Saturday 28 May 2016

A new addition before our new addition...

Friends of Sylvanian Families Badge
I was 39 weeks pregnant on Friday (27th May) and am now officially into the final countdown for our baby girl's arrival - eeek! It is so exciting and seems to be suddenly upon us as this pregnancy has truly just flown by! I feel like I've barely had the time to acknowledge I'm pregnant, let alone think too much about it! 

Mrs Bishop's 39 week baby girl bump
39 week mega-bump! Baby Girl Bishop will be with us before we know it, how exciting! 

This week has been my final full-on work week, and I'm now hoping to slow down and take it a little bit easier if I can. I have a few more jobs on my blog to do list, a few work admin tasks and a little bit more scheduling to do for work, but nothing major! I'm hoping to get in plenty of reading and crochet time over the next week, and just really try to enjoy these last snippets of time as a family with just one child. 

I'm well aware the next few months are going be a bit of a rude awakening for The Bertster - getting used to life as a big brother won't be easy: having to share his home, his parents, his stuff, probably won't be plain sailing - so we're trying to make the most of the calm before the storm, and prepare him as best as you can prepare an almost three year old for any big changes that are afoot. 

For us, we think that keeping his routine (not that he has a major one) as similar as possible, and ensuring he still gets lot of quality time and attention from us will be key to making this transition into life as a family of 4 a little easier (hopefully!) He has his favourite times of day at the moment, such as story time before bed and time to play with his dolls house in the afternoons, and we will endeavour to ensure they stay as a regular part of his day. 

I can't blame him on the dolls house front, it's pretty much still my favourite item in my whole house, haha! 

Mrs Bishop's Victorian Doll's House
Our glorious Victorian dolls house - with 6 rooms (two attic rooms in the roof you can't see in the photo), a hallway and landing space and working lights! 

Inside our beloved Doll's House lives a mixture of beautiful Sylvanian Families (which are just the right size for our house, hooray!) 

We have the Chocolate Rabbit family, Polar Bear family and Walnut Squirrel family all happily settled in the house, and this week a new-family-on-the-block moved in and we are super-excited to introduce you to them.

Meet Billy, Nancy, Mandy and Jenny...the Goat Family...
Billy is the new postman in Sylvanian Village who delivers important letters and parcels to everyone in the village. He delivers post every day and knows every single corner of Sylvanian Village. 
Nancy is good at quilting and can make anything from clothes and small items to big items such as curtains. She holds sewing classes for mothers and daughters in the village which are very fun and always popular. 
Mandy loves writing letters. She sends hand-made birthday cards to family and school friends every year. Everyone looks forward to receiving her letters because they are always filled with heart-warming messages. 
Jenny loves to sing while swinging on the swings. She likes it when her mother pushes her on the swings. She also loves swinging on the swings at the nursery, but gets a little upset when she has to let someone else take a turn.
The Goat Family is priced at £16.99
The Goat Family from Sylvanian Families
Nancy, Billy, Mandy and Jenny - the Goat Family from Sylvanian Families. 

Bert absolutely loves moving new families into his dolls house, and he plays so beautifully with both the house and its contents, as well as the little Sylvanian figures, that it is an absolute pleasure to watch him as his imagination comes alive and he moves the figures around from room to room - bathing the babies and putting them to bed etc. 

It was especially good that this new family featured a baby girl just shy of our baby girl's arrival! Perfect timing...thanks Sylvanian! 

Bert playing with his Goat Family from Sylvanian Families
Bert loving life with his new family of goats. 

The newest family from Sylvanian really doesn't disappoint - they are as cute as ever, with exquisite detail from their clothing to the cute little horns on the Daddy Goat, aptly named Billy! These robust little figures are perfect for chubby little hands to enjoy, and Bert especially loves that he can dress and undress them (what is it with kids and stripping off their toys!?) 


Sylvanian Families in Mrs Bishop's Doll's house
Beth, the baby Polar Bear girl is having a toddler tantrum - nothing new there then! 

I'm looking forward to a lovely week or so of quality time with Bert before our little bundle arrives - I'm sure we'll spend many hours with our Sylvanian Families, bringing the gorgeous characters to life and enjoying playtime with our favourite toys!

