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Half term, some parents love it, while others loathe it. I am not sure if it is the lack of routine or the need to occupy the children 24/7 but it doesn't need to be fraught, as the best thing is there is no school run!

So after chatting with some friends about what they have enjoyed this week, there are some that say the best thing about half term is the end of it but on the positive side, here are our top ten reasons to love half term.

1. No School Run. This really needs no further explanation but the thought of a few days without the mad morning dash and the questionable parking by the school gates, that inevitably leads to someone's wing mirror being clipped every day. Road rage, harrassed parents and a traffic warden is not an ideal combination before 9.00am.

2. Pyjama (or Onesie) Days. Having a lie in maybe an ask too far but what other excuse do you have not to get dressed till lunchtime .... or indeed at all.

3. Not having a schedule to keep to. Most mornings (and afternoons) are like a military operation in our house so not having to keep to any kind of schedule might mean that the days roll into one but it is lovely not to have to clock watch.

4. Having time off work. If you are a teacher, you benefit from enjoying the school holidays too or if you book time off to spend with the children, it can be a great way to escape the rat race and just enjoy your time together.

5. No packed lunches to make. I have to admit that I repeatedly try and get my daughter on hot dinners, especially in winter but apparently my lunches are better than school meals. I fear that this says more about the school meals than my packed lunch prowess! Either way, half term means no morning panic to create an appetising and healthy lunch that they "may" want to eat at lunchtime!

6. No more Groundhog day arguments. Brush your teeth. Get your shoes on. Have you got your bag. Where is your coat? Every. Single. Day.

7. Weekday movies. Films are always cheaper in the week, so it is the perfect time to take advantage of great prices and entertainment. (whilst trying to get the children past the popcorn and pix n mix without remortgaging your house). If you want to be even more frugal, you can just download a film at home and watch in your own lounge, just make sure you have a good TV stand to cope with the widescreen TV action.

8. Playing games. Whether it is Pictionary, board games or good old fashioned lego, having the time to sit and play with the children is a great way to reconnect with them .... and your inner child.

9. Enjoying time. With the madness of the daily school routine, the after school clubs, homework, bath, bedtime stories, there is rarely a chance to take time and out actually just enjoy spending time with those little people that you brought into the world. So just enjoy the time.

10. No School Run ..... Oh did I mention this already?? 

Would you add anything to the list?

Thank you so much to the lovely Emma, Andrea, Rebecca, Cat, Jen, Helen, Cas, Sarah, Anya, Helen, Vanessa, Penny, Alice, Annie, Angie, Joy and Cass for a great debate about what is to love and loathe abotu half term!

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Homebase.

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With the miserable weather lately, we have talked a lot about spring and summer (and when we might actually see them), so when Holiday Extra's asked if our readers might be interested in winning £100 gift vouchers, you can imagine we were nodding furiously.

So what do you have to do to be in with a chance of winning ......

By completing our 10-question survey you'll be entered into a prize draw to win your choice of a £100 gift voucher from Show & Stay which can be redeemed against a London theatre break or a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children for any UK theme park provided by Play and Stay.

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February is the month of love and we have been talking alot about the things we love, which leads us perfectly into our review of the Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep. My gorgeous nephew has been chief tester, so without further ado, I shall pass you over to Suzi, our baby blogger .....

I have been using the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Perfect Prep machine for a couple of weeks now and one word sums it up: Timesaving and if something is timesaving when you have a baby then it really can feel like it’s lifesaving! When you come to the end of your breastfeeding journey or this is simply not an option for you, for whatever reason that maybe, Tommee Tippee brings you as close to nature as you can get. 

Tommee Tippee claim this machine ‘makes a fresh bottle at just the right serving temperature in less than 2 minutes’ and not wanting to blow their trumpet, I think it’s even quicker than that.

So, how does it work? Simply, you select the number of ounces required for the feed and it dispenses a small amount of boiling water into your baby’s sterilised bottle, to which you add the milk powder and shake. This part of the process sterilises the powder (a process that is recommended by the health service but is easily missed if making up bottles using other methods). Lastly, you place the bottle back under the machine to collect the filtered cold water that makes the feed up to the right amount and to a perfect serving temperature.

So, it’s quick and easy to use that is clear, but is it revolutionary enough to be worthy of paying the RRP of £100? Well to put it simply, YES! And that is not because I have money to splash around, (if only..),

its because we no longer have to worry about preparing night feeds in advance,

it’s because we only have to pacify our little cherub for 2 minutes if he catches us off guard hungry,

it’s because I don’t need to worry about whether the bottle is too hot or cold,

it’s because I am happy knowing it has sterilised the milk,

it’s because I am not wasting water and fuel and time boiling kettles and cooling / heating bottles,

and last but definitely not least, it’s because my husband loves it! What man doesn’t like a gadget?!

And what women doesn’t want her man to embrace making up the baby feeds : )

Oh and there is one more thing, it looks smart, a little bit like a coffee machine to be honest so I’m happy for it to take pride of place in my kitchen. 

I can only highly recommend this product; its simple, slick, efficient, safe and most of all timesaving, which as I said at the start, feels LIFESAVING!

And to show just why we both love this product, here is my husband proudly demonstrating how it works! 

It really is that easy!

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Today is allegedly the most romantic day of the year. The 14th of February (Valentines Day) is named after Saint Valentine who was a third-century Roman saint who has been associated with love since the High Middle Ages. Nothing is reliably known of St. Valentine except his name and the fact that he died on February 14th but I digress ....

The Lilypad has been blessed to share some personal guest posts over the last 13 days about what our friends think that Love Is ....

So what do I think Love Is ..... ?

It is considering someone else other than myself.

It is not having to be perfect but being perfect for that someone.

It is sharing your bed with your children when they need you.

It is finding a gorgeous pair of shoes in the sale .... that are just your size. (I personally love it when this happens)

It is Saturday nights in with the family, rather than Saturday nights out on the town.

It is creating a school costume in a matter of hours because they neeeeeeeed it for tomorrow.

It is finding a fantastic bespoke offer online that is the perfect gift for Valentines.

It is still being kissed in the morning, despite your snoring keeping them awake in the night.

It being the first person they turn to when they are hurt or upset.

It is having a cold shower because the children have used all the hot water.

It is reading "another" story before bedtime.

It is butterflies in your stomach.

It is sharing excitement.

It is laughter.

It is not about one day in the year, it is every single day.

For the avoidance of doubt, we were asked to review from the Bespoke Offers site, without obligation and as we loved the concept, thought it fitted perfectly into this post.