Join in to Win with National Board Games Week (May 8th-14th)

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Fiona Martin

With National Board Games week coming up during 8th to 14th May 2017, it’s time to get all your family favourite games out of the cupboard and enjoy some fun, quality time together. I know my children are fond of board games and it really is something that all ages and generations can enjoy together. We’ve been trying out Boggle recently which the children have loved and made me giggle at some of the words they find!

If you are really into competing then The National Board Games Championships are being run by Pork Farms, in association with the Micropub Association and games supplied by Hasbro. You can get involved by attending heats at your nearest participating micropub, with winners moving through to semi-finals and grand finale during National Board Games Week (May 8^th-14^th) along with travel and accommodation provided by Pork Farms.

You can also join in the fun from your own home by hosting a board games night, using whatever board games you have in the cupboard . Just sign up and Pork Farms will email you a free games night pack nearer the time, which contains things like printable winners certificates. Then for a chance to win a stack of board games and a year’s supply of pork pies just share photos of your board games night with Pork Farms through social media and their website.

Boggle from Hasbro was a bit hit with us and I loved the way the children were learning words and spellings but having immense fun at the same time. Board games are always a hit with every member of a family no matter what the ages and really brings people together for some quality time. Dig out all your games, have some fun and join in with National Board Games Week!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received a game in order to write an honest review.

WIN a Nick Jr Goody Bag and the Carol-oke Competition

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Fiona Martin

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Send in your fa-la-la-las for a chance to star on Nick Jr.!

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Upload a video of your little ones singing Deck the Halls and fill out the entry form for a chance to appear on TV. Plus tune into Nick Jr. for snowy adventures every day from 8am. Entries to be received between 21/11/2016 and 09/12/16. 5 winners will be selected every week.

To enter Carol-oke just click the image below or head down further to win a goody bag!

The winning entries will then be shown throughout November and December with the first Carol-oke will broadcast on Monday 28th November on Nick Jr. There will be one Carol-oke per week, featuring five kids

Competition entry reminder

Videos must be more than 10 seconds and under 30 seconds.
No branding – including toys and clothes
Only one child per video
No background music

An Extra Chance To Win

To celebrate the start of Carol-oke I have a Nick Jr. goody bag to giveaway to one lucky reader. You can win everything shown below including My Nick Jr. Crayon set, My Nick Jr. colouring Book, Nick Jr. umbrella, Nick Jr. Ready steady dough set and a Nick Jr. Bag.
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Simply fill in the Gleam form below:

Nick Jr goodies

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WIN Milkshake! Fabulous Friends DVD

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Fiona Martin

My children have loved Channel 5’s Milkshake over the years with lots of their favourite characters appearing in shows, so I’m delighted to tell you about the new DVD release from Abbey Home Media. With 2 hours of entertainment your children will be kept occupied with long time favourites Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine and many more!

milkshake Featuring in this new collection are:

Peppa Pig – In ‘The New Car’, Peppa’s family car breaks down. While it is being mended, they borrow a shiny new one from Grandad Dog’s garage.

Thomas & Friends – In ‘The Thomas Way’, Harold the Helicopter breaks down, so Thomas and Duck take him to Sodor Search and Rescue for repair. Thomas wants to show them the sights but Duck isn’t keen. They need to learn to work together.

Pip Ahoy! – In ‘ Alan Loses His Bounce’, Alan starts the day full of music and bounce, until Norman the Snail tells him that bouncing is silly. Pip and Alba organise a surprise to cheer him up and get his bounce back.

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom – In ‘Books’, Queen Thistle reads the children a story which inspires a question. They can’t find the answer in the magic books in the castle, so go to the Wise Old Elf in the Great Elf Library.

Fireman Sam – In ‘Jupiter on the Loose’, the Pontypandy Pioneers visit the fire station, and Norman ends up accidentally driving Jupiter through Pontypandy. Sam races to the rescue!

