Tasha, Author at Mummy & Moose

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!

Sefiiiiie

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

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.

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

Sharing an ice cream with Moose (the boy human)

Fuggler do not stop, look or listen. Ever.

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.

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.

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!

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

In just a few days I will be in social consultation (sounds better than getting drunk) with some of the best bloggers in the actual world.

This will be my 3rd Blog On and I cannot wait. I’m even looking forward to the road trip up with my sisters who also blog. What can I say, my family are an opinionated bunch!

I was really anxious before my first Blog On but I think it gets easier each time because you start to see familiar faces and understand that we are all there for the same reasons. With that in mind I thought I would take part in the linky for Blog On Toys put together by the lovely Katy from KatyKicker. Here goes!

My name’s Tasha. This is me.

What is the best thing about blogging?

I worked from home (making cake toppers) before I started my blog and I love that what I do allows me to be at home for the children. I also think that writing is incredibly good for my mental health.

What was your dream job when you were growing up?

When I was much younger I liked to daydream about being either a clothes designer or a vet.

What is your lucky number?

Not sure I have ever picked a lucky number before but I definitely prefer odd numbers to even. I don’t park on even levels in the multi-storey car park. If I had to choose I would say 5 – on most albums number 5 is a good track. Prove me wrong.

What is your favourite season?

Autumn! The smells of bonfire and baked potatoes are in the air, the colours are pretty and you can legitimately expect strangers to give you sweets. For free!

If you had to choose one what would your favourite dish from the Chinese be?

Pork dumplings. No contest.

What is your useless talent?

I can project saliva from under my tongue like a snake.

If you could keep any animal as a pet what would you choose?

The goose that layed the golden eggs please.

Which one meal would you eat forever? (If you had to choose one!)

Medium rare steak with roasted vegetables.

What is the last thing you check before you lock your front door?

That my dog is comfortable.

If you won £50,000 what would be the first thing you would buy?

A takeaway to celebrate.

What is your favourite social media channel?

Instagram. I like looking at pretty pictures.

Tell us more about your best ever holiday

Florida in 2006 with my children, MrG, my Aunt and Uncle and my late Nan. It was amazing and I miss it.

Name one cake you rock at baking

I am the worst at baking. I can knock up a decent scone but that’s about it.

Which session are you most looking forward to?

I think Alex Winters’ one will be quite entertaining but also Vicki’s’ one about understanding the toy industry.

What is your favourite book ever?

I’m not sure I could pick one. As an adult I suppose The Handmaid’s Tale.

Which special event is your favourite? (Halloween, Christmas etc)

Christmas. It can be stressful but I am adamant that this year I am not falling for the horrible stressy side of it. Maybe.

If the internet vanished right now how would you share your message or life story without a blog?

I would get a load of cats and be a crazy old storyteller lady.

We had been itching to try Turtle Bay since it opened in Peterborough last year so it didn’t take much for us to say yes when asked.

MrG has a love of all things Caribbean (especially rum) and he was very excited to sample what Turtle Bay had to offer. We thought it only fair that we let the children come along too. None of us are well versed in Caribbean cuisine so we took a look online beforehand.

There is a Turtle Bay app where you can book your table and earn rewards too!

Turtle Bay is situated on the outside of Queensgate in the city centre opposite St John The Baptist church. As well as offering a great food menu it also offers a vast array of cocktails and mocktails and a lot of rum!

Turtle Bay’s famous happy hour lasts from 11.30am – 7pm and then starts up again at 10pm! This makes it the happiest happy hour in town with ALL of their cocktails available at 241 during that time – a must for cocktail lovers and rum enthusiasts all week long.

Starters

For our starter we chose the Just Jerk Platter. Included in the platter was marinated jerk wings, glazed pork ribs, beef patty, jerk chicken flatbread, sweet corn fritters and a super green salad.

As you can see it was huge! So tasty and I would absolutely recommend this as a great start to your Turtle Bay experience. I loved the sweetcorn fritters and the salad was really good too.

Main Meals

I was a bit unsure about bringing the children to a restaurant famed for being spicy. The children’s menu (or, Little Turtles) was really good though. I like that it offers choice and it’s not just your all too common fare of “something, chips and beans”.

Moose decided on the chicken flatbread with fries and I thought the portion size was really good! Bess decided to order the goat burger from the adult menu which she found a bit too hot. She said that if we were to return she would like to order from the childrens menu. She tried Moose’s flatbread and loved it.

MrG who is not really a lover of spice either chose to try the Shack Stack: a seasoned beef burger topped with jerk pork belly, mature cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and jerk bbq sauce. He loved it!

Trying something new

Something Turtle Bay has recently changed on their menu is that the burgers and wraps have reduced in price but now don’t come with a side (other than a little slaw). The idea being that you choose from the sides on offer and order as much or as little as you would like. I think this is a great idea, especially for the lunch crowd.

I opted for the Jerk Pork Belly which arrived with rice ‘n’ peas, crispy rind and a pineapple chilli salad. The pork belly itself was absolutely delicious and went perfectly with the rice and the salad. I also ordered crumbed plantain because it felt like the right thing to do. It was.

