Children's Book Review:: The Dinosaur That Pooped the Past

I secretly read The Dinosaur That Pooped the Past (by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter) myself before reading it to the girls... partly to ensure that Lara wasn't going to be repulsed by it, but mainly through fascination.  The Dinosaur That Pooped a Planet, and then Christmas has to be something worth reading again and again if a third Dinosaur tale has made it into print so I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.

Even on my own, there were giggles.  How can you not giggle at the line "The Romans and Trojans were covered in poop; They all got a taste of Gran's broccoli soup"?  Having read the book, I knew Lara would LOVE it and that if her Nanny Button ever comes to stay then I think we'll keep this book out of sight... Dino poop on this scale really isn't her thing.

Danny and his pet Dinosaur are whizzed back into the past on a magic swing and despite the efforts of three very cute dinosaurs (Dinos A, B and C) they find themselves stuck in the past in the path of a volcano.  Thankfully Danny's Dinosaur has a cunning plan and, fueled by Gran's broccoli dinner Danny and his dino friends are pooped forwards through history just in the nick of time.

The Dinosaur That Pooped the past is ideal for little boys; not that I don't think Lara loves it (she squealed as the poo references and the word "smelly") just that I can imagine a room full of 5 and 6 year old boys thinking that the combination of dinosaurs, stinky veg and super time-travel poo is unbeatable.  I can just picture the hilarity.

The story is a rhyming picture book - the rhyme felt very comfortable (who knew you could rhyme so many things with poop?) and because the little Dinosaurs were named A, B and C it reminded me a little of Dr. Seuss and his cats in hats.

The references to history were somewhat of an afterthought, I felt.  I think that the dinosaur and pre-jurassic theme probably would have been enough without the need for the fleeting references to Greeks, Romans and Egyptians which were a little lost on Lara (although I guess they may have had more interest for slightly older school children).  Lara would have been quite happy simply with a story about a poopy dinosaur!

The Dinosaur that Pooped the Past is guaranteed to make your child snigger and, in all likelihood, roll around on the floor laughing at how silly it is!

  

Choice Discount Family Clothing Review

It came as a bit of a surprise to me that I had never heard of Choice Discount before they got in touch and asked if I would like to review some of the bargains that they sell.  How did I, bargain-hunter extraordinaire, not know about Choice Discount?  Choice Discount have stores around the country as well as a website selling a range of different items.

Choice Discount introduced themselves to the Mellow family with a couple of fashion bargains.  Choice Discount sell famous brands of clothing, beauty and homeware products but at discount prices.  At present they are running their summer sale so the prices are even more fabulous!

Choice Discount sent the girls each a summery item of kids clothing for their summer holidays, Lara was sent a set of three girls Next branded vests which come in a pack of three and are currently only £6.

Butterfly print t-shirt from Choice Discount

Holly is wearing the top from a Next butterfly print t-shirt which is light and summery, perfect for messing around in the garden in the sunshine.

But really, the reason by I was most interested in Choice Discount was for me.  Since May I have lost over 1.5 stone in weight so I'm on the lookout for a lot of new clothes but, because I'm still losing weight I don't really want to be spending a lot of money on new outfits, just in case my body shape continues to change significantly.  Choice Discount seems like a really good option for me because there are high street fashion brands at reduced prices.

Choice Discount sell a very wide range of women's tops starting from just over £3!  Three months ago this button-up sleeveless coral top with a collar would have made me look like a bulging blancmange but now it is a perfect fit.  I most commonly wear it paired with blue jeans but it looks fairly smart if I pair it with a black skirt.

As I've recently taken up running, it is great to see lots of Elle sportswear currently for sale at Choice Discount.  Choice Discount also sell accessories such as bags and purses at reduced prices as well as luggage, electrical items and home decorations.

Shuffle Card Games - Perfect for Holidays!

This summer we have been on one short UK break already and we are planning another one very shortly. When we go on our holidays I really like to have as little screen time as possible - a break from the TV for the girls and from the computer for the grown ups. The plan normally is to spend as much of the day outside in the fresh air as possible but when we are at home in our holiday cottage we like to take games to play together as a family. Card games such as the exciting new Shuffle games are perfect for taking on holidays or for use when you are travelling.

The new Shuffle card game range by Cartamundi features card games with lots of different Hasbro names such as Boggle, Monopoloy, Guess Who, Monopoly, Nerf, Transformers and Littlest Pet Shop. For our review we chose the My Little Pony Shuffle cards for Lara and the Play-Doh Shuffle cards for Holly.

The cards each come in a travel case which snaps shut.  Each game is different and each game is accompanied by its own app available on both iOS and Android.

Lara's My Little Pony game has proven extremely popular and she has played it with us, alone (playing at least 4 people at a time!) and with friends.  The aim of the game is to match coloured jewels for your pony.  The more jewels you manage to form with your cards, the more points you get.  And if your jewel cards feature Princess Celestia you get bonus points.  Adding up the scores is a little tricky but the instructions give you tips.  Lara likes the fact that the cards are square - it makes the game stand out.

The app helps you play a similar game.  The app provides music and interaction to help you set up a series of timed sessions in which to match jewels.  At the end of the time, the app helps each pony (player) tot up their score.  Lara enjoys the music... I find it a bit manic and pressurised!

We ALL love the Play Doh card game.  The aim of the game it to create innovative stories using the pictures on the cards that you have but realy you can play however you fancy playing!  I really love hearing tiny Holly coming up with reasons why her card can be played - simply the joy of recognising what the picture is can sometimes bring a smile to her face.  For slightly older children like Lara, the art of storytelling is a really valuable on and she doesn't half come up with some weird and wonderful tales with her play doh cards!

The App adds a totally different take to things and is very interactive - the app features play-doh pots who prompt you to start a story and you each have to complete the story out with cards of your own.  Occasionally you have to shake the tablet and the Play-doh character asks for a specific card or type of card and if you have that card it asks you to do something like tweet, or brrrrrm!

Both games are great fun and I like the fact that you can play with or without the tablet by your side so they are brilliant games to take with us on holiday for our screen-free time.