Tracky Train OUT NOW!

This is it people! Tracky Train is OUT NOW!!

About the game


Lay track to stay ahead of the speeding Train. Keep moving or the Train will catch up and CRASH into you! Stay ahead by making sure the Train picks up the waiting passengers and stops at the stations to drop them off. 



By swiping across the screen you control the handcar and lay tracks for the train that is following you. As the train goes past passengers it stops to pick them up (unless it's full) and each time you drop off passengers at a station you earn coins. You use your coins to upgrade your train and unlock new ones.

Nurture your kids' immunity with new-look Nurture Drinks

With the focus on sugar in drinks at the moment I'm on the lookout for healthy drinks for my boys. Getting them to drink water is the best way to nurture their immunity but them actually drinking water is another matter.

I have started adding Robinsons Squash'd to their water to get them to drink it, and it's proving popular. 

But another way you could get your kids drinking more healthy drinks is to try out the new-look Nurture.

Nurture is basically water blended with fruit juice and it has "no added nonsense". The drinks are enriched with vitamins and minerals to boost your child's immunity.


nurture-drinks


Back in October 2015 I was asked to try out Nurture drinks, my boys weren't sure about them to begin with, they didn't like the idea of drinking water. Once they'd tried them they changed their mind. The old pouch the drinks came in were sturdy with a handy no-spill spout and the pictures on the pouch were appealing to kids. 

Nurture have since had a rebrand and the new-look Nurture drinks are even more appealing. They've also updated their website where you can now learn about their drinks and follow the cute little baby elephant named Firsty.

As soon as my boys saw the drinks they wanted them.

boys-holding-nurture-drinks


The packaging has improved massively, with a Mum and baby elephant (Firsty) pictured on the pouch. The no-spill spout has improved too, it's now much easier to open - you simply twist, and the pouch itself is just as sturdy. 

Both BP and LP love these drinks and are happy to gulp them down in no time but there are some things I like about Nurture drinks.


1. They're a great drink for in the car.


I never feel particularly good about letting my boys drink Diet Coke, from a can, in the car. I'm terrified they'll spill and I'll end up having to clean sticky leather. Any pouch or bottle that is no-spill appeals to me and that's why I love the new Nurture spout. My boys can take the pouches in the car and I don't have to worry about spillages, it's great.

tween-boy-drinks-nurture



2. They're a great outdoors drink.


Because the pouches are so sturdy, and with a no-spill spout, the drinks are brilliant for outdoors. Whether you're packing a picnic or heading to the sidelines to watch your kids play football, taking these handy pouches with you will be no trouble. The screw top on the spout is reusable which means the kids can drink some, place the lid back on the pouch, and save some for later.


little-boy-drinks-nurture



3. It's water and fruit juice.


With health in mind and trying to cut down the sugar content of my boys' drinks Nurture fits the bill. Water blended with real fruit juice, what's not to like? My boys will now drink more water without filling up on sugar too.

boys-drink-nurture


If you're thinking of trying out some new drinks for your kids I'd recommend Nurture - they're great for kids aged 1 year +. You can buy Nurture from Ocado, in packs of four, for £2.99 or single pouches for 99p.

I was sent 2 packs of the Nurture drinks for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Post Comment Love 24th - 26th June

Welcome to Post Comment Love, THE best linky in town (okay, so I may be biased). Link up your favourite post of the week to give it that extra bit of love. 

Well, it's BritMums Live TOMORROW!! I can't believe it, it's come around so fast. It seems only two minutes ago I was wondering whether or not to buy a ticket. I have my list of people to look out for, I have my business cards, but I have yet to get my bag ready! I should probably do that huh? If you're there tomorrow do say hello, I'd love to meet you!

I've got BP off school today, another INSET day. I do wonder sometimes how many of those days they need. Saying that though, it's one less thing to think about today so that's good. My head is occupied with BritMums stuff and I'm convinced I'll forget something or make a complete fool of myself.

The boys are looking forward to me going to London, it means they get to spend a whole day just with their dad. Apparently last time (when I went to Blogfest) they had a wonderful time and they wanted me to do it again. I'm sure they'll get up to lots of things that I wouldn't allow, but I'm sure they'll have fun.

So, if you're at #BML16 I'll hopefully see you there, and if not have a great weekend!



Newbie Showcase Jennifer from Living With Layla-Rose


I'm Jennifer newbie mum to Layla-Rose and newbie blogger! When I'm not on maternity leave I am also a full time teacher. 

