Mummy & Moose
clapping, napping and yapping our way through the day

Ada Lovelace Day – STEM Festival Peterborough

Today is Ada Lovelace day!

You have probably heard of Ada Lovelace but you might not be entirely clear on why she is famous or who she really was. Here are some facts you might not know about her but you definitely should!

ada lovelace

Her father was Lord Byron

Yes, that Byron. Ada’s Mum and Dad separated in 1815 when Ada was 3 months old. The mad, bad and dangerous to know poet sadly (or not so sadly, depending on your point of view) died when Ada was 8.

It was said to be that, because Ada’s Mother wanted to avoid her daughter inheriting Byron’s reckless artistic temperament, she pushed her daughter into the study of mathematics. 

She wasn’t really accepted.

Ada had to publish her work under her initials, as women were not seen to be intellectual.

Although Ada’s mother had succeeded in providing her daughter with the best education and had passed onto her a real thirst for knowledge. She hadn’t done quite so well when it came to teaching her how to be a lady in victorian England.

In an 1835 edition of the New York Mirror (Ada would have been 20) was written: “It is said that Ada Byron, sole daughter of the ‘noble bard’, is the most coarse and vulgar woman in England!” Even Babbage, her good friend, was said to have described her as having “a good deal of the Byron devil”! 

She’s buried next to the Father she never knew

She died from cancer in 1852 – at just 36 years old. At her own request, she was buried next to her well known father in a Nottinghamshire churchyard.

It took a while for the world to catch up

Lovelace’s ideas about computing were so far ahead of their time that it took nearly a century for technology to catch up. While Lovelace’s notes on Babbage’s analytical engine gained little attention at the time (they were originally published in 1843), they found a much wider audience when republished in B.V. Bowden’s 1953 book “Faster Than Thought: A Symposium on Digital Computing Machines”. As the field of computer science dawned in the 1950s, Lovelace gained a new following in the digital age.

There’s a computing language named after her

The US department of defence computer language is named Ada. Each October, Ada Lovelace Day recognizes women in maths, science and engineering, who the British Computer Society then award the ‘Ada Lovelace medal’ to.

You can read more about Ada Lovelace by following the links below:

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-ada-lovelace 

https://www.biography.com/people/ada-lovelace-20825323

GET INVOLVED

An official event for Ada Lovelace day, Peterborough STEM festival returns in 2018 for it’s 3rd year. It will be held at the Kingsgate Conference Centre, Peterborough on October 13th, from 9.30am until 4pm.

Promising fun activities to celebrate and experience the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This event is FREE to enter and suitable for the whole family. You just need to book your FREE tickets here:

https://www.peterboroughstemfestival.co.uk/

Autumn Fun Outdoors – Phlat Ball and Fun Sports

I am not an active parent. Despite reading all of the media warnings about screen-time for children and the importance of keeping their little bodies physically active, I am often guilty of looking out of the window and using the weather as an excuse to stay indoors and pop a movie on or play video games.

It’s a bit rubbish on my part I know but there we are. Not that I am not offering an apology, but I have been thinking about it a bit more now that both children are going to school and the long days of time together (where I could be complacent about really how much time we had) are over.

So now those long days have been shortened down to 4 hours after school. Don’t get me wrong, I know I am fortunate to have even that. It’s not much though, is it?

In a way it has improved the quality of our time together though. Because, I think, that clock is ever ticking I am determined to make the time count. So, I have been quite strict with myself and imposed a no laptop rule for ME between 3pm and 8pm. I instead spend that time concentrating on being present for Moose and Bess.

This week

We have been out in the garden this week simply playing with toys. It has been really lovely to spend time with Moose just playing without the rigmarole involved with going somewhere else!

It has been so nice this week to make the most of our outside space. Moose loved playing with the Phlat Ball V3 Flash he was sent as well as his boom bat and other toys.

Inside the ball are suckers so the ball can be squashed into a flatter frisbee style shape. We played a game of hot potato with it, when the ball pinged back to shape whoever was holding it was out!

Moose had so much fun with it and loved the flashing lights too. You can find Phlat Balls at Smyths

We also found a Minion space hopper in the shed which Moose had a lot of fun playing with and for his birthday he received a scooter and helmet. He has had a little practise on the scooter every day this week.