If you missed my other Sylvanian Family post (The One Where The Walnut Squirrels Come To Stay..) you can read it here

Exciting to think that the next post may well be announcing the arrival of our baby girl! 

Mrs B

xxx


Disclosure: We were sent The Goat Family from Sylvanian Families for free in exchange for this honest review, as part of our 'Friends of Sylvanian Families' partnership. 

Tuesday 24 May 2016

15 Minute Pudding with Tefal Actifry: Apple, Banana and Apricot with Cinnamon


About 4 years ago, in a bid to slim down for my wedding day, I made a rushed purchase of a Tefal Actifry machine, in the hope that its air cooking and minimal use of oil would aid a swift weight loss in time for the big day. 

I'd heard great things about the air fryer which uses only one tablespoon of oil to make enough chips to feed a hungry family of four, and couldn't wait to use my new piece of kit in the kitchen. Hubby thought it was going to be a complete waste of money, and assumed it would be one of those gadgets that once the novelty had worn off, we'd rarely use. Oh, how wrong he was. *insert smug face here* 

Four years on and we've used our Actifry multiple times weekly: from delicious healthy homemade chips and wedges, cooking Bert a quick chicken nugget tea without turning the oven on, delicious roast potatoes, and even sweet treats - the Actifry is a versatile little number that we now wouldn't be without. 

Our four year old machine was looking rather tired though, so when the people over at Tefal asked if I'd put their newest model through its paces, I jumped at the chance to clear the decks and make room for a shiny Actifry upgrade!

Tefal Actifry Express 1.5 L

We were sent the Tefal Actifry express XL machine which retails at around £249.99 and can cook enough food to feed a family of six - this capacity upgrade comes at a perfect time for us - just as we are expanding our family - more mouths to feed and plenty of room in the Actifry to accommodate. 

Tefal Actifry Express 1.5 L
Our shiny new Actifry ready to be put through its paces. 

As expected our new piece of kit hasn't disappointed - it has all the same functionality as our old Actifry - with bigger capacity and a shinier, more aesthetic appearance. 

Tefal Actifry Express 1.5 L

So far we've cooked a variety of fresh potato and sweet potato chips and wedges, frozen chips and nuggets (in 18 minutes, no need to heat up a big oven) and we've even made a scrumptious dessert in our new machine. I thought the dessert would be a good recipe to share here on the blog, as most people think of the Actifry as just a healthy way to cook chips, when it can do so much more...

APPLE, BANANA AND APRICOT WITH CINNAMON
served with sweetened half fat creme fraiche 
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

For the fruit mixture:

2 apples, peeled and quartered
1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
125g dried apricots, halved
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp brown sugar 
1/2 tbsp golden syrup
25g butter

For the creme fraiche:

100ml half fat creme fraiche
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Method:

1. Peel and quarter your apples, mix the heaped teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil and add the apple then the cinnamon oil to the Actifry. Cook for 10 minutes. 

2. Add the chopped banana, apricots, brown sugar, golden syrup and butter to the Actifry after 11 minutes and cook for a further 5 minutes until golden, sticky, caramelised and delicious. 

3. While the fruit cooks mix a tbsp of icing sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste into some half fat creme fraiche, and leave in the fridge to stay cool. 

Serve the hot fruit fresh from the Actifry with a good dollop of the sweetened creme fraiche. 

Alternatively you could serve with cream, ice cream or custard. 

Apple, Banana and Apricots with Cinnamon cooked in a Tefal Actifry Express XL 1.5 L
^Pin this for later ^

This is a super speedy but totally delicious pudding - so comforting and perfect for any season - served with hot custard in the Winter for a warming spicy pud, or with the sweetened creme fraiche or ice cream in Spring/Summer for a lighter affair. I love that this pudding takes only 15 minutes to cook, with a tiny bit of peeling and chopping, you can have a fresh pudding on the table in twenty minutes from start to finish. 

Obviously, this recipe is slightly more indulgent than most of the things we cook using the Actifry - but you need a treat every once in a while, and a little of what you fancy does you good after all. 

Have you ever used an air fryer before? I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have...we love ours and wouldn't be without it. 

On that note, I'm off to make a big batch of chunky air fried potato wedges to feed my hungry boys and about-to-burst baby bump! 