I begun blogging as my pregnancy and life with Layla so far has not been a smooth run so far and thought that writing would not only make me feel better but also potentially help other mothers going through tough times to relate. I have really enjoyed reading other peoples blogs and feel inspired everyday by other fantastic posts I read.


My favourite blog posts so far are: 


Obstetric Cholestasis and me:

Tongue tie:

Our Reflux Baby:

Blood clots of all kinds:

A right to refuse a mum to bottle feed

Connect with Jennifer:




Jennifer is the last newbie in our list so if you'd like to feature as our Newbie next week do get in touch. Your blog needs to be less than 1 year old. We'd love to have some more Newbie's to share the love with! 



Pocolo


Each week you'll be able to link up from either of our sites and between us Stephanie and I will comment on every post linked.

Help us spread the #PoCoLo word on Twitter and include the badge on your post.

Please do pop over and say hi to this week's Newbie, you remember what it was like being a new blogger right? It's always nice to get a comment or two. 

If you'd like to be featured in our Newbie Showcase please contact us.

Thank you for popping by.


Post Comment Love
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My Doodles Dragon Watch Review

In a previous post I explained how My Doodles have teamed up with Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens to produce a selection of products to raise money. 

For every sale they make 50p goes directly to Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens. 

I was sent the Dragon Watch recently to review and when LP saw it he thought it was great.



LP loved that it had a Dragon on it and that it was blue. He's just starting to learn about telling the time at school and so he thought it was great that he had a watch to practice with. 

Enjoy More Water with Robinsons Squash'd

This week I've been continuing with my ParkLives challenge and enjoyed a walk on Friday. The rain held off (thankfully), and during our walk we stuck to the paths in Wollaton Park. It was warm but dull and although I had my coat I think I could've managed without it. 

It was a shorter walk last week because of the weather and we only managed 1.8 miles but at least it's something. I enjoyed chatting to the women again as we wandered around the park and it was great being outdoors. 

My weight is pretty much the same, I've put some on and I've lost some. I'm not sure if I need to be putting in more effort but right now I'm happy to maintain. As long as I'm not gaining weight constantly then I'm good. The walks are definitely helping, and even if it's only once per week at least it's something. 


The last couple of weeks I've been trying to drink more water, they say it helps you lead a healthier lifestyle. I've switched my morning coffee for a pint of iced water and I have to say I've been enjoying it. 

As part of the #EnjoyMoreWater Challenge the boys and I have been trying out Robinsons Squash'd, the super concentrated squash that comes in a bottle small enough to keep in your handbag! The Robinsons range contains no added sugar, is free from artificial colours and preservatives and is a great way to get drinking more water this summer.


We were sent a pack of 6 flavours to try; Passion Fruit & Mango, Citrus, Orange & Peach, Lemon & Lime, Apple & Blackcurrant, and Summer Fruits. 

robinsons-squashd-range

With 64% adults admitting they didn't know how much water their children should drink each day, and 42% saying their children find the taste of water "boring", the #EnjoyMoreWater challenge is all about helping you and your family stay refreshed this summer.

At first I wasn't sure how I'd get the boys to drink more water, they're always complaining about it being horrible, but with the help of Squash'd I've been able to get them drinking more water than carbonated drinks. 

LP loves Diet Coke and will choose that over anything else, but when we're out walking or he's been at his after-school clubs coke isn't the best. I prefer him to stay hydrated with water or squash. In the last week I've seen LP drink lots more water than he would normally do because of Squash'd. He's tried all the flavours and has decided his favourites are Summer Fruits, Apple & Blackcurrant, and Lemon & Lime. He's not so keen on the Orange & Peach or Citrus but will tolerate Passion Fruit & Mango. I've been giving him a bottle full of Apple & Blackcurrant to drink while he's playing football at school and when I pick him up it's always gone. 

bp-lp-walking-along-canal


On Saturday we went for a walk and I stashed the Lemon & Lime in my handbag just in case. Once we'd got into Nottingham there was a stand handing out free drinks and the boys wanted to get one. I told them to get water and they both complained, until I pulled out the Squash'd from by bag. They were very pleased to see it. 

lp-with-robinsons-squashd-and-water


I squirted the Squash'd into their bottles of water and before I knew it they'd finished them.
Success!