We hear a lot of chatter in the press about how children today have forgotten how to be children and play without the aid of technology but I disagree. Given the chance I think most children enjoy being unplugged*.

*Eventually. Even if they do initially protest that you have ruined their lives by turning their tablet off.

 

5 Winter Wardrobe Must Haves – #Qblogger

IT’S HERE!

I absolutely love this time of year for clothing. You can tell within around 2 minutes of meeting me that I am hardly what you would call fashionable but I know what I like. What I like most is layering, natural fabrics, items which are easily cleaned and comfort! I am in my thirties and I like feeling comfortable dammit!

Last week I was invited to a QBlogger get together at Queensgate Shopping Centre with other local bloggers to take part in an autumn/winter challenge. We were to meet at Carluccios restaurant for drinks and nibbles where we would be handed our very own challenge!

There were a lot of canapes to choose from and I loved trying the bruschetta with pickled walnuts. I also sampled the house red so that I could personally recommend it to you (which I can – it was delicious).

My challenge

Inside my envelope was a letter detailing what I had to do next. I was instructed to head to Oasis, Marks and Spencer and New Look and find 5 staple pieces for my winter wardrobe.

So, in no particular order. Here they are…

Coat

It’s getting colder, you need a coat. I am seeing different takes on the check patterned coat all over the place at the moment. This one from New Look is a really great price at £39.99.

Jumper

£40

Who doesn’t love a bit of ochre on a grey day? This cable knit jumper from Oasis and is available from XS to XL.

£35

I really like animal prints but it seems like it has been stepped up a gear this year. Bold hot pink animal prints look awesome. Well, I think so anyway. This jumper is from M&S.

Hat

bobble hat

from £15

Bobble hats are my favourite. Not only are they a practical solution on a cold day but they also hide a bad hair day too allowing you extra time in bed. Double win.

These bobble hats are from Oasis.

 

Boots

One of the best things about the colder months has to be the skirt, tights, boots combo, surely?

These boots are from New Look

Scarf

I do love a scarf. Chunky knit, silk, bright, pastel… There is something for everyone and the best part is that they all fit!

Here is a selection of some of my favourites from M&S.

This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.

Kinetic Sand

I have a confession to make. Even though I know that tactile play is incredibly good for a child’s development I avoid messy toys… like sand.

kinetic sand

Imagine my joy when we were sent a bag of sand to play with

Moose was genuinely thrilled, the idea of indoor sandcastles made him positively giddy in fact. Me? not so much. It’s not so much that I hate cleaning but I already hoover 3 times a day because someone (me) made the interesting life choice to adopt a turbo shedding hound so adding more “stuff” to clear up is never my first choice.

Inside the box

You will find a 1.5kg bag of sand as well as 8 plastic sandcastle moulds and a set of instructions. The box itself forms part of the playset which I thought was handy as it helps to contain the bits.

The instructions tell you how to fold the box to allow for play but our flap kept coming loose. It made no difference anyway.

What did Moose think?

He loves the stuff. He spent ages just touching and playing with the sand at first. It feels a bit like wet sand but because of what I can only presume is magic, it sticks to itself and leaves no mess. NO MESS!

It’s non toxic and gluten free so good for any little ones who have an intolerance to gluten but who are prone to sticking everything into their mouths. Moose has a friend who fits this description so it’s nice to know they can play with the Kinetic Sand without that added worry.

We found the moulds really easy to use and Moose was happy after a little while of playing together to just sit and build his sandcastles by himself. I would say that with supervision this toy would be fine for a preschooler but 4-6 would be the ideal age range I think.

I thought that the sand provided was plenty but you are able to purchase more sand separately and in lots of different colours too!

Would we buy it?

The short answer is yes. I have already put another set on the Christmas list and I think it would make a great present for other peoples children too! The price of this set was £19.99 which considering it’s claim to “never dry out” is pretty good considering the hours of play value I am sure Moose will get out of it.

This is how much I found on the floor after an hour of Moose playing with it. Not bad!

We have decided to store the sand in plastic tubs just to make sure it stays in the best condition.

We were sent the set in exchange for an honest review.

Fuggler – A Week In The Life.

 It was a Sunday when the Fuggler arrived. That should have been our first warning that something was very, very wrong..