Happy cooking all...

Mrs B

xxx


Diclosure: We were sent the Tefal Actifry Express XL in exchange for this honest review. 

Monday 23 May 2016

Making the most of our evenings with Charlie Bigham's ready meals...

Charlie Bigham's Logo
Last week Liam and I were set a challenge by  Charlie Bigham's

Could we claim back some quality time in our evenings by substituting our usual evening meal prep routine with using a Charlie Bigham's ready meal instead? 

They asked us to review three of their meals for two people and answer the following questions...

  • Would we enjoy the meals in place of our usual home-cooked dinners? 


  • What would we do with the time we gained from using these pre-prepared, high-quality meals for two?
This challenge couldn't have come at a better time - at 38 weeks pregnant I'm feeling just a little bit exhausted...although I usually love to cook, in recent weeks cooking the evening meal has started to feel like a bit of a chore...so a quick, easy but still healthy alternative at dinner time was welcomed heartily by me. 

At Charlie Bigham's they think it’s vital once in a while to pack the kids off to bed early and enjoy a wonderful night in together over an amazing meal. It might feel like a luxury, but surely: delicious food, brilliant company, it’s what life’s all about, isn’t it? Liam and I always eat our evening meal together at the dining table - we chat, catch up on our day and revel in the (hopefully) yummy food I've prepared for us. I always look forward to our evening meal - it is one of my favourite times of day. 


"Lasagnes, moussakas, fish pies: we love them all. But let’s be honest, making these dishes properly takes time – time that perhaps could be better spent sitting, chatting and enjoying ourselves over a glass of wine or two? All our oven dishes are made with top-notch ingredients and come in wooden trays, which we think look rather handsome on the dinner table." Charlie Bigham's Website 

I love the Charlie Bigham sentiment, and was all too happy to give these meals a whirl and claim back a bit of well-earned me-time/us-time. 

The Meals

We took our three meal vouchers worth £7 each along to our local Tesco store to check out the Charlie Bigham's range on offer - we were pleasantly surprised by the variety of Charlie Bigham's meal choices available: there were so many delicious-sounding choices it was hard to pick just three! 

We took it in turns to choose a meal-for-two, and then chose the third meal-for-two together. Hubby opted for Chicken Kiev, as it's his absolute favourite. I opted for the moussaka as I absolutely adore Greek food, and then we chose the Chilli con Carne and Mexican rice as our third meal option, as we're big fans of Mexican food. 

We were excited to give them a whirl...

Charlie Bigham's ready meals

All three of our meal options were easily prepared by being placed in the wooden containers they came in, on a baking tray in a pre-heated oven for around 30 minutes - it was really so straight-forward and all that was needed effort-wise was to prepare a few veggies to go alongside our dishes, easy peasy!

My favourite was the moussaka - it was so rich and full of flavour. It reminded me of Greek holidays gone by, and was definitely superior in taste to other ready-meal versions of moussaka I've tried. I've also made moussaka from scratch on a number of occasions - it's a lot of work, loads of faffing, and uses a lot of ingredients - this Charlie Bigham's version was just as nice, and so simple that I'd definitely have to think twice next time I was thinking of making one. 

Charlie Bigham's moussaka before and after cooking
The Charlie Bigham's moussaka before and after cooking...

Hubby's favourite of the three was the Chicken Kievs - no surprise there then! Saying that, I do usually make my chicken Kievs from scratch, so he is used to good-quality, well made Kievs with plenty of flavour (not frozen ready made versions) so his standards of judgement were pretty high.  Although he said they weren't *quite* as good as my homemade ones (he may have just been trying to spare my late-pregnancy/very hormonal feelings), they were absolutely delicious in his opinion (and mine) especially considering how simple they were to cook. We were also impressed with the short and fresh ingredients list when we checked out the packaging -  it seems that only whole, fresh foods have gone into these Charlie Bigham's meals, which is reassuring. 

three Charlie Bigham's ready meals cooked
Our three Charlie Bigham's meals were delicious...

