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

Crystalina Positive Aura Fairy Dolls

Ad. We were sent this product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain our own.

 

As well as having my own 3 children I am also Aunt to over a dozen nieces and nephews! It wasn’t difficult though to know which of my nieces would love to try out the Crystalina Fairy dolls.

Em is the same age as Moose and she and he have been inseparable since they were very small. Being really close in age (just shy of 3 weeks between them) they have grown up to be best friends and close cousins.

Em is the sort of child who very much believes in magic and is fascinated by the world around her. I knew right away that the Crystalina Fairy Dolls would be something she would absolutely adore.

What’s in the box?

The Crystalina Fairy dolls stand at approx 10cm tall and come in a range of 4 to choose from. Each one is supplied in clear, plastic packaging and includes a magical colour changing Sprite, who comes with a very special amulet necklace and display stand.

The Sprites all have their own positivity aura superpower. Rose Quartz is for love, Turquoise is for healing, Amethyst is for Wisdom and Aventurine is for luck.

Of course the amulets work with the Sprite Fairy dolls and I am happy to note that the clasp on the amulet is quick release which is a great plus point from a safety point of view.

Each Sprite Fairy doll has 10 auras to cycle through and then 1 special superpower which can be activated by simply shaking the doll.

Another cool aspect of play is that when 2 Crystalina Fairy dolls ‘meet’, they can bond and share an aura colour! The shared power is remembered by the doll until they meet another.

The Fairy Sprites also come with a cool moon shaped display stand which has a space in the back for the amulet and one in the front for the doll to stand. They look awesome lit up in the childs bedroom!

What did we think?

Em loved the concept of the magical crystals and Fairy Sprites and to be honest I thought they were kinda cool too. If there is one thing that kids can never have enough of it’s positive reinforcement of their feelings and emotions. I like that the Crystalina Fairy dolls offer exactly that

As well as helping the child to understand their emotions and helping them to feel empowered the Crystalina dolls also have a friendship aspect while being clear that each one has different and equally awesome gifts to bring. I like that about them.

The Crystalina Fairy dolls are marketed as being for girls aged 4+ but to be honest I think they are missing a trick because Moose loved the dolls too! I would say though that most 4 year olds might struggle to understand how to use the dolls – I am sure they would be fine with help and would most certainly love the colours!

Available from Tesco, B&M and other good toy retailers.

Mallorca: tour of the largest island in the Balearic Islands

 

Mallorca belongs to a group of islands in Spain, the Balearic Islands, in the Western Mediterranean, such as Ibiza, Minorca and Formentera. Mallorca is the largest of the four islands of the complex. 2nd is Menorca. 3rd is Ibiza and 4th in Formentera. In 1983 Palma de Mallorca became the capital of the Autonomous Region of the Balearic Islands as these islands have their own Parliament. They are mainly suitable for summer holidays and are the favourite destination of Europeans for their holidays.

Accommodation in Mallorca

Once you arrive in Mallorca, you will have to choose which area to stay in. The most interesting and busiest location is the coastal El Arenal, with a length of 5 km, which is a continuation of the coastal front of Palma de Mallorca. Part of this is Playa de Palma, which has many hotels, cafes, restaurants and bars for all tastes. The beach is clean, sandy, shallow, organized with umbrellas, sunbeds, lifeguards, showers, ideal for water sports. In Mallorca, there is a biological treatment system for this, and all the beaches are crystal clear. It also has a very well organized material recycling system.

 

In Playa de Palma, most hotels are very close to the sea, so you do not need a car. You can go for a swim on foot. There is a large boulevard that separates the houses from the beach. Cars are not allowed on the main avenue, but bicycles are permitted. You can rent bikes, which are for many people and enjoy your ride. The roads are quiet, and you can walk safely. Tourist police patrol the main streets 24 hours a day and do not allow drunken tourists to make a fuss.

 

The beach at night ceases to be in use as a workshop of the Municipality, collects all the sunbeds, one on top of the other and with a special vehicle cleans and straightens the sand. The morning you wake up, everything will be in place. To find a sunbed, you have to go around 11 a.m. Because most hotels are very close to the beach, many people leave their belongings on the sunbeds, go for lunch and return for the afternoon swim.

 

Tour of the island

To the west of the island, to the towns of Valldemossa, Deia and Soller. The mountain town of Valldemossa is 17 km from Palma. It became famous in 1838. Composer Chopin and his mistress George Sand rented rooms in the former convent, Cartuja de Valldemossa and stayed there for one year.