BP was a little tougher to convince, he's older and usually gets his own drinks in the house which means he won't choose water. He has also tried all the flavours after I made him (!) and said his favourite was Citrus. He's not particularly bothered about the rest but I think that's just him being a tween. If I keep at it I think he'll find he likes the others too. 

While we've been trying out Squash'd I've been keeping track on a sticker chart and I think we've been doing really well. 

robinsons-sticker-chart-drink-more-water
This week's progress so far...

The biggest achievement is a personal one though. I've managed to switch my morning coffee for water with the Passion Fruit & Mango Squash'd. It's only 10:30am and I've already had 2 pints of water, if I keep going like that I'll drink 8 in one day - I've never managed that yet!

drink-more-water-replace-coffee
I love my morning water now!

The best thing about drinking more water is I'm feeling more healthy. I'm happy that my boys are drinking more water too, it's much healthier than carbonated drinks. 

I'll be taking Squash'd with me whenever we go out, it's handy to have in case any of us want a drink and water is the only option. It's also cheaper than buying Coke in a restaurant!

Robinsons Squash'd is available from Tesco for £2.49*, Asda for £2*, and Morrisons for £2* (I've selected those supermarkets as they're local to me).

I've managed to get my boys drinking more water sneakily but what would your top tips be for getting your children to drink more water?

*Price correct at time of publishing.

This post is an entry for BritMums #EnjoyMoreWater Challenge, sponsored by Robinsons.

Linked to Wednesday Blog Hop

Fitness 4 Mamas

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Sim's Life

Post Comment Love

Post Comment Love 17th-19th June

Welcome back for another week of Post Comment Love when we welcome back Stephanie from her holiday, hope you had a great time Steph! 

Hasn't the weather been awful this week? BP arrived home on Tuesday soaked to the skin, he looked so miserable. What on earth has happened to the lovely weather we were enjoying last week. I think I'm going to have a talk with mother nature about all this rain, it's just not on!

Onto more positive things...

The Hubby and I celebrated our 9th anniversary yesterday. It's amazing how fast the time goes, I can't believe it's been 9 years. When we visited Bolsover Castle recently it was so nice to remember the day and how, even though it rained, everything turned out great in the end.





I managed to do my Health Walk with ParkLives on Friday which was nice, I met lots of lovely ladies and got some exercise. I'm going to Wollaton Park again today (hope it doesn't rain too much!) to do another walk. 

The rest of the week seems to have flown by and we're at the weekend (almost) already.

Hope you've had a fabulous week!


Newbie Showcase Sam from Memories and Mayhem




Sam, a married 30-something mum of two, is back to blogging after a break. At Memories and Mayhem she writes about the renovations of their new, hopefully dream house and the family memories they make. 

You can find Sam here:


Don't forget to stop by and say hello!



Pocolo


Each week you'll be able to link up from either of our sites and between us Stephanie and I will comment on every post linked.
Help us spread the #PoCoLo word on Twitter and include the badge on your post.

Please do pop over and say hi to this week's Newbie, you remember what it was like being a new blogger right?  It's always nice to get a comment or two. 

If you'd like to be featured in our Newbie Showcase please do contact us.

Thank you for popping by.


Post Comment Love
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Visiting Bolsover Castle on our anniversary

Nine years ago today I married my best friend.



Yep, the Hubby and I have been married for 9 years, Happy Anniversary to us!




Coming from a family that was torn apart by divorce getting married was a big step for me. When I was a teenager I swore I would never marry. It's funny how quickly you change your mind when you find the right person isn't it?

Staying Healthy with the ParkLives Challenge

My weight is yo-yoing at the moment, one minute I'm losing 3lbs and the next I'm gaining 2lbs. It's not great but it's not getting me down either.

I've been trying my best to do some exercise and keep eating healthy food. It's hard to get motivated to do exercise most of the time but I was challenged to take part in the ParkLives project recently. 

ParkLives from Coca-Cola is an easy way for you to make the most out of your local park. It offers free and fun activities in your local parks and all you have to do is book a slot! It launched in 2014 in Birmingham, Newcastle, and the London borough of Newham, was extended to include Nottingham, Manchester, and Glasgow in 2015 and this year they've extended again to include Dundee, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, and Swansea. 

With ParkLives you're able to take part in activities like Zumba or dog-walking at your local park and perhaps meet new people while you're doing it.