We both enjoyed the Chilli con Carne too, and out of the three it was the easiest to prepare as it needed no accompaniment except a little dollop of sour cream - super simple! The portion size for this chilli was just right, as was the spicing - enough heat that it tasted like a chilli, but not too much that it would blow your head off. The crispy tortilla chip topping was a lovely addition too and created a nice contrast in texture. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the nutritional content of each of the meals - substantial enough to make them good-sized dinners, but none of the meals were over 650 calories per portion once the side dishes/additions were added. 

The Chicken Kievs were just 288 calories each, the moussaka was 458 calories for half the pack, and the Chilli con Carne and rice came in at just 605 calories per portion. 

Gaining back some evening time...

Not needing to be chained to kitchen for three nights last week thanks to the Charlie Bigham's meals meant that Liam and I were able to spend some of our evening time in more restful and enjoyable ways than usual. 

For Liam this looked like enjoying a natter and a glass of wine with me while the food cooked in the oven, instead of a snatched conversation while I cook. This extra time meant he gained some quality evening time with Bert: reading stories, playing dressing up and lining up all of Bert's treasured animal figures. My boys do love an excuse for extra playtime. 
charlie bigham's ready meal moussaka
A relaxed evening thanks to Charlie Bigham's ready meals. 

As well as getting a bit of extra time to chat to Liam, I put my time saved across the three evenings to a relaxing/theraputic use...I decided to get some proper me-time in the form of putting my feet up and reading my kindle and doing a spot of crochet. Both of which are passions/hobbies of mine that I don't get to indulge in nearly enough. It was lovely to take some time-out for myself and made me realise how I should definitely try to make more time to be kind to myself and give myself a break. How realistic a goal that is when I'm due to have a baby in two weeks, I'm not sure...! 

reading my kindle
Reading my Kindle with my very preggo feet up! 

giant crochet rug using tshirt yarn
A spot of crochet...using T-shirt yarn to make a giant rug! 

I'd love to know what you'd do with extra time in the evenings? 

Do you ever use ready-meals and if so, which ones can you recommend...I fear we'll be eating a few more pre-prepared dishes over the coming weeks what with the imminent arrival of our new little bundle! 

That's all for now,

Mrs B 

xxx

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Custard Cream Handbag & Purse from Yoshi Bags *REVIEW*

Ahhhh! I'm so excited to share this post with you - it is time for the return of the biscuit handbag & purse! I'm expanding my collection...

I don't think my obsession with all things tea & biscuits will ever really falter: the history of taking tea, it's Britishness, is something I adore - for me, tea & biscuits evoke such nostalgia, and a feeling of calm. 

I didn't think you could get much better than a strong cuppa and a few Custard Cream biscuits on the side, until I was introduced to the GIANT Custard Cream (available in Tesco and Costa Coffee)...now this is the stuff that dreams are made of...

Giant Custard Cream biscuit vs. normal Custard Cream biscuit
Is this not a biscuit of dreams? Roughly 4 times the size of a standard Custard Cream...yes please! Huge thanks to Kirsty from Yoshi for sending me this giant hunk of deliciousness! :-)

Drinking tea, eating biscuits, dunking, all those familiar biscuit flavours, the nostalgia from my childhood, the pop as the biscuit tin opens, the sugar rush that follows, that calming affect that first sip of tea has, my love of mugs, and how aesthetically pleasing the different varieties of biscuits are...all this combined means that anything remotely biscuit related is likely to be fully embraced by me! 

Mrs Bishop Biscuit Obsessive
Biscuit-related paraphernalia at Mrs Bishop's abode

My house is filling up with biscuit-related paraphernalia and I love it. I love that when friends, family members and blog readers see biscuity items they automatically think of me. 

Even the people at Yoshi Bags support my biscuit-addiction: last month they very kindly sent me a beautiful package of biscuity-goodness, and I'm super excited to show you what they sent...

You might remember back in October last year I shared this post where I featured their stunning Bourbon Biscuit bag. I've used and used this bag over the past 7 months - it has become my go-to handbag, the soft brown leather matches pretty much everything I wear - and I still get comments on the bag almost every time I use it. I love how it is a functional/useful handbag that on first glance looks pretty neutral - then on closer inspection is super quirky and fun! 

