Preview: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Lowry

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has nibbled its way into the hearts of millions of children all over the world. Since it was first published in 1969 it has been translated into 62 languages and sold over 41 million copies, and is one of the top ten bestselling children’s books of all time. Written and illustrated by Eric Carle, this enduring classic is being brought to life at The Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays this February half term.

Preview: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Lowry Theatre

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show will be on at The Lowry from Wednesday 22nd to Saturday 25 February, prior to starting a run in the West End.

Featuring a menagerie of 75 enchanting puppets during a magical 60-minute show that faithfully adapts four of Eric Carle’s best loved books for the stage: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, The Very Lonely Firefly and, of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show has been adapted for the stage by director Jonathan Rockefeller. The production sees four master puppeteers weave their way through Eric Carle’s stories, bringing to life 75 magical puppets that faithfully recreate the wonderfully colourful world of Carle’s illustrations.

Preview: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Lowry Theatre

Eric Carle’s books have captivated generations of readers with their iconic hand-painted illustrations and distinctively simple stories, introducing millions of children to a bigger, brighter world, and to their first experience of reading itself. The Very Hungry Caterpillar was my favourite book as a child. We wasted no time at all introducing this wonderful story to my son.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show is suitable for children aged 2+ and is 55 minutes long with no interval. I will definitely be taking my 6 year old. We are both looking forward to enjoying our favourite book being brought to life.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show is on at The Lowry, Salford Quays from
Wednesday 22 until Saturday 25 February 2017. For more information and to buy tickets, visit The Lowry website.

What are Just Drink Basil Seed Drinks like?

Basil Seed drinks have always been popular across Southeast Asia and India. Many people will have encountered the drink on their travels to Thailand or Vietnam. Basil seeds are similar to chia seeds in that they are packed with nutrients and have a number of health benefits. I’ve been sampling the new Just Drink Basil Seed Drinks and finding out more about the health benefits of this unusual drink.

What are Just Drink Basil Seed Drinks like?

Basil seeds are low in calories and are cholesterol free. They contain high levels of beta carotene and Vitamins A, C and K; as well as minerals including potassium, manganese, copper, calcium and magnesium. Basil seeds are also an excellent source of iron and have a number of antioxidant benefits.

Basil seeds apparently have a cooling effect on your body, so they’re great in the summer mixed into cold drinks. They are also good for maintaining healthy skin, for digestion and bowel regulation, sore throats, colds and respiratory disorders and they are known for being a good mood food.

Basil seeds, especially in drinks like the Just Drink Basil Seed Drinks, are also said to be good for weight loss. I have to say, I feel very full after I’ve had a glass of the basil seed drink, and the full feeling lasts for a while. I think that’s a big selling point for me, they make me feel full and as a result I’m less prone to snacking.

What are Just Drink Basil Seed Drinks like?

The Just Drink Basil Seed Drinks are available in three different flavours, strawberry, peach and pineapple. The drinks come in 350ml bottles and there’s probably enough for two or three glasses in the bottle. I wouldn’t suggest drinking it all in one go as you will feel very full and you might need a nap.

I’m no stranger to unusually textured drinks and these basil seed drinks are no exception. Aloe Vera drinks have clear, fleshy pieces of Aloe Vera in them, and these are in a way similar. The drink is a normal fruit juice based drink and the basil seeds are suspended in a sphere of something like jelly, a bit like bubble tea.

You can swallow the seeds whole, but if you bite into them the jelly yields easily and you can crunch on the seed if you want. I feel very full when I’ve had a glass of one of the basil seed drinks, and they are quite sweet, but I find them very refreshing especially when they’re nicely chilled.

I would say, if you spot this in your local shop or supermarket it’s worth buying and trying. It is unusual, there’s no getting away from that, but I have enjoyed trying the drink and I like that when I have some I don’t feel the need to snack. I also think (and I’m just free-styling here) it might be nice in prosecco or cava, I think the bubbles with the seeds in will bob up and down in the glass and be a bit of a talking point.

So what are Just Drink Basil Seed Drinks like? Well they’re fruity, filling and a little bit weird, but weird in a good way. Give them a try!

Read my review of Just Drink Aloe here.

Note: I was sent the Just Drink Basil Seed drinks to try for review purposes, all images and opinions are my own. I genuinely think they are weirdly good.

Review: ChewyMoon subscription snack box for children

We were sent a ChewyMoon snack box for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

After school the small boy likes to come home to a drink and a little snack. He’s very fond of both fresh and dried fruit, so he normally gets something like that to munch on. An afternoon snack for him is something of a sanity saver for me, if he goes without he’s often so hungry by 5pm he’s howling for his tea. A handful of dried fruit is just enough to tide him over till teatime. This week his afternoon snacks have been courtesy of ChewyMoon, and very nice they are too!

