected products (Kettle, 2 Slice Toaster and 4 Slice Toaster).

Voucher code is JUBILEE30

Terms and Conditions:

> Voucher code ends 06/06/12

> Only one code per product

> On selected range while stocks last

> Enter the code at the checkout to receive the discount

Tilda Kids Rice

Join The Adventure With Tilda's New Range For Kids 

Tilda and its new Tilli the elephant character will be helping busy mums to feed their hungry hoards with the launch of its delicious NEW rice and veggies range – Tilda Kids. 

Tilli’s range is full of goodness providing 1 of your 5-a-day with a selection of the best natural ingredients to make four tasty child-friendly rice and vegetable meal accompaniments, sure to help busy mums keep their little ones happy and satisfied during mealtimes.

Kids can choose from familiar classic flavour varieties such as Cheese & Tomato, Sunshine Vegetable, Sweet Vegetable & Wholegrain and Mild & Sweet Curry!

Available in 125g pouches each meal has been specially developed to cater for a child’s taste pallet and growing appetite. They can be eaten on their own or as an accompaniment to all their favourites. 

Tilda Kids Rice

 What’s more, each pouch takes only 40 seconds to cook in the microwave, is full of goodness, no nonsense and carries the Tilda reassurance of being made using only the finest quality ingredients containing ‘1 of your 5-a-day’, and is a nutritious alternative to other starchy carbohydrates that children need for energy.

Ready in 40 Seconds

The new range also caters for fussy eaters as each pouch contains a blend of hidden vegetable puree as well as small pieces to help boost your youngster’s vegetable intake!

Sunshine Rice

The new Tilda Kids range is available in Tesco stores and most Morrisons, Waitrose and Asda stores and on Ocado, with an RRP of £1.15 for a 125g pack.

We were sent some samples to try out.  Freddy thoroughly enjoyed his serving of Sunshine Vegetable Rice.  It was tasty and packed with hidden butternut squash, sweetcorn and carrots.  It is all natural and is 'real' food for little people.  It is so quick and easy to prepare in just 40 seconds in the microwave.  They can be served with a tasty sauce or with your child's favourite Quorn product (if like us you are vegetarian!)

Yummy!

Tilda Launches Mums Helping Mums Campaign

Tilda, has launched its Mums Helping Mums campaign in support of the United Nations World Food Programme. The campaign will benefit WFP’s Mother & Child Nutrition programmes over the next three years.  During April to July the ‘Mums Helping Mums’ logo will be featured on Tilda’s Pure Basmati 1kg packs, highlighting the partnership and encouraging mums to help make a difference by supporting the initiative.  For every pack of specially-marked Pure Basmati sold, Tilda will provide one nutritious meal to a new or expectant mum.

 Jon Calland, Head of External Affairs at Tilda comments: “Rice is an integral part of an infant’s diet, as it provides a number of key nutrients and vitamins.  However, many people around the world cannot afford even the basic ingredients that provide these essential nutrients for their children. We share the World Food Programme’s vision of a world without hunger and are proud to be partnering with them for this special project.”

The Tilda Pure Basmati Mums Helping Mums pack is available in all major supermarkets priced from £4.49.For further information on how you and your mum can make a difference to mums around the world visit www.tilda.com/mums

A Monster in Paris Review

A MONSTER IN PARIS

Available on Blu-ray Family Pack & DVD

June 4, 2012

Be prepared to get acquainted with a tuneful talent of monstrous proportions this summer as Franc the musical flea wins hearts and minds in A Monster In Paris, arriving on Blu-ray Family Pack and DVD from June 4, 2012, courtesy of Entertainment One.

A wacky inventor, his camera-crazy best friend and a madcap monkey make a massive mistake when let loose in a mad scientist’s laboratory. With lotions and potions spilling everywhere, the troublesome trio accidentally creates Franc, the product of a reaction between a common flea and one of the scientist’s mystery concoctions. What they fail to realise, however, is that this ‘monster’ is actually a soft-centered soul with a spooky talent for music.

With the help of a feisty nightclub singer, Franc becomes the talk of the town, just as stories of Paris’s newest monster attract the attention of the egotistical police commissioner, hell bent on securing a big prize to help his battle to become mayor. The unwitting scientists and the singer must team up to protect Franc, a monster with more than a musical career to protect!

The brilliant value Blu-ray Family Pack includes 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film, catering for all your entertainment needs in one handy package. And with fun-packed extras including ‘Charles’ Challenge’ and a ‘Meet The Characters’ featurette, there’s even more to keep you occupied!

What We Thought:

We watched this film together and it was a huge hit with the older girls.  After a slightly strange start, the plot quickly had us quite transfixed as Franc was created and unleashed into the Parisian streets.  With elements of King Kong and Beauty and the Beast, the theme of the persecuted gentle giant tugged at the heartstrings.  Franc's singing talent (voiced by Sean Lennon) left a heartwarming glow that really enabled you to feel the humanity of the monster. The film was poignant and quite beautiful! It left you rooting for romance, acceptance and justice...and it delivered.

A Monster in Paris is definitely one for the older kids who will understand the story and the theme, although Freddy aged 3 did love the musical numbers and the action packed car chase and finale that took place on the Eiffel Tower!

