BG Goes to a CBeebies Screening of Rastamouse and Mr Bloom's Nursery

On Saturday me and BG went to our first ever screening and it just happened to be for CBeebies. To say we we’re both excited when the invite dropped into my inbox would be an understatement.

We took the slow train down on Saturday and thankfully the screening was at Kings Place which is 5 minute walk from Kings Cross Station which meant no underground for us.

The room was all set out with activities for the children after the screening and coffee for the parents. 

It was a bit strange for me, I’m used to going to events and meeting someone from the Parent Blogging world but I didn’t see anyone I knew or recognised, so I stalked the presenters instead!!

There was a little area set up with cushions and a TV screen for the preview so that where we headed first. Kay Benbow the controller of CBeebies was master of ceremonies and introduced herself and spoke about the channel. She obviously very proud that CBeebies won a BAFTA last year and was very excited about what was to come in 2011.

Kay also shared the good news that Justin Fletcher had signed a 2 year contract so parents can heave a sigh of relief! There will be a new show in the summer.

We were first shown as preview of what was to come this year, including a new show called Raa Raa the Noisy Lion which I thought was a great title as BG calls Lions Raa Raa’s!

Then we got onto the reason why we were there, to see screening of two new shows Rastamouse (yes you read that correctly) and Mr Bloom’s Nursery.

Mr Bloom’s Nursery was BG’s favourite of the day. Mr Bloom’s nursery is set on a allotment, with singing vegetables and is visited by ‘tiddlers’ that help Mr Bloom tend to his garden. Ben Faulks who plays Mr Bloom explained how the idea for show developed.

“The original concept for Mr Bloom’s Nursery came from a piece of walkabout theatre that I developed in 2006 called Vegetable Nannies which involved dressing up real fruits and vegetables as babies and pushing them around in a pram,” explains Ben.  “I was playing a gardener who loved his vegetables and wanted to take them for a day out. It was very interactive and aimed at engaging with children and their families by getting them to feed the vegetables, change their nappies and care for them like little babies. 

“That toured for a good few years and then I started looking for ways to develop it into a television show which lead to a meeting with CBeebies.  I was teamed up with their in-house development team and together we grew the idea into Mr Bloom’s Nursery.”

BG loves gardening at home and with her Granddad who is a farmer so this really appealed to her. She did get slightly confused when watching the show and she looked over my shoulder and saw Mr Bloom standing behind her. She looked at him, looked back at the screen and back to him again.

It is a bright and bubbly show, another great concept from CBeebies. I really like shows that encourage children to participate.

Rastamouse is based on books by Genevieve Webster and Michael De Souza. Rastamouse is a crime solving, guitar playing, skateboarding mouse alongside his band members Zoomer and Scratchy. Rastamouse is voiced by Reggie Yates who was there on Saturday and who I may have scared!.

Stalker Mummy!!

I have to say I found Rastamouse hilarious, it was enjoyable for both of us to watch and BG liked to bop around to the reggae music. I have a feeling this will be hit with both parents and Children.

Once the screenings were over the fun began. Tables filled with activities for children where available, plus face painting and balloon modelling.

Charming Child

There was also a chance to meet Alex Winters who presents CBeebies

Does he look scared? 

Mr Bloom, who was helping the children plant cress seeds

Mummy this man was in the TV

Also Reggie Yates, Genevieve Webster and Michael De Souza who read a Rastamouse story, though by this time BG was running around.

Story Time

Very soon it was time to get back on the train home. Though not without our little goody bag which contained a CBeebies magazine which kept BG occupied on the journey home, a t shirt, some great print outs of Rastamouse and Mr Blooms Nursery activities and some seeds to plant.

It was a great day and an honour to be invited along.

Rastamouse starts tonight at 4.40pm on CBeebies and Mr Blooms Nursery starts Monday 7^th February.


NM X

Music Monday - They Stood Up for Love

I've shared tracks from this band before (no its not Bon Jovi). Its an American band called Live, there is something about their music even the heavier tracks that soothe me.


I will quite happily listen to them all day long, they are currently on a two break and I really hope they don't make it indefinitely.  I have seen them perform many a time in tiny venues, which in my opinion is the best way to listen to them. You need to feel their music and you can only do that in small, intimate places. 


This is one of my favourite tracks by them, its off their 4th album The Distance To Here and its beautiful. 


This is They Stood up For Love by Live



NM X

The Sunday Chill Out - Easy

I was going to call this Chill Out Sunday but I prefer the Sunday Chill Out. 