Sadly for me it was my turn to drive so I couldn’t sample the alcohol but I would definitely come here for a night out (I am a Mum so, lol) as the cocktails look amazing.

Between us however we did try the peanut butter smoothie, the Reggae Sunsplash, the virgin kolada and the Virgin Raspberry Reggae. All were lovely, my favourite was the Virgin Kolada and Bess loved the Reggae Sunsplash.

Moose asked for an apple juice and was most impressed when it arrived in a bottle!

We all agreed that we were just far too full for desserts this time but we all said we would like to come back to try something from the dessert menu for sure.

We were given a meal in exchange for review. All opinions are our own.

Brand new from MGA Entertainments comes the Crate Creatures. There are 4 new “beast” friends to collect. Each one stands at 7″ tall and comes with 45+ unique creature sounds and with its favourite food.

I thought this would be a great toy for Moose to try and since the Crate Creatures are for aged 4+ and he just had his 4th birthday we agreed to see what they were all about. To say he was excited to get his hands on one was a bit of an understatement.

The first thing we noticed was that on the box it warns you “DO NOT PULL TONGUE”. Of course, as soon as I said this Moose did exactly that and was met with some pretty disgusting noises.

4 to collect

There are 4 Crate Creature Surprise “beast friends” to collect. All with their own origin story and if nothing else, you’ve got to love an origin story!

Each creature arrives in their own crate. This doubles as both packaging and an integral part of the way your child plays with the toy. I love this idea. The crate has a padlock and chain and on the side of the crate is a crowbar. This is how your child will open their padlock and the crate itself.

Snort Hog

This bog warthog hails from the muddy jungles of Tuskk. Unlock him from his crate to discover the slimy snot that squirts out of his nose, knock him over for his snotty growls and record your own message to hear him grizzle back. Listen to him crunch on his corn dog with over 45 unique sounds of appreciation for his favourite food. Take it away before he’s had his fill though and watch his four furry arms flap up in horror. Get him back in his box, and lock him up before he gets too mad!

When the Crate Creature arrives it will be in demo mode. To access all of your new toys functions you will need to open the velcro on its back and switch it to on. It has a loud and quiet volume setting too. A shiny star to the person who included this feature.

This toy does come with 3x AAA batteries but how long they last will depend on how much they were pawed at while still in the shop.

What did we think?

I did wonder whether Crate Creatures Surprise would be worth it’s £39.99 RRP. That seemed quite expensive at first but I was surprised by how good the build quality of the crate and the creature was (it’s fur is super soft) and by how many features it has such as being able to record your own voice.

It feels like it would last a long time and Moose has played with Snorthog daily since he arrived. I would say that this toy would be perfect for boys or girls aged 4-10.

Moose loved that Snorthog made farting, burping and grunting noises and that bogies can be made to come from Snorthogs nose. Bogies, apparently, are hilarious.

Crate Creatures retail at around £39.99 and are available from Smyths Toys

One of my favourite aspects of taking a holiday abroad is trying the local cuisine to get a real flavour of where you are. I meant that pun and I am not sorry.

Of the 3 small humans I have created, my eldest 2 have inherited this love of trying new things. I have always preferred to give them a smaller portion of “adult food” and felt pretty good about my parenting in this area. Col was scoffing curries before he could walk and Bess loves sampling cheeses which could make a grown mans eyes water…

Then along came Moose. This child is the king of vegetable refusal. He likes peas and sweetcorn but anything else is met with serious resistance.

ANYTHING.

If it looks funny – he won’t eat it. If it smells funny – he won’t eat it. If it is touching anything with any kind of sauce? Forget it.

It turns out he is not alone. Emirates have done some research and they have found that over half of parents worry about what their children will eat while away with almost two thirds (64%) stashing failsafe food items in their suitcase.

With this in mind, Emirates Holidays has partnered up with chefs from their top family resorts to create an exclusive series of ‘Little Foodies’ recipe cards to encourage families to cook together, expand their taste buds and remind themselves of their holiday through local flavours this summer.

You can find more info here

We had a go

I decided to try out the Coconut Nougat recipe with Moose. He hadn’t really tried coconut before and I thought that making sweets might be fun. It was! (once I had opened the coconut, obviously)

How we got on

First of all I procured some of my husbands tools to get started.

Not my usual cooking tools but they were necessary. Gently(ish) hammer the screwdriver through one of the coconuts soft spots and drain out the water into a glass. Drink it, I love it!

Then wrap in clean tea towel and smash it with a hammer. I found thinking about how my neighbours currently enjoy the BeeJees on repeat (at volume) helped with the hammer smash but you can use your own motivation.

Once I opened the coconut (like a boss! I was expecting it to be hard work) I simply followed the instructions on the recipe card.

I was a bit confused by the lemongrass having not used it before. The recipe card didn’t really tell me how I should prepare it so I went with removing the outer woody layer and then hacking it into chunks which I removed after boiling. I could really taste the lemongrass in the nougat so I would use this approach again.

I am really keen to widen the variety of foods which Moose will entertain and this definitely helped! Making our own nougat (although if I am honest the finished result was more like coconut ice?) was really good fun and Moose loved getting involved!

This was a collaborative post but all opinions are as ever my own. Moose loved the coconut nougat and we will be trying more of the little foodies recipes!