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LEGO DUPLO is 50!
WHO doesn’t remember playing with LEGO DUPLO as a child?
Well this year the brand is celebrating half a century after being invented to help creative toddlers play safely.
As mum to a toddler I’m constantly shouting phrases like ‘Take that out of your mouth!’, ‘What’s that in your mouth?’, or ‘Why is that in your mouth?’
So it’s no surprise I’m a fan of the chunky bricks which my little boy can play safely with. Because let’s face it, no matter how much we shout, for some reason plastic bricks must be chewed and dribbled on!
They’re twice the size of usual LEGO pieces but they can still be used together, which is useful as kids get older.
I love watching little ones playing with LEGO DUPLO – you can almost see their brains ticking as they attempt to build their little – or big – creations.
It’s useful to know that LEGO DUPLO products are actually designed with this in mind – to inspire and encourage playful learning.
FUN FACT ALERT! DUPLO comes from the Latin word ‘duplex’ meaning double. (You’re welcome.)
Share your pictures on social media celebrating 50 years with the hashtag #LEGODUPLO50th
Note: My boy is playing with the LEGO DUPLO Police Bike set #gifted
Longer lashes? Yes please!
Believing my eyelashes to be one of my better features, I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for any product claiming to enhance their length or volume. But my desire for longer, fuller lashes has always been within a price range, so value for money would always be at the back of my mind when purchasing the latest volumising mascara.
And not wanting to go down the path of faffing around with false eyelashes, it was with some interest that I took up the opportunity to try out RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum. With celebrity endorsement in the form of presenter/model Lisa Snowdon, it promises ‘up to 50% longer natural lashes with up to 75% more volume’ and already boasts over 1.5m sales worldwide
Easy to use – you just apply to the base of your (make-up free!) eyelashes each night and wait for the magic to work… I’ve been using it for about four weeks now and I can honestly say I’ve noticed a difference – although with a RRP of £39.99 I’d be seriously screwing if nothing was happening!
The other day I even ventured out of the house without a single lick of mascara on. Not a big deal for some, but for me and the lone grey hair in my otherwise perfectly dark set of lashes – it was pretty momentous…!
My verdict? Definitely worth a try, if you have some cash to treat yourself.
RapidLash, RRP £39.99, available from Boots, ww.boots.com and www.rapidlash.co.uk
How do you get kids to eat vegetables? #EatinFullColour at the Bird’s Eye First Plates Restaurant
How do you deal with getting your kids to eat vegetables?
An easy life or forever a struggle?
Mine is the latter, so I was intrigued when we got an invitation to the Bird’s Eye First Plates Restaurant.
Here little ones were encouraged to #eatinfullcolour with a range of veg based dishes which included pea cake (yep, and it was actually quite nice!).
It was interesting to see the dynamic as all the kids sat together happily – mostly – trying out lots of different vegetables.
Us parents were lucky enough to get tips on how to get more veg in their tummies from TV child psychologist, Dr Elizabeth Kilbey, as seen on Channel 4’s The Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds.
She told me: ‘Don’t be deterred by them saying ‘I don’t like that’.
‘If they like particular colours try pairing them up, association helps.’
And even, gasp, making eating veggies fun!
For example, Dr Kilbey added: ‘Can we have a snack of every single colour today? Can we build a rainbow of the food we eat today?’
Research by Bird’s Eye to mark their Eat in Full Colour campaign shows that children are actually becoming more adventurous with their food, with 4-9 year olds naming sprouts and spinach as their favourite vegetables.
Almost a third (32 per cent) of parents say their children would eat just about ANY type of vegetable served – and only 29 per cent struggle to get their kids to eat their greens. Unfortunately I’m in that 29 percent!
But I was given some hope to keep trying after the event, adding more colour to ALL of our plates and trying new vegetables.
Click to see footage from the event (my daughter even has a speaking part!).
Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and me…
No parent with a child under five can say they know nothing of the magic that is In the Night Garden. When I first encountered the programme I can honestly say it freaked the hell out of me, especially the hypnotic effect it seemed to have on any child plonked in front if it. But as my sweet baby turned into a very ‘vocal’ toddler, I’m sure I’m not the first parent to take advantage of its calming effect!
So with the news that a stage version of the BBC programme was coming to The O2, I jumped at the chance to gain some brownie points with my little one – and between the two of us, I’m not sure who was more excited at the thought of seeing the show! Although I wasn’t quite sure how she (or I!) was going to react to seeing larger than life-sized versions of her television favourites….
Performed in The O2’s Live Quarter, the excitement starts as you approach to see huge inflatable Haahoos outside the entrance. My two year old fluctuated between silent awe and astonishment, to being one of the most vocal in joining in with the songs and pointing out the characters on stage – loud enough for those in the very back rows to hear. A mixture of puppetry and costumed characters, I can’t say there was a particular moment when she became bored or tired of the action on stage. Of course, it’s not perfect viewing for adults, but seeing the pleasure experienced by younger members of the audience definitely makes it worthwhile.
The day was topped off with a meet and greet with Igglepiggle (you can also chose to meet Upsy Daisy), and despite her initial reservations about the lifesize blue character, my daughter ended up giving him a hug and smiling for a family snap. Although my own reservations weren’t helped by having Igglepiggle rest his arm on my shoulder, while he gave me a glass-eyed stare…!
It’s not a cheap day out, but if your child is a fan it’s a treat they”ll definitely appreciate.
Media Mummy rating? 4 out of 5 stars.
In the Night Garden Live is at The O2 until June 9 before continuing on its UK tour.
www.nightgardenlive.com