Lily’s Driftwood Bay – In ‘Stop That Pudding’, Lily puts her newly discovered set of measuring spoons to good use when Nonna takes a tumble and needs a rest, leaving Salty to step in and cook an important pudding.

Bananas In Pyjamas – In ‘Power Cut’, Morgan accidentally causes mayhem in Cuddlestown when he plugs in too many lights and speakers in preparation for Camembert’s birthday party.

Little Princess – In ‘I Want My Treehouse’ Little Princess builds a treehouse, then discovers Algie and Maid are also building one in the tree next door! Soon they are in competition to see who can build the best one.

Bob the Builder – In ‘Lofty Lets Loose’, Bob and his team are building a new giraffe enclosure at the zoo, but Lofty’s excitement about meeting his favourite animal gets the better of him.

Wanda and the Alien – In ‘Starfish’, Wanda and friends help a hermit crab to find his starfish friend who was swept out to sea, aided by a giant whale and some important fish.

Toot the Tiny Tugboat – In ‘Toot’s Funny Side’, Toot arranges a funny No Talent Show to help Paula the Trawler overcome her embarrassment when she makes a mistake.

Toby’s Travelling Circus – In ‘Ribbons and Strings’, Toby is inspired to create a ribbon-and-strings act in the show after witnessing the havoc caused by Momo and Freddo earlier with a yo-yo.

Wissper – In ‘The Slow Slow Loris’ Sonia the slow loris asks Wissper to help her speed up as the chattering monkeys keep taking all the best fruit first. Wissper decides to enlist the help of Monty the meercat.

Paw Patrol – In ‘Pup Pup Boogie’, Ryder, Chase and Rubble use their dance moves to help repair the tracks before the next train arrives.

For your chance to win a copy of the new DVD, just enter the Gleam form below:

Milkshake! Fabulous Friends DVD

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WIN Masha and the Bear Holiday on Ice DVD

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Fiona Martin

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For all Masha and the Bear fans comes the new DVD Holiday on Ice. Released by Abbey Media on 31st October this DVD is packed full of fun seasonal episodes that little ones will love. If you want to win the DVD, which would make a great stocking filler this Christmas, just scroll down and enter the form below.

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A retired circus bear settles into the woods and prepares for a quiet new life surrounded by peace and tranquility until he is introduced to an adventurous little girl named Masha. Masha is an energetic three-year-old who lives in an old train station in the forest. Precocious, silly, and friends with everyone she meets, this energetic girl can’t seem to keep herself out of trouble.

Bear is a warm, fatherly figure that does his best to guide his friend and keep her from harm, often ending up the unintended victim of her misadventures. Together with a loveable group of friendly animals that have made the forest their home, Masha and the Bear entertains adults and children alike, teaching viewers about creativity, loyalty and true friendship.

In this special, seasonal collection, eager to learn how to skate like a pro, Masha gets Bear to teach her. With a bit of effort, Masha gets Bear down to the frozen lake where Lady Bear is already. Hopefully Bear and Lady Bear can help Masha learn the steps.

This special, seasonal collection features the following episodes:- Holiday on Ice, One, Two, Three! Light the Christmas Tree, Picture Perfect, Tracks of Unknown Animals, Watch Out!,
First Day of School, No Tresspassing, The Snow Maiden and The Wolf and the Fox.

For your chance to win a copy of the new DVD, just enter the Gleam form below:

Masha and the Bear DVD

UK Entries only

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WIN Peter Rabbit Great Rabbit and Squirrel Adventure DVD

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Fiona Martin

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For little fans of Peter Rabbit, the new DVD released by Abbey Home Media on Monday 24^th October, The Great Rabbit and Squirrel Adventure is packed full of fun episodes around friendship and adventure. My children love watching Peter Rabbit, he never fails to entertain, so get your entries in below to win a copy of the DVD, the perfect stocking filler this Christmas.