My first Sunday Chill Out is Easy Like Sunday Morning the Faith No More version.


Enjoy!



NM X

Sing along Saturday - Muffin

Today me and BG are off to London to see a screening of two new Cbeebies shows.I must say I am super excited, especially as Alex Winters tweeted me to say he will be there!!


So today for my Sing along Saturday is from a Cbeebies show 3rd & Bird


I give you Muffin's song.....




NM X

My Friday Song and Some Blogger Love

I haven't done blogger love in ages so I though I would bring it back.


Basically  I share with you some new blogs in the blogosphere, I have a great mix for you this week. 


This first one is my sisters (we are taking over!!) she has started a blog to document her wedding which will be in 2012. She is also currently 7 months pregnant.  She has called her blog I'd Get Less for Murder! which after a twitter poll was suggested by @nickie72

Not happy with just getting my family to start blogs, my sister's best friend and boss has also started one!! Bang on Style  is a mixture of vintage fashion, make up and photography. Her E Store Bang on Vintage is launching next month. 


UnPacked Mummy is the new blog of Nomadiac Mother . This is what she says about her new blog:-


This is a blog about my life back in London, England after spending 19 months travelling the world with my daughter K. You can read about our travels here but if you want to read about our life now, well don’t go anywhere cos you want to be right here on this blog.


Once Scene, Never Forgotten is not for the faint hearted.  Its a collection of troubled memories of the bizarre, creepy and plain scary television and film moments from childhood.


I'm not sure how she does copes with 6 children I have enough trouble with 1! but Cherry Mum of 6 makes it look easy. 


Carolin's new blog Mummy Alarm may only be very new but its already do very well. A mixture of her journey of a mum to be on a budget and honest reviews. 


My Mumdom is written by Mum of 4, cook, cleaner, dog walker, taxi driver, speech therapist, gardener, best mum in the world, skivvy, teacher, scapegoat, nurse, entertainer, worst mum in the world, judge and jury


Last but not least is Becoming Familiar written by a hugely independent woman entering motherhood...with twins, as well as other stuff. 


Oh and little blog pimping for me Make it, Bake it relaunches next week!


My Friday Song which reflects my week is Faithless with Insomnia 




NM X

Funky Thursday

For my first Funky Thursday I give you Lipps Inc and Funky Town!



NM X

Rocking Wednesday

I thought for my first Rocking Wednesday it has to be a real golden oldie.


So here is Bill Haley and Rock Around the Clock




NM X

A Musical Week

As you will probably know by now I can be a lazy blogger and often post my favourite songs as my post for the day!


Well after playing around with tittle's for a while I think I have cracked a musical week!

They are:

Music Monday

Tuneful Tuesday

Rocking Wednesday

Funky Thursday

Friday Song

Sing a long Saturday

Chill out Sunday

Feel free to join in! I may even make badges 

NM X


Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tuneful Tuesday

Can you see where I'm going with these music posts I'm aiming for one for everyday of the week!!


I'm think Rocking Wednesday and Funky Thursday and then I've cracked it!!


Today I will be mainly listening to the new Adele album 21, so I thought I'd share one of the new tracks.


This is Adele with Rolling Deep





NM X

The Saturday Sing Along

NM X

The Hovis Wholemeal Challenge – The Result

This is a sponsored post.

Last week I wrote about starting the Hovis Wholemeal Challenge, well here are the results.

50 female bloggers took part in the challenge

·         90% of respondents tended to snack more on Week 1 (when eating their normal breakfast)

·         78% will continue to eat bread for breakfast after taking the challenge, with 64% stating Hovis Wholemeal kept them fuller for longer

·         94% agreed they enjoyed eating Hovis Wholemeal for breakfast

·         86% agreed eating Hovis Wholemeal prevented them snacking in-between breakfast and lunch

·         56% of people didn’t even think about snacking in-between breakfast and lunch when eating Hovis Wholemeal, compared to 29% when eating their normal breakfast

·         After eating Hovis Wholemeal for breakfast, 71% felt more positive about bread overall

·         Most common snacking time overall is between 11-11.30am

I do love the fact we all snack at the same time!! Elevenses anyone?

I have to say I have been naughty and slipped back into bad way; I’m just bad at eating breakfast. I am trying harder and manage breakfast at least 4 times a week.

I do eat less at lunch time if I have a good breakfast and tend to choose healthier options.

Don’t forget you can take the challenge yourself at www.facebook.com/hovisbakery, There are prizes to be won!