The parcel arrived on our mat with an audible thud. Loud enough for Moose to hear. At the time I didn’t pay the noise much heed. It was an oversight I would come to regret. So many regrets. You see, once the Fuggler has made its presence known to his chosen child there is sadly not much that their adult can do.

How could we have known what was to come?

Fugglers (for those who have yet to be affected by the coming invasion) are Funny Ugly Monsters. These misunderstood little rascals have come to infiltrate your home. They want nothing less than your utmost attention and if you do decide – even after my warnings – to adopt one then you do so at your own risk.

This is an account by Snuggla the Fuggler (as he was to become known) of the events which took place during our first week together.

I would highly recommend that you stop reading now and find yourself a lovely, happy toy in a fetching pastel colour. Something which plays a tune perhaps. Anything but this..

 

Day 1

My first day with the Humans and I decided to befriend the most attractive of the bunch. Fudge appears to be in charge of most of the major decisions in this house so  I thought it would be of benefit to me to get her onside. She has lovely teeth, like me!

fuggler training dog

Sefiiiiie

 

fuggler and dog

Encouraging Fudge to roll over. This seems to entertain the Humans.

fuggler in fridge

My favourite spot in the house.

Last thought of the day: Just because an iPhone does fit into the toaster, it does not mean it should be put in the toaster. iPhones are less tasty than bread.

 

Day 2

The Humans have decided that I need to travel with them on something called a “short break”. We have spent the day at Wookey Hole which was full of deep dark caves – perfect for jumping out at unsuspecting tourists. I have discovered ice cream.

wookey hole

I have assigned Bess as my transport. She looks thrilled to have the job.

fuggle ice cream

Sharing an ice cream with Moose (the boy human)

fuggler

Fuggler do not stop, look or listen. Ever.

fuggler in bed

Snug as a (monstrous) bug in a rug. I claimed the biggest bed. Victory is mine.

Last thought of the day: Cats don’t like to take showers

Day 3

We have arrived at a place called Butlins. The Humans have promised me that if I am good I will have a lot of fun here. We have already been to the funfair, I like the carousel but I intend to go back when everyone is sleeping to free the horses.

fuggler

Bess is doing well in her new role

Family bike fun!

I was VERY good at golf. Had a nice chat with the pirates too.

Last thought of the day: If you drop an Oreo you can still safely eat two thirds of it.

Day 4

I spent some time with Bess today. We travelled by bus to the shops – as you can see, she is warming to me.

I chose Pizza for dinner. Cheese is my favourite.

Last thought of the day: We eat pizza from the inside out.

Day 5

A trip to Warwick Castle. I felt very much at home here, especially in the dungeons. Lovely and dark and damp and the humans reminiscing fondly about the time that a whole load of people got the plague. Such fun.

fuggler warwick castle

Hi, I’m Snuggla the Fuggler. Welcome to my crib…

I can relate

Everybody say CHEEEESE!

Last thought of the day: Fizzy milk is not okay.

Day 6

Off to another castle today. My generous offer to drive was declined but I very much enjoyed the trip. Managed to hide myself in the oranges at the supermarket. Moose took ages to find me. Mum was not pleased.

They see me rollin #fugglife

I am the hide and seek master

Moose and I. He is fast becoming my best friend.

hehe well I am a Fuggler after all..

Last thought of the day: I do not have diplomatic immunity.

 

Day 7

Kinder eggs are the best thing I have ever seen. Moose kindly shared his with me and I want more. I said I will dedicate my life to tracking down the bird who lays such a wondrous egg. Moose says I am silly. I like him. I think I might just stay with these Humans.

silly Snuggla the Fuggler

The best kind of hugs

Last thought of the day: Goldfish don’t bounce.

The biggest problem with Fugglers

is that before you know it they will be a part of your Family and you will grow to appreciate their little quirks.

Despite their grotesque appearance they are really just looking for love and who knows, maybe you are just weird enough to be the right Humans for them?

If you are brave enough to think you could offer a home to a Fuggler of your own you can adopt one from Smyths toys where they can be found in large (£24.99) or medium (£14.99)

Each Fuggler is totally unique. Gangly arms, pointy ears, giant heads, small heads – discover what makes your Fuggler weird. They even come with BUTTonholes sewn onto their…well, you know.

Check them out but don’t say I didn’t warn you!

fuggler selfieWe received the Fuggler in exchange for our honest review. Moose adores him and sleeps with him every night.