Put down the technology and pick up a book this half term. Sounds easy doesn't it? Well it should be, unless you have technology crazy children who love watching You Tube clips, playing on their apps and messaging their friends. A technology curfew has had to be instigated and I have dragged them (not quite kicking and screaming) back to books.

I love that my girls are tech savvy but I also think that with so many devices available to help you with your every whim, there is the possibility to lose the ability to imagine, dream and use their brain. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge advocate of technology (I am never far away from it) but there is something special about holding a book and getting lost in the story.

This is why I love The Works because there is something for everyone. They have shops all over the UK and (despite what I said about the technology curfew) you can also order online from a massive selection. They stock thousands of books at up to 90% off RRP, which definitely appeals to our money saving pockets, or in the words of the tween "means we can just buy more then Mom". I think I have her buy in here!

The girls have a love of shopping (I wonder where they get that from) so once we have chosen from the books, stationary, arts and crafts at The Works, the next part is actually getting them to read the books once they have finished with the attractions of the sticking glueing and painting.

Let them choose

This may sound trivial but a child needs to "want" to hear or read a story. If they are not interested, they will switch off. Let your child's own interests guide his or her reading choices. It's okay to make suggestions, just don't force your conceptions of what your child should be reading onto your child. And, keep an eye on the reading level of the books your children choose, my eldest daughter will sometimes go for the easy option or pick something simply because she likes the cover picture.

Reading aloud

Encourage your child to read aloud to you an exciting passage in a book, or even a joke from a joke book. When children read aloud, don't feel they have to get every word right. Even great readers tend to skip or mispronounce words now and then. 

Find time to read

Whether it is before bed or after school, find a time where you can sit together and read. Make it part of your daily routine and this enforces that it is an important activity, not just something that you need to fit in between swimming or gymnastics or their favourite TV programme.

As for me, I never seem to find time to read these days, so maybe if we get into this routine, I can have a browse through the books online at The Works and find some reading material and a little time just for me.

 

Tweet

This is a collaborative post.

When I was 7 years old, I met a friend on holiday in Spain. We chatted about everything and anything like most 7 year olds and at the end of the holiday we exchanged addresses and became pen pals. She lived in Bexley in London and I was in Birmingham in the West Midlands. It seemed like a million miles away from each other back then, in the days before email, texting and Facetime. We would write to each other every single week. She would hear about everything from my aspirations and exam woes to friendship squabbles and boyfriend drama.

I couldn't wait for the letter to come through the letterbox each week to hear about her adventures "down south". Bexley seemed like a foreign land, so when our parents agreed for us to meet up, it was like having a mini holiday all over again. I remember us getting the train and tube into London and my pen pal laughing at me for being in awe of the tube, we went sight seeing around London and went to visit the Queen (although you couldn't get in past the gates in those days)

Fast forward 30 years and our lines of communication have changed a little (along with our ability to travel without our parents).  I have held my driving licence since I was 17 although there is still some childlike thrill about taking a train or tube ride but rather than sleeping on her bedroom floor like we did as children, I can now choose to say at a local hotel, like 

Holiday Inn Bexley

 

She is one of my oldest friends but these days we now we tend to use Facebook and emails to stay in touch and arrange to meet up I love how instantly we can chat now but I do miss seeing the hand written envelope popping through the letter box and ripping it open to see what secrets we were sharing that week.

This weekend she is coming up to Warwickshire, although I suspect that Warwick Castle may not quite match up to Buckingham Palace, so we will be planning another trip down south very soon and I plan on doing some real sightseeing around London. I may go and visit the Queen again but the London Eye is top of the list for me this time.

Did you ever have a pen pal as a child? Did you ever go and visit them? 

Tweet

This is a collaborative post.

My husband doesn’t seem to share a love of shoes in the same way I do and apparently I am passing on my love of shoes to my two girls. In fact, I will let you into a little secret; the toddler possibly has more shoes than any one of us (but shhhh don’t tell my husband that).

I am partial to a sky scraper heel, whereas the girls love trainers, party shoes, boots, pumps, sandals, in fact any style of shoe that matches the outfit of the day. So when you have three women in a household all with a love of shoes, we need to find affordable shoe options to feed our addiction. Buying shoes can be expensive and traipsing round the shops with two children isn’t my favourite idea of fun. The solution? Buying online!

 

So when we were introduced to Pisamonas, we may have been a little excited! They are a gorgeous children´s shoes and accessories brand shoe store based in Spain and aside from the stunning classic shoe range, they tempt you with free shipping, free size exchanges, and high-quality shoes at low prices.

Despite being despatched from Spain, at Pisamonas, deliveries are always FREE, with no minimum purchase required, and returns & size exchanges are always FREE too, no explanations needed. If the size does not fit, they will send a new one for free, just as if you were shopping at a high street store. (We may have done a happy dance when we found this out).

So once you have got over the excitement of the FREE delivery and returns bit (I have to admit some other online retailers should take a leaf out of Pisamonas book) and take a look at the designs, you will find that they have an adorable classic look to them that is somehow both timeless and on trend.

As a Welcome to the UK they are offering £10 off on your first order when spending over £40 so grab it while you can! And while my husband may insist that we don’t need any more shoes in our cupboard, Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes really can change your life!

Tweet

 

We may have mentioned our love of baby swimming once or twice and one of the things we love about our swimming lessons, is that Water Babies always choose pools that are a minimum of 30 degrees or more as little ones can feel the cold when swimming and a shivering baby is usually not a happy one.

So we have always been a huge fan of the Konfidence range of products for baby swimming and beyond and we love that this remains a family business based in the UK. We are therefore thrilled to be able to offer a Baby Bundle worth £50 to our readers. The prize includes:

 

The Konfidence Roll & Go Changing Mat is perfect for the poolside and changing room.  It is made from 3mm thick chlorine-resistant neoprene cushioned foam, with an embossed treaded underside, which provides grip so that it won’t slip or slide on wet surfaces.

You have a choice of picking from one of the three colours and all you need to do is enter below:

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

UK Entrants Only.
The winner will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 5 working days by email
Konfidence will be responsible entirely for the prize
By entering this competition, you understand that your details will be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 28/02/2015 12am

Tweet