My local park where ParkLives run their free sessions is Wollaton Park and so far I've been to two of them. I was challenged to go to four sessions over four weeks to help me get fit again. After logging in to the website and checking out the sessions available there were a couple that stood out.

parklives-geocaching

The first week of my challenge was half-term and so I decided to use the ParkLives sessions to get my boys involved too. I booked us on a geocaching session and the boys had a blast. We wandered around Wollaton Park searching for little boxes with surprises inside.

parklives-geocaching-found


Now with geocaching you can't be afraid to get dirty or do a bit of climbing, even at Wollaton Park.

parklives-geocaching-in-the-dirt


That's the beauty of it, it gets the boys outdoors having fun with nature.

parklives-geocaching-found-special


I'd definitely recommend geocaching.

For my second session (last Friday) I booked myself onto a Health Walk at Wollaton Park. I had no idea what it was but on the website it said it was "a doddle" and as I hadn't done any exercise for a long time I thought I'd ease myself into it. 

When I wandered up to the meeting spot I was a little wary, I'm not great at meeting new people. The group was full of older ladies who meet every week to walk around Wollaton Park. Apparently they've been doing it for a long time and they all love it. It's a great way to get outdoors with friends, have a chat, and get some exercise!

I joined the ladies and it was immediately apparent that they're a lovely group of women that are happy to welcome newbies. I was chatting throughout the 3 mile walk and felt like I was amongst friends.

flowers-wollaton-park


The walk itself was a nice walk but not too easy, I felt like I'd made an effort and got some exercise. I'm looking forward to joining them again this week, and if you'd like to join us you'll find the group at the first car park in Wollaton Park at 10am on Friday. I'd love to see you there!

flowers-reflection-wollaton-park-lake
I loved the reflection of the flowers in the lake.

ParkLives runs throughout the summer and there'll be plenty of activities to do with your kids.


What I've loved about the ParkLives challenge is that it has prompted me to get outdoors and do some exercise. Anything to give me a kick is great and it has definitely made a difference, last Friday night I slept really well!

As for the weight loss and healthy food I'm doing my best. I had salads for lunch last week and managed to lose weight but come the weekend I always end up having fast food at some point. That is my downfall because then I gain the weight I'd lost during the week and I'm back to square one.

This week is going to be different though, I've planned the entire week's food and hopefully I'll stick to it. My slow cooker is definitely going to get some use!

How has your week been? 
Are you doing well with your weight loss?

Sponsored

Do you lock your door when you're home?

When I was at the hairdressers last Monday it surprised me to learn that not everyone locks their doors when they're at home. 

One of the ladies at the salon was chatting about an incident that happened at her home the previous evening. She was sitting watching TV with her daughter when a man entered her house through the open front door and stood there looking around. She said it looked like he was "eyeing up the place" and she phoned the police.

Hearing her story shocked me, I mean I didn't think people left their doors unlocked, even when they're home. So my question for you is do YOU?

When you're at home do you lock your doors?
Or do you leave doors unlocked and only lock them when you go out?

Our doors are always locked, whether we're in or out.

Kids summer shoes

As the summer is nearing (even though it might not seem like it right now) it's time to get prepared for the sunnier days. Not only do you have to think about your own footwear choices but you'll need to decide which summer shoes you'll be getting for your kids. 

To help with your decision I've put together a selection of girls, boys and gender neutral shoes and sandals that would be great for your kids this summer.


Supermarkets


I'll start with the supermarkets because they're always my first stop.

At our local Tesco there isn't much choice for boys, but plenty for girls. It annoys me a little that the girls section is huge and I always struggle to find anything for my boys. But anyway, online there's a bigger selection and you can order something to be delivered to your local store if you want to. 

Tesco





These Florence & Fred Fisherman Sandals cost just £8 and with the tan colour I think they're good for boys and girls. Coupled with denim shorts and their favourite t-shirt they'll be able to enjoy the sunshine and look good.






Post Comment Love 10th - 12th June

Welcome to another week of Post Comment Love. This week Stephanie is on holiday (and I hope she's having a fab time) so I've got the lovely Jayne from Sticky Mud and Belly Laughs  guest co-hosting. I hope you'll give her the blog love you show Stephanie and me.

I'm glad to be back into normal routine again now after half-term. It's taken most of the week but the kitchen is looking respectable, the boys are back to driving me nuts after school, and my blogging is on course.