ChewyMoon subscription snack box for children

ChewyMoon is the UK’s first nutritionally-balanced subscription snack box for children between the ages of 4 and 10. Their snacks are made from natural ingredients, with no refined sugar or nasties. There are five snacks in a box, together with a ‘fun pack’ comprising comics, fact cards and totem toys, so the box just as much fun as it is healthy.

In our ChewyMoon box there were five little boxes of snacks – just the right size for a quick nibble. They’re in really fun, brightly coloured boxes (which we’ve saved, I’m sure they’ll be brilliant for using in a craft project). The snacks are all nutritionally balanced and healthy, full of fruit, nuts, seeds and other goodies. He loved eating them and enjoyed trying the different snack boxes.

ChewyMoon subscription snack box for children

The ChewyMoon box comes with some fun things too. Ours contained a card to help us identify different kinds of clouds – we’ve stuck that to the fridge for reference purposes. There was also a space monkey “totem” which you popped out of the card and made into a little stand alone figure and a little comic strip to read.

It’s colourful, fun, a little bit educational, healthy and the box arrives every week through your letterbox, addressed to your child. That alone is beyond exciting for my six year old!

ChewyMoon subscription snack box for children

The ChewyMoon website is fab, it’s got lots of nutritional advice and information for parents. You can also rate each snack, so you can get more of what you like and less of what you don’t.

Your ChewyMoon subscription box is delivered weekly and costs £4.95 per week, you can order a free trial box (just pay postage) to see if you like it. We did like it a lot. I felt that although my son generally enjoys healthy snacks, this was a great way to introduce him to some other kinds of snacks he might enjoy. There were a couple of things in our selection of snacks which challenged him, but with a little encouragement he tried them, enjoyed them and would have them again.

As a parent I try to encourage healthy eating and part of that is discovering new things to eat; exploring flavours and textures and encouraging him to be open to new experiences with food. I think ChewyMoon is a really fun box, but also a way to develop an interest in new things, which is never a bad thing.

For more information about ChewyMoon, visit their website.

Join the Monopoly Token Madness Vote – VOTE BOOT!

If you’ve ever played Monopoly on a regular-ish basis you will probably have your own favourite token. This year the makers of Monopoly are planning a shakeup of the tokens which have served Monopoly players well for generations. In other exciting news, Monopoly are introducing a new set of golden tokens to choose from; so it’s up to you to vote to keep your favourite and to vote for a new piece to join the Monopoly ranks. Stand by for the Monopoly Token Madness vote!

Monopoly Token Madness Vote - VOTE BOOT!

The fate of the eight current Monopoly tokens, including the scottie dog, top hat, racing car, and boot are in the hands of Monopoly fans. This January, fans worldwide can visit www.VoteMonopoly.com to choose their eight favourite tokens that they’d like to see in the next generation of the Monopoly game. Choose from a list of more than 50 contenders in the Monopoly Token Madness Vote, including the current tokens and brand new pieces such as a penguin, rubber ducky and bunny!

Monopoly Token Madness Vote - VOTE BOOT!

When I was growing up, Sunday afternoons were always filled with board games at my Grandma’s house. Monopoly was always a favourite, the banker always cheated but it could go on for hours, but we loved it. We were all creatures of habit. My Dad had the top hat, my brother the car, my Grandma the scotty dog and I was always the boot.

Monopoly Token Madness Vote - VOTE BOOT!

Monopoly is a game which is very close to my heart and one I’ve been looking forward to playing with my son. We did wonder if at the age of 6 he was too young to play, but we were very pleasantly surprised that he embraced the game with gusto and enjoyed building his empire (that’s my boy!).

Monopoly Token Madness Vote - VOTE BOOT!

We still have the original Monopoly game which we rescued from my Grandma’s house after she died, but it’s great to have the brand new Monopoly Token Madness Vote edition to play with, especially as it has eight of the golden tokens included – most of which won’t make it into future editions of the game – it could be a real future collectors item!

When it comes to our family, we are still slaves to tradition. I’m still the old boot; hubs went for an upgrade from his standard racing car to the new golden F1 version; and the small boy followed in my Grandma’s footsteps and went for the scotty dog. It made my heart glad.

What’s your favourite Monopoly token, and which one will you vote to save?

Vote now at www.VoteMonopoly.com

PS…. VOTE BOOT!

Note: We were sent some Monopoly goodies and the Monopoly Token Madness game in return for this blog post. All images and opinions are our own.

Breakfast at the Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club

One of the best parts of a night or two away in a hotel is the breakfast. At home I rarely eat breakfast and if I do it’s usually just toast or cereal. A hotel breakfast is a real treat, and like most people I like a big breakfast to set me up for a day of shopping, sightseeing or adventure. This week we were invited to the Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club to try out their award-winning breakfast.

In November 2016 the Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club was voted as having the best breakfast in the North West by Trivago. We were invited down to put their breakfast to the test. It was a great excuse for a proper family breakfast to see us right for a wintery walk later that day.