This time the wonderful, clever, fellow-biscuit-obsessed people at Yoshi have designed a stunning Custard Cream biscuit inspired leather collection including a cross body shoulder bag, purse and keyring - and my oh my are they stunning! 

custard cream bag and purse by Yoshi

They've hit the nail on the head once again with this latest design. Not only is the bag and purse made from the softest cream coloured leather I've ever felt, the detailing of the Custard Cream design is exquisite! 

Leather Custard Cream Bag & Purse from Yoshi

I'm over the moon with my new bag and purse set and have used it every time I've left the house in the last month I think! Again, I've been inundated with comments from people when I'm out and about, I think I should be working on commission for Yoshi ;-)

Custard Cream Leather Coin Purse from Yoshi Bags
Custard Cream Leather Coin Purse from Yoshi Bags

Not only is the bag and purse fun, quirky and a little tongue-in-cheek, it is also incredible quality real leather and super functional - the perfect "mum size" bag, I can get my purse, keys, phone, a bit of make up, a few plastic dinosaurs and snacks for Bert all inside easily. There is a secure zip pocket inside the main cavity of the bag, as well as a compartment to hold your mobile phone. The bag and purse are both lined, and the strap on the bag is fully adjustable. Yoshi have covered all the bases here.

custard cream bag, purse and biscuits

Here's the bag's vital statistics:
  • Handmade Leather Applique Cross Body Handbag
  • Soft Cream Leather
  • Custard Cream Emboss Detailing on the Front
  • Zip Top Fastening
  • Adjustable Shoulder Strap 53 - 59cm
  • Inside Zip Pocket
  • Presented in a Yoshi Signature Dustbag
Height                         15.5cm
Width                           24cm 
Depth                           3.5cm

And the purse's vital stats:
  • Handmade Leather Applique Zip Top Coin Purse
  • Soft Cream Nappa Leather
  • Custard Cream Biscuit AEmboss Detail on the Front
  • Credit Cards will Fit Inside 
  • Zip Top Fastening
  • Presented in a Yoshi Signature Dustbag
Height                          9 cm
Width                           11.5 cm 
Depth                           1 cm

Custard Cream bag by Yoshi

I've so enjoyed wearing this beauty out and about - its first proper outing was my cousin's 50th Birthdy party last month, which was a black tie event. It was so nice to get all dressed up and have a grown up night out with hubby (Bert had a sleepover at his Nanny & Grandads' house!) Being as I'm so heavily pregnant - I don't have that many fashion/outfit choices right now - my small capsule maternity wardrobe is my only option, and I'm pretty bored of everything in it to be honest. I opted for my plain black wrap dress for the black tie party, so it was nice to perk it up a little with such a fun bag to accessorise. 

custard cream leather bag review by Mrs Bishop
Accessorising for a black-tie party with my Yoshi Custard Cream bag!

To see Yoshi's full biscuit range of bags, purses and keyrings (including Bourbon, Custard Cream and Jammy Dodger designs) then head to this page.

I wonder what designs they'll be launching next?

Mrs B

xxx

Tuesday 10 May 2016

WIN a copy of CBeebies Play Time on DVD: 2 hours of CBeebies fun for your little one!

CBeebies Logo

Show me a toddler who doesn't just LOVE CBeebies - I'm not ashamed to say that Bert is mildly obsessed with this tv channel and have so many 'favourite' programmes that I've lost count. 

When the people at Abbey Home Media sent us a copy of their latest DVD collection featuring over 2 hours of CBeebies episodes, I don't know who was more pleased...!

Bert has been watching it daily since it arrived and literally plays in the living room among his toy carnage for the full two hours...only needing my attention to tell me how much he loves (insert name of each programme/character) and that they are his favourite - he's so fickle! 

Still...if it means Mummy can get her work done in relative peace...

CBeebies Play Time DVD cover
'CBeebies Play Time' -  The new DVD collection on sale from Monday 9TH May 2016

In this fab DVD collection you can join the stars of children’s broadcaster CBeebies for over 2 hours of fun-filled entertainment in CBeebies Play Time, released by Abbey Home Media. 