I've been loving the sun this week, I snapped the gorgeous photo above in our garden on Wednesday. It's awesome being able to walk outdoors without a coat, donning my stylish sunglasses, and smiling. LP loves it too, he's been able to play outside after school every day and on Tuesday he didn't come inside until bedtime! It's great to see him enjoying being outside, he can entertain himself for hours. It won't be long though until he's asking to get the badminton set out, I'm sure he asked about it back in February but it was far too cold and windy.

Let's hope the good weather is here to stay!


Newbie Showcase Bethany from Simply Said Seven





Hi! I am Bethany, a mom of 5 children +1 extra, wife to my high school sweetheart, assistant teacher to a bunch of 4 year olds and the mastermind behind Simply Said Seven.

I am a hands on, "I could make that myself" type girl and after years of people asking me how I make all these things I decided I would start a blog about it. I enjoy all types of crafts, paper, wood, paint... anything really! I also enjoy raising raising backyard chickens and working on an ever expanding garden. Most of all I love to learn new things! Blogging has been a big adventure for me so far, I am not very tech savvy but I enjoy trying all the new things I read about and seeing how I can make them work for me. 

Here are a few of my favorite posts:


Burlap Curtain Step by Step DIY







Twitter


Pocolo


Each week you'll be able to link up from either of our sites and between us Stephanie and I will comment on every post linked.

Help us spread the #PoCoLo word on Twitter and include the badge on your post.

Please do pop over and say hi to this week's Newbie, you remember what it was like being a new blogger right? 
It's always nice to get a comment or two. 

If you'd like to be featured in our Newbie Showcase please do contact us.

Thank you for popping by.


Post Comment Love
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How do you meet other mums and make friends?

My boys are 11 and 7, I'm a blogger and I spend the majority of my days in my home office tapping away at the keyboard. I think it's really hard to meet other mums at the same or similar stage of parenting as me and make friends.

I'd love to meet people who could pop out for a coffee while the kids are at school. I'd like to chat to someone who knows what it's like. I already know loads of bloggers, but most of them have younger children and while they're my friends it would be nice to have a few friends who are at the same stage of parenting as me. 

There is only one person I can think of that is, and she lives in a different country so it's not like we could pop out for a coffee!

So how do you meet other mums and make friends?

Well there is a website that might be able to help: Meet Other Mums.





It's a place to meet new friends, chat, and perhaps even arrange play-dates or coffee mornings.

Meet Other Mums founder Sally Oddy shares a little more about how Meet Other Mums was born.




I’m Sally, Marketing Consultant by day, MeetOtherMums by night! I came up with the idea for the site when I was trying to decide whether to start trying for a baby – I was searching the internet for groups that had other women who were struggling to make the decision or struggling with infertility issues and couldn’t find any. All the groups said ‘when are you due’ ‘how old are your kids’ - and you had to fill those blanks in to join. Felt a bit left out really. The seed of the idea was born to create a networking site for mums of all ages at all stages so no matter who you were you could join and find women who were in a similar situation to you for chat and support. As the idea grew and developed I realised the issue of isolation and loneliness for mums and knew my site could help them combat this by giving everyone a really quick and easy way to make friends. After months and months of development, honing the idea and making it the best it could be, I launched in August 2015. I can scarcely believe it is coming up to MeetOtherMums 1 Year Anniversary! My attempt at getting pregnant may have failed but MeetOtherMums goes from strength to strength, this is my baby, my calling, what I love doing the most! I feel very passionately that no mum should feel alone – we are all in it together and it’s so much better if we love and support each other. I’m in this for the long haul – my mission is to eradicate Mum Loneliness!! 

Now that's what I'm talking about! Eradicating mum loneliness sounds like an awesome mission.

So if you think you'd like to eradicate your loneliness why not try out Meet Other Mums.

When you first log in to Meet Other Mums you'll be asked to create a profile, you fill in your information and people get to find out a little about you before connecting. You get to say what stage of motherhood you're at, for example mine is listed as Primary School, High School, and Stay at home Mum. You can list how many children you have and the age of them, as well as a little introduction about you.

After filling in your information you're "matched" with other mums in your area, you can then view their profile and connect if you choose to. 

You can send each other messages, chat in the group chat, or create your own chats if you have any questions. 

I've been on there for about a month or so I think and have connected with a few people.

The other thing Meet Other Mums has is a blog. There's a group of bloggers (including little old me) that contribute to the site so the blog has posts every day. It's a great place to find new reads and maybe even some new friends too!

Stop by the site, take a look and maybe set up a profile. If you do you can find me here, I'd be happy to connect!

Diary of an imperfect mum

Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com

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