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Join our hero, Peter Rabbit, in this fifth installment of his animated adventures. Peter tells a curious Cotton-tail how he and Squirrel Nutkin became friends and how Nutkin’s lost his tail. Soon Peter is on an adventure to retrieve Nutkin’s tail, even though it means going to Owl Island! This charming DVD collection features over seventy minutes full of fun, mischief and adventure, in 6 action packed adventures. Let’s hop to it!

With a taste for radishes and a thirst for adventure Peter Rabbit is the lovable and extraordinary friend you longed to hang out with when you were a kid. But when the chips are down and danger lurks, there’s no better friend to have around than Peter and his boundless courage will always see him through.

Peter Rabbit – The Tale of the Great Rabbit and Squirrel Adventure features the following episodes: – The Tale of The Rabbit and Squirrel Great Adventure; The Tale of Old Brown’s Feather; The Tale of The Wiggly Worms; The Tale of Two Enemies; The Tale of Fierce Bad Rabbit; The Tale of Mr Tod’s Trap

For your chance to win a copy of the new DVD, just enter the Gleam form below:

Peter Rabbit Great Adventure

UK Entries only

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Win a set of pillows with Silentnight & Dream Holiday promotion

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Fiona Martin

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There’s nothing better than sleeping in your own bed at night, so when you are away from home it can be hard to feel comfortable and get a good nights sleep. In fact a surprisingly high number of people really do miss their bed whilst on holiday, according to a survey compiled by Silentnight.

“Six out of 10 Brits agree that they miss their bed more than their FAMILY, when away on holiday.”

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With the holiday season arriving and a good nights sleep on our minds, Silentnight have launched a Dream Holiday competition where you can win the holiday of your dreams along with a multitude of runners up prizes including iPads, bikes, experience days and fitness equipment.

For a chance of winning one of these amazing prizes, all you need to do is purchase a Silentnight product, can be pillows, duvet etc that has the Dream holiday promotional sticker on.

Nick Booth from Silentnight comments: “With increasingly busy lives, it’s understandable that UK consumers are looking to get away just to unwind, relax and sleep! And good bedding is of course key to a good night’s rest.”

I totally agree with this statement and find a decent pillow to be really important at night otherwise I do struggle to sleep through the night. With that in mind I have a set of Silentnight pillows up for grabs for one of my readers to ensure they get a really good nights sleep at home!

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All you need to do to win is fill out the Gleam widget below, and don’t forget to look out for the stickered packs in the shops to win the amazing prize of a Dream Holiday along with some amazing other prizes.

Silentnight

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Win a Family Theme park trip plus hotel stay with Dioralyte

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Fiona Martin

We all know the dreaded horror stories we hear when either you or family members get hit by the dreaded Norovirus or Rotavirus. Days in bed ill, the kids have to be kept of school for days, constant cleaning the bedsheets to keep them fresh and germ free, and most importantly keeping everyone hydrated.

Dioralyte Family

I remember back a couple of years ago, when my daughter Miss M came home from school telling me that several of her friends were off school ill. The next thing I knew, poor Miss M herself was poorly and totally unfit for school. She was on and off the toilet with diarrhoea all day, couldn’t eat and so the one thing I tried to make sure was that she stayed hydrated. I remember giving her a few sachets of Dioralyte to drink as I had some in the cupboard at the time and they are so much better than just plain drinks as they help to replace essential salts in the body. It did take her a few days to get better then a further 48 hours off school so she didn’t spread it to others, although my now it seemed to have made it’s way around a fair few members of the class. My little boy also suffered a little although I really pushed the point of washing hands all the time to prevent the spreading of germs. Fortunatley the adults escaped this episode but with both children poorly, it wasn’t a very nice week at home at all!

Dioralyte is the number one selling rehydration drink and available in three variants, natural, citrus or blackcurrant. Suitable from 2 years of age, it’s worth keeping some in the medicine cabinet for all the family to use at time of diarrhoea and viruses.

DioraleZe is another product in the Dioralyte family, which aims to stop diarrhoea in it’s track with just one does. Suitable for adults and over 12’s, this is definitely worth keeping an eye out for should you start suffering from such symptoms.