Fans of CBeebies will love this unique collection of some of the very best of children’s television which features:

TeletubbiesTM
TwirlywoosTM
In The Night GardenTM
Peter RabbitTM
Topsy & TimTM
Mike the KnightTM
The Furchester HotelTM
OctonautsTM 
Q Pootle 5TM
Ruff–Ruff, Tweet and DaveTM
ChuggingtonTM and 
CloudbabiesTM

The collection also features the first episode to appear on DVD of the brand new version of TeletubbiesTM, which premiered on CBeebies in 2015.

This special DVD collection CBeebies Play Time is a great way of entertaining young children with its familiar, well-loved characters and diverse range of fun and engaging programming.

The collection features the following episodes:-

Teletubbies – Join Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po as they exploreHome Dome and the magical countryside of Teletubbyland through play.  In New Toy the children in Tummy Tales play a game of pass the parcel and win a surprise toy, while the Dup Dup delivers toys for the Teletubbies to play with. Even Noo-Noo enjoys a new treat!

Twirlywoos - Twirlywoos come from far away, seeking adventure wherever they go. Join Great BigHoo, Toodloo, Chickedy and Chick for their adventures on The Big Red Boat. In Coming and Going, The Twirlywoos watch a man as he runs a bath. They want to leave their hiding place to investigate, but the man keeps coming back! This episode is linked to the going back and forth schema (a schema is the patterns children follow to develop their own ideas).

In The Night Garden - Share in the magical Night Garden world with Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and friends. In Look At What The Ball Did, the ball bounces all over the garden. It accidentally knocks over Makka Pakka's pile of stones, so Makka Pakka rebuilds it and tries to protect it.

Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter’s wonderful stories have charmed and entertained children for generations. Now fans can enjoy the brand new adventures of her timeless children’s classic Peter Rabbit from the new animated series. In The One That Got Away, when Peter and his friends encounter the legendary “Jack Sharp”, a large trout that even Peter's father failed to catch, they try to reel the fish in once and for all. But catching a fish is a lot harder than it looks…

Topsy and Tim - Inspired by the books by Jean and Gareth Adamson, Topsy and Tim, is a live action drama inspired by the small stuff in little people’s lives. In New Pet Topsy and Tim love caring for their new pet rabbit but struggle to agree on his name. When they notice how wiggly his nose is, they know just what to call him!

Mike the Knight - Mike is an energetic, cheeky yet bountiful young knight-in-training, driven by his passion to help others and, along the way, be the best knight he can be. In Hidden Garden Games when Mike, Evie and the Queen have a competition in the Hidden Garden, Mike learns that it's good to let everyone have a turn to play... and it's even better when everyone plays together!

The Furchester Hotel - The Furchester Hotel is an ‘almost’ world-class hotel run by a close-knit family of cheerfully chaotic monsters. The series introduces brand new characters and also welcomes the beloved Elmo and Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. In Furchester on Wheels Funella overhears the tortoise guests say thehotelservice is slow, slow, slow. She is determined to make it fast, fast, fast.

Octonauts - Join Captain Barnacles and crew on their animated underwater adventures. In Mimic Octopus Peso is gathering red algae to cure the sick vegimals but needs the help of a Mimic Octopus to scare off a Moray eel, who uses its striped tentacles to pretend to be a group of poisonous sea snakes.
Q Pootle 5 – Join Pootle and his friends on the planet Okidoki. Pootle and Oopsy travel to a distant special crater, which produces enormous bubbles. They have a great time until a large bubble envelops Pootle’s spaceship and floats off with it. Now Pootle and Oopsy are stranded on the other side of Okidoki unless they can think of a way of getting home…

Ruff- Ruff, Tweet & Dave – Join in the fun with Hatty,Ruff-Ruff,Tweet and Daveas they go on magical adventures. In A Birthday Party Adventure Ruff-Ruff, Tweet and Dave celebrate Hatty's birthday by playing all of his favourite party games. They also find him a surprise birthday gift along the way.
Chuggington - Take to the rails with the Chuggineers. In Koko’s Puppy Training Koko Koko finds a lost puppy and wants to keep it, but she realises a little girl is looking for the puppy and decides that she needs to take him home.

Cloudbabies - Who looks after the sky? The Cloudbabies do! In Rain Rain Rain 
the rain has kept the Cloudbabies inside today and Bobo White is bored. Baba Yellow suggests they play a game of 'Favourite Things'

Join all your favourite characters for over 2 hours of fantastic fun! 