 

The old town has high walls built by the Moors 1000 years ago. There are many cafes and restaurants, an open-air market near the parking lot and the Costa Nord cultural and ecological centre founded by the famous actor Michael Douglas. The place has a restaurant, with amazing views and allows you to enter and photograph it.

 

If you want to go down to Port de Valldemossa (7 km), and you should. You will take a winding road. After this you will reach a rocky cove where there are few houses and a restaurant.

Farther afield

Deia is a mountain village with old wineries that have been turned into expensive houses. It is the favourite place of many artists, and you will find many bars, expensive restaurants and shopping shops.

 

Then at the end of the route, you will meet the town of Soller and the Port de Soller. To get here, you have to choose either a winding road, unknown to the tourist, or enter the tunnel (you pay entrance). The tunnel passes through the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range to get there faster and safer.

 

To return to Palma de Mallorca, you will have to go through the tunnel again. The town of Soller has nothing tremendous but the Placa de la Constitution and the gothic church, Esglesia Parroquial de San Bartolome (16th) by Antonio Gaud. This is where the Palma – Soller Railway ends. Descending to the port of the city, Port de Soller, you will see a large beach, with fine sand, organized, with umbrellas and sunbeds, a boat marina, many hotels and shopping shops. A small train makes the route between Soller and Port de Soller, but you can, of course, go all the way with your car to enjoy the magnificent scenery at the time you desire. If you do not have your own vehicle, you can choose a car hire from the company Enjoy Travel, which can offer you a quality and economical offer.

 

How to keep your baby cool in summer  

We all know how vital it is to keep cool and spend some time out of the sun in summer. But this can be a challenge when you have a little one to think of. Follow these steps for some of the best ways to look after your baby and keep them from overheating.

 

Hydration is essential

Preventing dehydration is so important for babies and young infants as they do not sweat or perspire the same as we do. This means they can have temperature spikes and suffer heat stroke very quickly and easily. Follow guidelines to what liquids you can offer your baby depending on their age, as they should not be drinking water before 6 months.

 

Clothing to wear

Dress your baby in light weight clothes that are made from natural fibres such as organic cotton and bamboo. These materials are more ‘breathable’, meaning they can absorb perspiration well compared to synthetic fabrics. You might find it useful to have to hand plenty of items that provide shade, such as a sunhat, sunglasses, visor, umbrella, mesh screen and a canopy. You can even find parasol’s that can be attached to your baby’s pushchair.

At night, avoid blankets and use a baby zip sleepsuit made of breathable cotton fabric which can help regulate body temperature. If it is a very hot night and your baby seems restless, consider putting them to sleep in just a nappy.

Keeping cool in the sun

As well as shading your baby from the sun for protection, it is also important to use SPF. Again, use this with caution depending on your baby’s age.

Less than 6 months – when they are so young, their skin doesn’t produce enough of the pigment melanin for protection. For this reason, you should keep your baby out of direct sunlight. On occasion you can thinly apply sun cream if they are, for example, going in the swimming pool with you.

Above 6 months – the guideline is more relaxed and you can apply sun cream more liberally. This should protect against UVA and UVB rays, and be a minimum of SPF 30. Opt for a brand that makes sun cream for children with less additives and ingredients that might irritate the skin.

 

How to cool down

In the event that your baby is overheating, uncomfortable or even getting a heat rash, run a cool bath to help them cool down. Create shade in the room and keep the blinds or curtain closed during the hottest time of the day, and use a fan to circulate. If all else fails, you should NEVER feel like you are overreacting. If you are worried about your little one call 111 for further help and advice.

What to do in Portsmouth for the weekend

We absolutely love the south coast. When we aren’t stuck indoors during the holidays we like nothing more than taking a trip to the coast! Where better than the historic city of Portsmouth! Here are a few ideas for anyone wanting to fill a weekend.

What to do in Portsmouth for the weekend

Situated on the south coast, Portsmouth is one of the UK’s oldest harbour city. With a proud naval history, it’s home to the wooden warship HMS Victory, upon which Nelson died in the Battle of Trafalgar, as well as being the port from which the Mayflower set sail for the New World back in 1620.

It’s fair to say we all need a weekend away, and what better way to enjoy a weekend in Portsmouth than hopping on the train. With 37% of people of looking forward to exploring the UK and 31% enjoying travelling by train thanks to the beautiful views on offer, it’s time you planned your trip.

