Grandmas Come To Stay

Meet Grandma. You might have seen a few of these around already. She is from John Crane and we are taking part in their challenge:

She arrived on Friday afternoon and seems to have settled in well already. She has met the rest of the family and has made herself at home in the dolls house:

On Saturday she took a little trip to Dartmouth. This involved a ferry trip which she was really excited by. She had to be held up by Poppy so she could see everything and didn't want to miss out on anything. She loved all the pretty coloured houses and seeing the swans but didn't like the smell of fish:

She took in the sights and loved the boats, views and the smell of the  flowers. Grandma loves spring time:

Then she went to the park where she joined in with everything. She says the girls make her feel young at heart and had great fun. She almost gave me a heart attack watching her swing really high on the swings and sliding down the slide. She even climbed the climbing frame:

By the afternoon though she was exhausted and had to have a lie down:

I think she is going to like it here and we look forward to sharing lots more photos with you. Look out for her, she might appear in some of my project 366 photos.

For more information about the challenge then check out John Crane on Twitter, Facebook or  their Blog.

Karen x

Fun And Games This Afternoon

Thursday afternoons are officially Mummy/Poppy time. With no Preschool or toddler groups, Poppy is home and little Rosie has a nice long nap for about 3 hours. This means we have lots of time to play!

Traditionally these afternoons are messy and we usually end up baking or painting and gluing. Today however, Poppy was not feeling 100% (she is a bit run down and has a bit of a cold ). Instead of doing the usual activities, she chose to get some games out that are usually hidden away when her Sister is around!

One of her favourite games is Family Lacing a fantastic wooden threading toy from Djeco. We brought it as a Christmas present from Toyjeanius and it has brought hours of fun. We would definitley reccomend it to others and she couldn't wait to get it out.

Basically the set includes 16 colourful wooden pieces, 4 bright coloured laces and 12 cards. The aim is that you copy the designs on the pictures.  It is aimed at 3+ and Poppy is able to do it pretty well. The pieces are a good size for little hands and fingers and the the holes are wide enough for them to thread the lace through. She grasped the idea quickly and easily and has great fun with it.

Here she is today:

Another great wooden Toy that gets the thumbs up from this house.

We also played with several other games and puzzles and Poppy enjoyed a lovely afternoon. She is lapping up the attention from this designated special time with me. I do play with her everyday but just knowing she has special time with me alone seems to be making all the difference.

Karen x

The Winner Of The Le Toy Van Tea set is......

I am delighted to announce the winner of the gorgeous Wooden Toy Shop Le Toy Van Tea Set is.........

A huge congratulations, this really is an adorable prize.

For those of you who missed out, don't worry, the wonderful team over at Wooden Toy Shop run lots of fabulous competitions and giveaways, so keep a regular eye on their facebook page and follow them on twitter. 

Thank you all for entering and a huge thank you to Wooden Toy Shop for another fantastic prize!

Karen x

John Crane and Sevi - An Exciting New Partnership

Anyone who knows this family and blog will know that we love good quality, wooden toys. Favourites of ours are John Crane so I was thrilled to hear about them introducing Sevi and keen to look closer.

I was really impressed with the range I discovered and like how they produce not only toys but objects that express warmth, wonder and friendliness of a child's world. I can really see how they match the quality and values of John Crane.


All these toys are bright and colourful looking, instantly appealing. Some of my favourites include these gorgeous pull along toys, perfect for youngsters just learning to walk:

Every little one deserves a toy kitchen and this one is adorable. Hours of fun would be had with this and it would not be outgrown quickly either:

Ooohh breakfast in bed anyone? I love role play and could watch my eldest play for hours with toys like this. Her little imagination would be let lose:

I love this novel way of getting little ones to brush their teeth too, so cute:

Not forgetting Christmas decorations too. This adorable little snowman would fit in perfectly with our Christmas tree colour scheme:

For more gorgeous looking toys and to keep up to date with this exciting new partnership then simply follow John Crane on facebook and twitter.


Karen x


You can also check out the Blog Match linky for more Sevi posts 

Win A Le Toy Van Tea Set

You might have seen a few weeks ago my girls got the opportunity to review a Le Toy Van Tea Set from The Wooden Toy Shop.