Some important facts you should remember if a bug reaches you or a family member are:

• Norovirus, is one of the most common stomach bugs in the UK. Sometimes referred to as the “winter vomiting bug” it causes diarrhoea and vomiting.
• It’s important to STOP & rehydrate from the first signs of illness, so it can be helpful to have the Dioralyte family on hand to help
• Dehydration is the loss of water and electrolytes (mineral salts)
• The Dioralyte family includes Dioralyte, Dioralyte Relief and DioraleZe
• Dioralyte provides the right balance of mineral salts and water to combat dehydration and rehydrates better than plain water, fruit juice or fizzy drinks
• Dioralyte Relief includes rice powders to reduce symptoms of diarrhoea as well also being formulated to hydrate better than plain water, fruit juice or fizzy drinks
• Drinking plenty of fluids, taking antidiarrhoeal and/or anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) medication, as well as getting plenty of rest are just some of the ways you can help manage the symptoms of norovirus
• Oral rehydration salts are recommended as good sources of rehydration in guidelines
• Even mild dehydration (between 1% and 2% loss in bodyweight) can cause a lack of concentration in the short-term, headaches and reduced mental capability

** Winner as picked by Pegasus is Rebecca Beesley!** Congratulations!

I’m pleased to announce that in association with Dioralyte I am running a fabulous competition for my readers “Gastro Ghouls & Noro Stories”.

All you need to do is comment below with your Gastro Ghoul & Noro Stories including the following information:

• What gastrointestinal illness (gastro ghoul) did they suffer from?
• When did they get ill?
• What happened?
• How did it affect the family & in which order did it travel around the family?
• How quickly did it spread?
• Who was affected the worst?

Feel free to also submit a ghoulish video of your story which you can email over to me.

The winners story will be made into a promotional video by the promoter Pegasus to which you will be invited to a screening. Your details can be anonymous for this if you wish.

In return one winner will be selected according to the terms and conditions below and can choose one of these fabulous prizes!

Option 1
Family mini break (2 adults and 2 children) to Legoland Windsor, including centrally located hotel accommodation for one night and tickets to Legoland.

Option 2
Family mini break (2 adults and 2 children) to Chessington World of Adventures Resort, including centrally located hotel accommodation for one night and entry to the resort.

Option 3
Family mini break (2 adults and 2 children) to Longleat Safari Park, including centrally located hotel accommodation for one night and entry to the safari park.

Competition terms and conditions:

1. This competition is open to residents of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland.

2. All information detailing how to enter this competition forms part of these terms and conditions. It is a condition of entry that all rules are accepted as final and that the competitor agrees to abide by these rules. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.

3. Entries should be submitted as a comment on the blog post or via the bloggers given email address. Entrants should include their own name and relevant contact information i.e. email address.

4. All entries must be received by the midnight 1st May 2016

5. Each entrant grants a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual licence to Sanofi to feature any or all of the submitted story in consumer and trade press and Sanofi company publications, on their websites and/or in any promotional material connected to this competition.

6. Late, illegible, incomplete, defaced or corrupt entries will not be accepted. No responsibility can be accepted for lost entries and proof of transmission will not be accepted as proof of receipt. Entries must not be sent through agencies or third parties.

7. The winning entry will be chosen by Pegasus. The winner will be notified within seven days of the closing date of the competition.

8. Offensive or entries deemed by the competition organisers to be inappropriate will not be accepted.

9. The winning entry will win an experience with a perceived value of £560.

10. The winners may be required to take part in publicity.

11. Events may occur that render the competition itself, or the awarding of the prize, impossible due to reasons beyond the control of the Promoter and accordingly the Promoter may at its absolute discretion vary or amend the promotion and the entrant agrees that no liability shall attach to the Promoter as a result thereof.