Whether you’re travelling by train to Portsmouth from London or Leeds, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in the pretty maritime city.

PORTSMOUTH

Emirates Spinnaker Tower

Standing proud on the entrance to Portsmouth harbour is the impressive Emirates Spinnaker Tower. Modelled to reflect the city’s maritime history, it’s the perfect observation tower to explore the landscape of the city.

Standing two and a half times the size of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square it’s the tallest climbable structure outside the capital.

Canoe Lake

For a spot of old world glamour head to the Canoe Lake. With swan-shaped pedalos, Art Deco angel statue it’s the epitome of a Victorian seaside postcard picture.

For some good old fashioned fun, grab a bucket and fishing line and spend the morning catching crabs in the lake.

Gunwharf Quays

Shop ’til you drop in the designer outlet on the waterfront. Enjoy some al fresco dining by the sea and watch the glamorous yachts in the marina. With big names at small prices, it’s the perfect place to spend a few hours come rain or shine.

WOMAN SHOPPING

D-Day Museum

Discover the personal stories behind the Allied Invasion at the moving D-Day Museum. Telling the story from both a civilian and military point of view. It’s a moving museum that all the family will find interesting.

Recently enjoying a £5 million revamp, there are an additional three exhibition galleries, a café, and of course a gift shop.

Clarence Pier Amusement Park

One of the largest amusement parks on the south coast and boasting rides and amusements of all shapes and sizes the whole family can enjoy.

With traditional Arcades and a Pirate and Princesses Indoor Adventure Playground. As well as aerial high ropes, and spinning roller coasters, and of course plenty of places to eat and drink, it’s a great way to spend the day.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

A weekend in Portsmouth wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard. A visit to the dockyard takes you on a journey through time, allowing you to step on board some of the most world-famous ships.

There are multiple things to see and do so there’s something to suit the whole family.

Click and Construct with K’Nex – Rad Rides and Battle Bow Building Set

This product was sent for inclusion in this post in exchange for our honest review. All opinions are our own.

Moose has always loved STEAM toys which encourage building but up until now we have never really played with K’nex. He was absolutely thrilled then when 2 awesome K’nex sets were sent to us to try out.

Founded in 1992, K’NEX, part of the Basic Fun! family of brands, did not set out to become an educational toy company, all we wanted to do was show kids that the only limit to building was the size of their imagination! More than 25 years later, K’NEX prides itself on connecting Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math with imagination. K’NEX product line has building toys specially designed for every age group and skill level.

Rad Rides

The K’Nex Rad Rides set is aimed at children aged 7-12. There are a lot of small fiddly bits so I can completely understand this being the target age group. Moose is not 7 yet but he had no trouble fitting the parts together – there were a few exceptions but not as many as I thought there might be if I’m honest!

In the K’Nex Rad Rides set there are over 200 pieces and instructions to build 3 vehicles – there are 9 more to find on www.knex.com/instructions

The first thing Moose did was to choose which vehicle he wanted to make, he chose one from the set of instructions supplied with the set. The vehicle Moose chose had only 7 steps. Aside from assembling the wheels and axels he pretty much just got on with the rest of it himself. Result!

Battle Bow Building Set

Moose was so excited when he saw the Battle Bow Building Set.

The Battle Bow Building Set has a choice of 4 different models to make but Moose knew straight away that he was going to make the bow. I mean, it’s a working bow and he’s 6 so..

Other model instructions included in the set were a crossbow and a blaster!

This was a bit more intense than the previous set. Moose really had to concentrate in places to be able to follow the instructions. It didn’t help that the colours of the pieces were not always the same colour in the instructions so we had to change tact and look at the shapes rather than the colours.

Once we got the hang of it though it was easy enough and actually turned out to be a lovely activity to do together.

After you put the bow together you need to pull back the spring part and insert 1 of the 5 darts into the barrel. Then just pull the trigger and it fires a surprising distance.

What did we think?

K’nex has been a bit of a revelation for us. As I mentioned earlier it had never been on our RADAR before but Moose absolutely LOVED it. The instructions were tricky to follow in places. However, as well as building the supplied instructions. Part of the fun of this kind of toy is using your imagination to build bigger than the box!

The K’nex sets are compatible with each other and with K’nex classic so you could potentially build your collection to be huge! I love STEAM toys and anything which encourages kids to use their imagination so this was right up my street!

K’nex is available from John Lewis and all other good toy shops.