It was a definite hit in this house, the girls absolutely loved it! We have enjoyed endless cups of pretend tea and strawberry tart ...delicious!

Fortunately for you guys, I have now been given the chance to give one away as a prize to one of my very lucky readers.

This really is a fantastic prize and would make an excellent Christmas present. Its a gorgeous bright red, white and aqua blue colour which makes it ideal for both little girls and boys too. Made to last, this tea set will bring hours of fun and encourage imaginative play in your little ones.

To Win:

Simply head over to the Wooden Toy Shop Facebook page and like it. While you are there just leave a quick message telling them you were sent by me and come back here to tell me you have done it. Don't forget to leave me a way of contacting you if you are the winner.

For extra entries you can:

1. Follow me by GFC or if you do already, try networked blog or twitter
2. Like my facebook page
3. Tweet the following "I really want to win a gorgeous Le Toy Van tea set with @wouldliketobe and @WoodenToyShopUK http://bit.ly/vmVOYH"

Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do.

This competition will run until 7pm Monday 7th November 2011.

Many thanks to the Wooden Toy Shop and good luck to you all.

Karen x

In Search Of The Perfect Dolls House

I am in search of a pretty wooden dolls house, but not just any dolls house....no little Miss has put in a Christmas request!

Poppy would like a pink wooden dolls house with blue windows and flowers above the door....aaaahh so specific!!

Nanny and Gramp's have a small carry one at their house that was brought almost two years ago and not sold any more. She loves it and now wants a bigger version at our house.

I have scanned the internet and not found one quite like this although there are some beautiful ones out there.

I have been on twitter and pointed in the direction of some lovely dolls houses but none have been quite right. Someone even suggested I buy one and paint it but I am really not that crafty and would hate to ruin something so expensive.

I am sure she would love any of them but I want it to be perfect!

Any help will be appreciated.

Karen x

Review Of The Le Toy Van Honeybake Tea Set

The very lovely people at the Wooden Toy Shop have kindly sent us the Le Toy Van Honeybake Tea Set  to review.

Le Toy Van Honeybake Tea Set

My regular readers will know that we love all things pretty and girly in this house and this really is a beautiful tea set fit for a Princess (or Princesses in this case).

The set includes  2 cups and saucers, a spoon, tea pot and tea bag, a milk jug and cake all presented on a lovely tray. It really is gorgeous. The colours are pretty and vibrant and the pieces are well made and sturdy/ heavy compared to some of the plastic/ flimsy ones I have seen. Although we have only had it a few weeks I can tell it is going to last. 

Not only is it nice to look at, it has captured the imagination of my eldest (aged 3).  I could watch  her play with toys like this for hours. We have enjoyed dolls tea parties, teddy bear picnics and of course Mummy and Daddy have been made endless cups of tea and enjoyed fresh strawberry tart. Its wonderful.

Here are a few pictures of my girls playing with it:

Although is says for age 3+, Rosie is only 15 months and happily plays with it too. She enjoys copying her Sister and even plays along drinking a nice cup of pretend tea:

If they wanted to add anything it would be a sugar bowl but this may have been intentional to not encourage children to take sugar.

We love it and give it a huge 9/10. Another fantastic traditional wooden toy from Wooden Toy Shop.

Karen x

Our Family Is Growing, Meet The New Addition

Meet Pluto, he is Rosie's new best friend and was named by her Sister.

He is the Plan Toys Sit and Walk Puppy, another beautiful wooden traditional toy sent to us from the lovely Jean at Toyjeanius. He is a very adorable pull along toy and you may be pleased to know, made from environmentally friendly materials and of course toxic free paint. 

The preservative free rubberwood  feels very sturdy and is easy for chubby little hands to grab hold of. Rosie has taken to him immediately. She loves his floppy felt ears and springy tail and they tolerate her constant pulling well. She is currently 14 months, a little under the recommended 19 months but that doesn't seem to be a problem.  She toddles around pulling him along and watching his little body wobble from side to side. She also enjoys making him sit so she can talk to him, wiggle his tail and gives him kisses:

Everyone loves kisses

Even her Sister loves him and happily pulls him along too despite being 3 years old. She even wanted to take him to bed on the first night but I said no!