A MONSTER IN PARIS – BLU-RAY FAMILY PACK & DVD DETAILS

Release date:                                                                   4 June, 2012

Running time:                                                                   87 minutes         

Cert:                                                                                      U                                                                            

Price (DVD):                                                                   £15.99

Price (Blu-ray Family Pack):                                            £19.99

Ryvita Gets Patriotic

Designer Ryvita by Kelly Hoppen

Ryvita has partnered with world renowned British designer Kelly Hoppen MBE to design a special tin to celebrate all that's British during this exciting year!  The 'designer' Ryvita tin has a striking modern assymmetric design incorporating the Union flag.  It will hold a pack of your favourite Ryvita crispbreads keeping them fresh while adding a splash  of Kelly's unique style to your kitchen.

It is available to buy from the Ryvita website for £4.99 (including postage) and is available while stocks last.

Ryvita Designs For 2012

In addition, Ryvita have launched a range of limited edition Union Jack Packs to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. Available for packs of Original, Dark Rye, Multigrain and Sesame Ryvita, they will be available for approximately three months.  It's never been easier to show your patriotic colours!

For more details go to www.ryvita.co.uk

Your Al Fresco Recipe Could Win A Holiday!

Enter The Al Fresco Chef of The Year Competition

My Al Fresco Holidays trip to France is getting close and we couldn't be more excited.  The prospect of a week of relaxation in a beautiful French resort on the coast will be exactly what my family needs to unwind and have some quality time together.  Add to that the programme of daytime and evening entertainment, good food, a spa, a tropical water park and local attractions and we will have a marvellous time!

 Al Fresco Holidays specialise in providing family holidays in luxury mobile homes in the best holiday parcs across Europe.  With 56 resorts to choose from you could be sunning yourself in Spain, soaking up the culture of the South of France or relaxing in the Italian Riviera!  The self-catering holiday homes allow you to be as flexible as you want.  The well equipped luxurious accommodation and the addition of a decked veranda, lend themselves perfectly to the idea of Al Fresco dining.  You could be enjoying a sumptuous meal  or a relaxing picnic with your family in the sunshine in a beautiful setting.

Al Fresco Dining

The Al Fresco Holidays Blog is running a Chef of the Year Competition looking for a recipe that would be perfect for al fresco dining this summer.  The prize is an amazing family holiday to an Al Fresco parc of your choice!

To enter simply upload your favourite recipe and an image to the Wine and Food section of the blog.  Whether you have a brilliant barbecue recipe or a perfect picnic recipe, you could become Al Fresco's Chef of the Year!  But hurry...the competition closes on May 31st 2012 at 5pm!!!  A team of Al Fresco reps will be judging their favourite.

Whether you have a drink, dessert, salad, marinade, burger or pie recipe to share, as long as you can enjoy it Al Fresco you can enter it!

I have shared my recipe for Summer Berry Gateau, a light sponge base topped with Chantilly whipped cream and juicy summer berries.  The perfect end to an al fresco meal!

It is really quick and easy to enter so pop over and add yours....you stand a great chance of bagging yourself a fantastic Al Fresco holiday in the sun!!

Flip 'n' Tip Fred...Wow!

Perfect Present Ideas For Pre-Schoolers

We are huge fans of Wow Toys.  No other toy is as robust and toddler friendly in our opinion.  Daddy puts Wow toys as his number one brand that he wished he'd had when he was a boy.  He loves how much 'play' they can withstand, and the fact that they care friction driven and have so many features to explore really impresses him.  

Our little boy Freddy's third birthday is fast approaching, and he was sent a Flip 'n' Tip Fred by the lovely folk from Wow.  It really is a perfect birthday gift for him.  Not only do they share the same name, but Flip 'n' Tip Fred will be joining Freddy's much loved and played with Wow collection.

Flip 'n' Tip Fred is a recycling truck complete with three bins and a boy and girl recycling team.  The chunky truck has lots of lovely play features.  A front bucket scoops up bins and a clicking lever tips them into the back of the truck.  A clicking, side door slides open to empty them out again.  The three recycling bins fit into sections, each with a matching picture to help sort the rubbish.  A handle then flips them into the rear.  Friction power drives the vehicle with a realistic engine sound and a revolving waste crusher spins round, all adding to the fun.

Flip 'n' Tip Fred

The truck is suitable for children aged 18 months and over and the developmental benefits grow with your child.  From early motor skills and sensory development through to role play and exploration, Wow Toys deliver fabulous play value at every stage.  With a Great British design, the Flip 'n' Tip Fred truck is colourful with a friendly face, a perfect addition to any toy box.

Sorting the Recycling

Like all Wow toys no batteries are required which is great, saving money and keeping things simple!   They can be played with straight from the box.  The green theme of this toy also allows you to teach little ones about recycling.  Freddy loves pretending to pick up the bins and empty them into his truck.  He recognises the green waste, the paper and the bottle recycling from the images on the bin lids and on the corresponding sections on the truck.  It encourages vocabulary and discussion about green issues from a very young age, which is a really positive thing.  The recycling team are dressed in outfits with a logo on the back that Freddy studies with great interest!  It is nice to see both a boy and girl figure included.

Wow People!

The truck is perfectly sized for small hands and everything is designed for little ones to use independently.  There is nothing fiddly or frustrating about playing with a toy from Wow!

Perfect for Little Hands

Yet again, we are completely impressed by Wow!  Freddy absolutely loves this toy.  He explores every lever, door, handle and wheel.  He pops the people in and out, acting out scenes and engaging in imaginative play.  He loves how he can push it along using it's friction power, and that it is strong enough to scoop other toys out of the way with its bucket. 

Fun With Fred!!

Flip 'n' Tip Fred is one of the wonderful range of Wow Toys available for girls and boys.  Check out the website at www.wowtoys.com and discover a world of toys that don't break their promises!