Stocking Filler Inspiration #SmiggleXmasParty

We were delighted to be invited to visit the York Smiggle store to check out their Christmas range. If you haven't heard of Smiggle (when a smile meets a giggle), it's an Austrailian brand, specialising in fun, colourful stationery and quirky accessories. We are not that familiar with the centre of York but situated in Coney Street, the brightly coloured store is pretty hard to miss!

Has anyone been to @smiggle_uk ? We visited the York store today. Lots of stocking filler inspiration. Will be blogging about our visit soon! #ad #smigglexmasparty

A photo posted by Kate (Along Came Poppy) (@kate.eccles) on Oct 28, 2016 at 4:39pm PDT

When we stepped inside, it was just like being in a sweet shop. There were endless shelves lined with tubs of pick and mix style goodies. The Mini Reviewers did not know where to start and, to be honest, neither did I! Not only was there a huge range of fun stationery items, there were also craft sets, bags, bottles, watches, toys and even scented paint! The Mini Reviewers got more than a little giddy... Christmas had definitely come early for these two!

Please mum...

I immediately started thinking of all those presents I needed to buy. I could have very easily got carried away but I managed to control myself and we concentrated on looking for some stocking filler ideas. We really were spoilt for choice but here are our top five Smiggle Stocking Stuffers for under £10:

Our top five Smiggle Stocking Stuffers for under £10

Yums Scented Eraser Pack £4.50

There are a great variety of these little eraser packs. Some are scented and there are some Christmas themed selections and even a Christmas bauble. Our favourite is this scented set because (in Izzie's words) "they are just so cute" and another little person couldn't keep his hands off them! There was also an offer on when we visited so we got two packs for £5.00.

Plush Hamburger Jotter £8.50

This plush jotter is very quirky and made us all smile (even Grandma liked this one). I think I may have to go back and get this for Izzie's stocking.

 Chocolate Scented Pencils (4 pack) £4.50

There is a whole range of scented pencils but these were our favourites because they really do smell like chocolate! Perfect for chocoholics everywhere.

Juice Carton Pencil Case £10.00

There is an amazing range of pencil cases but we thought this Juice Carton was a bit different and you could fit loads of Smiggle goodies inside.

Build a Highlighter £2.00

Theo loves building with blocks and these stacking pens look like fun.

During our visit we also spotted the Smiggle Advent Calendar so if you are looking for an alternative chocolate-free advent calendar, this could be very tempting. At £28 it is reasonably priced especially considering you get £38 worth of goodies. There are also 25 lucky tickets hidden in calendars to win a £250 Smiggle shopping spree.

Smiggle now has shops all over the UK and I do recommend popping in for the full "Smiggle experience". But if, like me, you love a late night online shop, all these goodies are also available online.

*Disclaimer: We were invited by Smiggle to visit their York store for the purpose of this review. We received a £25 voucher to spend in store. All opinions are, as always, our own.

Changing Bag Essentials

Last week I got caught out without the changing bag. I won’t go into details but let’s just say it was fairly messy and, luckily I found a spare nappy in the car. Phew! Normally I am prepared for every eventuality. Take a look at what I can fit in my fantastic “bottomless” Cara bag from Babymel…

Our Eden Project Visit - Three generations, a double buggy and an electric wheelchair!

This week three generations of our family visited the Eden Project in Cornwall. We were hoping for a fantastic family day out with a difference. But with a double buggy, an electric wheelchair, four adults and three children under five, was there really something for everyone? And, just how did we cope with the heat on the hottest day of the year so far?

Our Visit

We have been intending to visit the Eden Project as a family for an extremely long time and this week we finally got there. Hooray! Yorkshire to Cornwall (via Birmingham) is quite a drive, so we made a holiday of it, staying just outside St Austell.

Rainforest Biome

When we arrived at EP, it was already gearing up to be an incredibly hot day. With the heat in mind, we decided to make the hottest of the two Biomes (or bubbles as the children called them) our first stop. As we walked through the sweltering rainforest we spotted bananas, birds and waterfalls. Although the highest platform was shut due to the extreme heat, we still managed to get some fantastic views. We also saw the EP team chopping down a banana tree, which caused great excitement.

There was so much to talk to the children about, despite most of the activity boards and educational displays being aimed at slightly older children. Had it not been so hot, we could have stayed in the rainforest for longer. There was a “cool room” about halfway round and we popped in there twice. We also had cool drinks for the children. In relation to accessibility, there was only one section we were advised not to go along with the buggy and wheelchair.

Med Biome

We then had a pit stop for lunch in the Link before heading into the Mediterranean Biome. The atmosphere inside was much cooler and this biome was full of the amazing colours and smells of the Med. Again, there was so much to look at. The children spotted an array of different fruits growing. There were also lots of interesting sculptures. Imagine everything from driftwood pigs to giant metallic spiders. Theo even found a wooden tractor to drive. We stayed in the biome for Storytime and then ventured outside.

The Outside Gardens

Outside we meandered (very slowly) through the beautiful gardens. We stopped to have a good look at the giant bee and the huge man made out of discarded electrical goods. The children spent a long time exploring The Garden of Senses with its tactile walls, water features and xylophone. After a brief musical interlude from Theo, we continued on our way.

The Core

Next we visited The Core, which Theo entered by slide! In there we stumbled upon an under 5s soft play area with dressing up costumes. It was a great place to cool down and the three children loved it.

It was then time to go so we headed back to the Visitor Centre via the giant bridge. This provided brilliant views of the site and a closer view of those brave enough to use the overhead zipwire!

Our Thoughts...

Everyone had a fantastic day and we found there were plenty of things to keep us all entertained. The highlights for the children included Storytime in the Med-Biome; Soft play in the Core (under 5s); and exploring The Garden of the Senses. We could easily spend another day at EP and hope to return with the children at the end of the week for the special Dinosaur Uprising Event (23rd July - 4th September).

Facilities and Accessibility

The site is very child friendly and accessibility was not an issue. All the staff were helpful and polite.

There are lots of places to eat and drink as well as spots to picnic around the site. We ate in the Link between the two indoor Biomes. We can recommend the burritos, hot chicken platters and huge cakes. At first glance, the meals seem expensive but the portions were generous and the food was delicious! The kids had little food boxes with drinks, wraps and snack items. There are plenty of high chairs and space for the double buggy and electric wheelchair in the restaurant.

There are many clean, accessible toilets and unisex baby change facilities around the site. There is a breastfeeding room, which I didn't visit but instead I took advantage of several of the many benches.

There are several car parks and a shuttle bus service. We, however, parked in the disabled car park. Even from this car park, it was quite a walk to the Visitor Centre but wheelchairs are available if required. Electric wheelchairs can also be borrowed free of charge and these are collected from the Visitor Centre. We phoned in advance to book one for our visit.

The Cost

There were 7 in our party (2 adults, 2 over 60s and 3 children under 5). We purchased joint annual adult membership online prior to our visit.  The membership costs £75 and allows unlimited access for two adults for the year plus a guest each. The children were free. This worked out to be £20 less than the cost of the standard admission prices on the day. See the official Eden Project website for further details regarding entry prices and concessions.

Our Tips:

+Look online to find the best ticket price for you before you visit.

+If you need an electric wheelchair, phone and book one in advance.

+Arrive early.

+Pick up a free map from the Visitor Centre.

+Be prepared for the weather: Don’t forget hats, sunscreen and water if it’s hot. Waterproofs, if it’s wet.

+Wear comfy shoes!

+Go with an open mind, take your time exploring and, most importantly, have a great time!

Have you visited the Eden Project?

What was the highlight of your visit?

Our word of the week is... Eden!