If you have wooden floors you will be pleased to know the wheels are rubber trimmed, meaning they will protect your floors and make less noise. We have carpets and he works well on that too.

Don't just take my word for it though, here's a little slide show to demonstrate how much fun they are:

Customize your own free slideshow

To find out more or discover other beautiful toys, head over to Toyjeanius yourself. 

Karen x

"This Is The best Toy Ever" Says My Little girl!

I was terribly gutted that I missed Toyjeanius advertising for toy testers and only found out when she announced the successful ones. However, I have been in luck because she has been watching my pink and girly blog since then and has been on the look out for something appropriately girly for my little ones to review.

I was told to expect a surprise and was sent this fantastic toy:

Stylish Eve Wooden Magnetics by Djeco:

This is a 29 piece wooden magnetic dress up set that costs a very reasonable £12.95 and is for children 3+.

We were thrilled with it. Appropriately for our home, it came in a pink sturdy box with a magnetic lid.  This looks appealing, keeps all bits safe and tidy and is easy for little hands to open. The wooden magnetic pieces include Eves head with different hair colours and a variety of outfits including  pretty dresses, a skirt, jeans and a jumper. There are even shoes and accessories to compliment, including handbags and her favourite teddy bear.

As a little girl, I remember having the old fashioned paper dressing up dolls but this is far better and will last much much longer. It also means younger children can use it as it is much less fiddly than the paper versions.

This is a great toy for developing imagination. Poppy has really enjoyed making up stories about what Eve is wearing and where she is off too next. It has kept her busy for hours.

Don't just take my word for it though...here is a little video clip of her using it:

As you can see in the clip, we used ours on a magnetic board but you could use it on a fridge or anywhere you have a magnetic surface. The pieces all feel very sturdy and are a good size for little hands. Poppy is just three and has had no difficulty with it at all.

Poppy even announced that it was "THE BEST TOY EVER"! which is high praise indeed. We give it a huge 10/10.

For a wide range of beautiful toys including traditional wooden ones then head over to Toyjeanius yourself.

Karen x

Musical Instruments Bring The Family Together

I am a great lover of old fashioned wooden toys and if there is a choice between wooden or plastic I would always go for the wooden ones. I was therefore thrilled to be approached by Wooden Toy Shop to do a toy review.


Bamboozled by the huge array of beautiful wooden toys, I decided to show my eldest daughter the website and let her chose something herself to review. She immediately selected the John Crane Tidlo Musical Instruments. Not a huge fan of noisy toys, in the past I have always refrained from buying this type of toy.  However, we do go to a music group every week which both girls absolutely love so I decided to give in and said "of course, great choice."

This 14 piece Wooden Musical Set costs £28.79 and includes:

• 1x Tambourine
• 2x Castanets
• 2x Maracas
• 2x Paddles
• 2x Rhythm sticks
• 1x Scraper
• 2x Bells
• 1x Triangle

When they arrived I was thrilled to discover that they come in fantastic box which has a magnetic lid and a shoulder strap. This is a great selling point and should be perhaps included in the description. It is perfect for keeping them nice and tidy. After all you wouldn't want toys like this to be thrown in the bottom of a toy box! They are gorgeous, traditional wooden instruments and are very well made. They were also very well wrapped too so arrived in perfect condition.

They are aimed at children 3+.  While Poppy fits the age bracket, Rosie is officially too young. However, having been using instruments like these since she could hold them in the music group, she knew exactly what to do and couldn't wait to get them out. I think you can tell in these photos:

This has been a fantastic toy for us to trial and the whole family have had fun doing it. Check out this short video clip to see how much this box of gorgeous wooden instruments has brought the family together:

If you are holding back on buying musical instruments because you think they are too noisy, don't.  These are perfect and bring hours of fun to the whole family. We love everything about them. I am so pleased I gave in to my little girls and would definitely recommend them to others. They get a massive 10/10 from us. 


Karen x