NM X 

Stylish Blogger Award - 7 Things You Didn't Know About Me

Jo over at Slummy Single Mummy has tagged me in the Stylish Blogger Award, thank you very much my dear.

Now I have to tell you 7 things you didn't know about which after almost 2 years of blogging and countless meme's may be hard. 


1. I  suffer with bouts of insomnia which can last for months and then all of a sudden I will sleep right through.


2. I can control my dreams, sounds very weird but most of the time I can. I'm a big day dreamer and can get lost for hours in them.


3. I haven't got any wisdom teeth. I had x-rays when I was younger and there are none there.


4. On a school skiing trip to Austria I got caught with beer in my room, I was in year 9.


5. I was a horrid child and would steal sweets from my bed bound great nan and stand just far enough away so that she couldn't reach me.


6. My first gig was Kylie Minouge when I was 11. I wanted to see Jason Donovan but my dad wouldn't take me and my sister.


7. When I was pregnant I went to quite a few gigs and festivals. I saw Ocean Colour Scene, Pigeon Detectives, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi and went to V festival and Reading Festival. BG loves all their music.


I now have to tag 15, yes 15 other bloggers.  


I'm tagging a mixture of new and old blogs.


Mummy Alarm 
I've got a drill and I'm not afraid to use it!
A Bit About Me 
Knees Up Mother Brown
Cherry Mum of 6
Yummy Mummy Sausage
Domestic Godd-esque 
Adventures of an English Mum
Baby Budgeting
More Than Just A Mother
Mummy From The Heart
Mummy Shoes 
Two Add Three 
Diary of a Supervised Mum
Mumazing 
Typcast

I'm showing off I'm tagging 16!!


I will leave you with a track from one of the bands from no 7...




NM X

Sunday Song

NM X

I Must Remember to Eat Breakfast!!

This is a sponsored post.

Just before Christmas I was asked to take part in a campaign with Hovis Wholemeal. The campaign was in two parts, for one week I have to record when I had breakfast, when I had a mid morning snack and how I felt during the day. The second week I was sent a goody box of food including Hovis Wholemeal Bread and some breakfast recipes.  I then had to keep a record again of what I ate, when etc.

What I realised during week one is that I’m really bad at having breakfast in the morning. I get BG’s hers then start running around and forget to have mine, this normally leads to a really big lunch and I feel bloated and sleepy all afternoon.

One of the things the campaign was researching was how women snacked, I’m not a big snacker I have the odd biscuit but don’t often have a snack which was one good thing I found. Apparently the average British woman will devour 1,092 unhealthy snacks this year, from crisps, sweets and biscuits to cakes and chocolate, according to research released by Hovis Wholemeal.  That’s a scary thought!!

Hovis Wholemeal believe that if you have a good breakfast which includes bread then it will fill you up better and you will snack less or in my case not eat a huge lunch!

Week 2 was surprisingly easy for me; I knew I had to start eating breakfast so I made sure I sat down with BG in the morning. There were some lovely recipes including toast with fruit and yogurt and banana on toast which I hadn’t had in years. It was really nice to sit down and have breakfast together and BG liked the new recipes.

Did it work, well you’ll have to wait and see!! I will reveal the results soon.

If you want to change your snacking habit or look at your eating plan then try the Hovis Wholemeal App on Facebook www.facebook.com/hovisbakery. You could win a prize everyday!

NM X

In The Week That Was....

We have been de-christmasing. We took all the decorations down and of course the room looked very empty and a little bland. Not helped by the fact that the room is rather beige, so I have been brighting the living room up with some new cushions, candles and curtains. 

BG has mainly been playing with her new dolls house that daddy bought her in the sales. As she clearly didn't get enough at Christmas! BG loves it but has already broken the door off and a chair.

I have been working super hard trying to get 2011 going. So far, so good. I've made some great contacts this week and my parent panel on New Mummy's Tips is really coming together. And I've been sent lots of chocolate!


We've been listening to Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits (what a shock). Some of my favourite tracks on on this album.  Its hard to pick one, so I thought I'd go with a newer track which I adore.


So I'm going to leave you with this track....


When We Were Beautiful 

NM X

Music Monday - Raise Your Glass to 2011

I was an outcast at school, a bit of a freak. I written about this before I was bullied and really hated going. 


I look at me now compared to then and think "you know what, I've done pretty well for myself".


My life hasn't been easy but I've worked hard and battled on and I'm starting 2011 and I mean to go on by kicking ass!!


So I raise my glass to 2011 and the person I use to be.


My Music Monday song is Raise Your Glass by Pink...(contains swear words)

NM X