WIN CBeebies Play Time DVD with Mrs Bishop

If you'd like to be in with the chance of winning your own copy of this fab DVD collection then use the Gleam app below to enter. 

UK entrants only - giveaway ends at 11:59pm on 9th June 2016. 

Good luck lovely people! 

Mrs B 

xxx

WIN CBeebies Play Time DVD

SuperLucky Blog Giveaway Linky

WIN a copy of Peter Rabbit: The Tale of the Great Breakout DVD Collection

As you all already know if you read this blog regularly - Bert who is coming up 2 years and 9 months absolutely loves the animated version of Peter Rabbit. He already owns a couple of the DVD collections that are on the market (and watches them repeatedly) as well as owning soft toys, books and the such - he loves nothing more than immersing himself into the world of the cheeky little rabbit. 

This May there are two new releases in the word of Peter Rabbit - a wonderful hardback storybook entitled 'Best Dad!' and a new DVD collection called The Tale of The Great Breakout. We've been lucky enough to get first dibs on them as they were released, and I have even been given an extra copy of the DVD collection to give away to one of my lucky readers...

Best Dad! Peter Rabbit Book Cover

Based on the world-famous animal characters created by Beatrix Potter, join Peter, Lily and Benjamin in this charming board book tale released by Penguin Books. 

Peter and co are very excited to hear about Mr Bouncer's most amazing invention ever – a flying machine that was crash-landed in Mr McGregor's garden by Peter's father. Peter is determined to find it! But the garden is a dangerous place. Can the friends find the machine and make their escape before Mr McGregor catches them?

Told with humour, pace and relevance to bring the wonderful world of Beatrix Potter to a whole new generation.

RRP £4.99. 

Bert has absolutely loved reading this book with us - the familiar characters and illustrations hold his attention, and the language and amount of text seem to be just perfect for pre-schoolers. 

The Tale of the Great Breakout Peter Rabbit DVD cover
Peter Rabbit – The Tale of the Great Breakout – new DVD collection on sale from Monday 2nd May 2016

As well as the wonderful new book, another DVD collection featuring more magical tales are set to enchant Beatrix Potter fans everywhere as Peter Rabbit and friends return in their fourth DVD collection, released by Abbey Home Media on Monday 2nd May.

When Mr. McGregor captures the whole squirrel tribe in his garden, Peter must stage a mass break out to save his friends.  Follow our hero Peter and his friends Benjamin Bunny and Lily Bobtail on their adventures and quest to save the day, overcoming obstacles and outsmarting predators, all the while finding fun and excitement in the most unexpected places. 

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 has an infectious enthusiasm for life and is also an irrepressible optimist. He is cool under pressure and his quick-witted mind is as nimble as his super-fast legs.  

Peter Rabbit – The Tale of the Great Breakout includes 6 exciting episodes: The Tale of The Great Breakout, The Tale of the Mystery Plum Thief, The tale of Benjamin’s Strawberry Raid, The Tale of the Downhill Escape, The Tale of the Unguarded Garden, and The Tale of the Cat and the Rat

Bert has been enjoying these new episodes of one of his favourite programmes (although he sweetly calls them "pepisodes"...bless!) He does the most beautiful dance when the theme tune comes on, it is a catchy little tune! 

We were also chuffed to discover that this lovely DVD collection also comes with a free height chart. Bert loves to measure his height - we have a wooden ruler height chart in our kitchen, so he couldn't wait to pop his Peter Rabbit one over the top and see which character he was as tall as...

Peter Rabbit height chart
Bert's new Peter Rabbit height chart with pride of place in the kitchen. 

Peter Rabbit DVD collection: The Tale of the Great Breakout
Our new DVD collection sat alongside Bert's beloved cuddly Peter that his auntie Susie bought him when he was born. 

WIN Peter Rabbit DVD with Mrs Bishop

If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning your own copy of this fab DVD collection then use the Gleam app below to enter my giveaway. 

UK entrants only.

Best of luck lovelies...

Mrs B

xxx

WIN Peter Rabbit & The Tale of The Great Breakout DVD Collection

SuperLucky Blog Giveaway Linky