12. English law applies and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts shall prevail.

• This competition prize is provided by Dioralyte as part of their Gastro Ghouls & Noro Stories campaign
• Dioralyte has not influenced the content of this piece
• To find out more about Dioralyte, Dioralyte Relief and DioraleZe products visit www.dioralyte.co.uk
• Always read the label (to be included if referencing product information)

Win a Tennis Set with Pharmaton’s Ready to Play Campaign

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Fiona Martin

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Phamaton Active Life are the official multivitamin supplement of British tennis and to celebrate a British win of the Davies cup they have teamed up with it’s winner Leon Smith to encourage more children to start up tennis and use it as a way to keep active.

Pharmaton High Res Packshot

The Ready to Play campaign sees Leon Smith create ten simple videos that you can encourage your kids to do at home to get active. All you need are a few small balls, a couple of household objects and off your go, using balance and coordination, your kids ball skills will improve immediately. Why not give them a go?

My children were eager to get outside and have ago, with wall tennis and tennis being great fun. Trying to capture them in action was hard work though with balls flying everywhere. What we did then find in the shed but hadn’t had a chance to play was a street tennis kit and our new garden was the perfect place to give it a go. The children absolutely loved it and have been playing tennis in the garden as long as the sun stays out in the evenings – proving tennis is a big hit with them!

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To celebrate Pharmaton’s Ready to Play campaign and help encourage children get active I have a mini Bablolat Tennis set pictured below to give away to one of my readers:

Just fill in the Gleam form below:

Tennis set

Win a Giant Frozen Wall Puzzle with Jumbo Games

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Fiona Martin

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Today is National Puzzle Day, a fantastic time for families to sit down and enjoy a large jigsaw together or children trying to do a puzzle of their favourite characters by themselves.

I’ve always been a fan of jigsaws and have my encouraged my children to do so too. Jumbo Games have a wide variety of puzzles available for all ages and tastes so there really is something to suit everyone.

The Frozen wall puzzle is not only a jigsaw, but once complete it comes with glue to which you spread on top to join all the pieces together. You can then hang the puzzle on your bedroom wall. The other special thing about this puzzle is the size. It may only contain 35 pieces but the completed puzzle is an awesome 100x70cm!!

For your chance to win this fabulous Giant Wall puzzle, just enter in the Gleam form below:
Frozen puzzle

Win an iPod Shuffle with Otovent Glue Ear Treatment

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Fiona Martin

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Parents get used to dealing with a range of ailments in children, but problems with a child’s hearing can be one of the most distressing conditions to deal with, as it can cause everything from pain and trouble sleeping, to a delay in learning development and social engagement.

One of the main causes of hearing loss in children is glue ear – a common condition that’s caused when a sticky, glue-like fluid fills the middle ear and causes the child to develop hearing difficulties.

Fortunately this is not something I have come across with my children so far, so was surprised to read that approximately 80% of children in the UK suffer with glue ear, with the majority of those being under the age of ten.

Otovent from Kestrel Medical, offers a simple and non-invasive alternative to antibiotics and surgery in treating Glue Ear by using pressure from a balloon to help drain fluid that gets trapped in the ear and causes hearing problems.

Paediatrician Dr Ranj Singh said:

‘Glue ear can be problematic and frustrating for children and their parents. Despite the potentially significant consequences on development, there has traditionally been little in the way of treatment, other than surgery. Now for the first time, there is a real alternative that has clinically-proven results.

By using an auto-inflation device, parents have a relatively non-invasive and low-cost option for helping to treat their child’s glue ear before thinking about surgery, potentially avoiding antibiotics. Such an easy-to-use and effective treatment has been long overdue!’

With such an easy and effective treatment available, I think that’s great news for parents of affected children, there’s nothing worse that losing your hearing, think of never hearing conversation, sounds around you and music. Music was a large part of my growing up years, whether at home, to occupy yourself on transport, nights out and nowadays I love listening to music whilst doing the housework and DIY etc.

In collaboration with Otovent, to celebrate the joy of hearing, I’m pleased to offer one lucky winner an Apple iPod shuffle to be delivered in time for Christmas.