“Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It is fun to have fun But you have to know how.”

Opeie loves celebrating his toys birthdays, Rose the cat has had three birthdays in the last 3 months and it always seems like someone is getting the star treatment for the day. Last week the birthday boy was the Cat in the Hat and after receiving a package from Bigjigs toys Opeie came up with an elaborate plan on how we were going to celebrate. The sun was out and we had an afternoon to do what we wanted so Opeie informed me of his plans and we set about trying to make them happen.

The Plan:

• Pack a bag each full of relevent items for our mission
• Scoot to Ironbridge and embark on an adventure collecting items for the ultimate toy birthday party
• Convince local business owners to let us do what we want in their establisments
• Document our adventure with pictures (Opeie loves us taking pics)
• Make sure the Cat in the Hat has a Birthday to remember
• On completion of our tasks make our way home and party for the remainder of the afternoon

 He certainly doesn't ask for much that boy of mine, but who am i to deny him his fun.

The first stop on the Birthday mission was the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron where we pulled up our Micro scooters for a spot of tea and scones. We explained to the lady running the Cafe that it was the Cat in the Hat's birthday and that we needed to pick up supplies for a party (yes we did go through this story with everyone we came in to contact with that day). We spotted the perfect box of twelve biscuits skillfully baked by Bigjigs toys, delicious!

Like Opeie and myself, the cat in the Hat is quite partial to a peanut butter and jam sandwich and Opeie wanted to make sure that his friend had all his favourite food at the birthday shindig. As we were leaving the cafe we walked through the shop connected and noticed exactly what we were looking for, so with the help of a very excited Opeie we explained to the staff about the celebration and what we needed and they happily obliged. With our Bigjigs toys Peanut butter and Jam acquired we jumped back on the Micro Scooters and continued our adventure.

While scooting along the high street Opeie shouted "Cake!". You cant have a birthday celebration without Birthday cake and Opeie's sighting of Queenie's cupcakes made it quite clear where the next stop on our destination was going to be. The lovely lady on the counter asked all about the Cat in the Hat and his birthday and Opeie was loving telling her all about it. It was so great how everywhere we went staff were embracing Opeie's plans and being really friendly. We left Queenie's with our Bigjigs Birthday cake a perky cat and a very happy little events organiser.

There was only one thing left on Opeie's list and i think it was bright, hot sunshine that was keeping it at the forefront of his mind. We knew as soon as we spotted the sign for Vanilla ice it was time to pick up the Bigjigs Ice lollies and again the chap in the shop was very friendly, he even said we can go wandering behind the till for pictures. There must be something in the water in the river Severn that makes everyone so friendly. Well that was our shopping for previsions done and what a great spread we were going to be putting on.

The weather was far to nice to go straight home so we made the most of Ironbridge's beautiful park before heading home. Scooting around for an hour before parking up and having a run about. It was the perfect way to spend the cats special day.

The excitement of Opeie's garden party was getting too much so he asked if we could go home and start getting things ready. With all the great Bigjigs food we had collected on our shopping/scooting adventure the party preperation was going to be a huge job, but the sun was shining and everyone was having a great time. Opeie organised everything pretty much by himself and then it was party time.

 After a couple of hours serving our guests, playing pass the parcel and dancing it was time to relax with a good book. An eventful afternoon was had by all. Great food, Great company and some fast wheels to run our errands on, Perfection!

Until our next Birthday adventure... Have fun! x

"Having hit a wall, the next logical step is not to bang our heads against it."

I am all about great quality sustainable toys that can be packed away when they have been outgrown, ready for the next generation of tiny feet and it's one of the things I love about writing for Bigjigs toys.  When it comes to children's play things, youngsters will always see the appeal for classic wooden toys.

This month we were sent the Wooden Wrecking ball to review, taken from their selection of wooden vehicles. Opeie wanted to make sure he had some friends with him to witness what he had planned. You can't fully appreciate a wrecking ball unless you have something to destroy and this was the basis for Opeie's plans to build a house.

With a large chunky structure and bright vibrant colours you can see why their products are so popular with children. I don't remember having any wooden toys when I was younger and it would have been nice to still have a classic wooden toy that I had played with to pass on. I'm sure the boys will have plenty to pass on when they are ready.

The house didn't go down to well so he built a wall instead in hope it would come down a little easier. With the wall built it was time for Opeie to put the wrecking ball to the test as his cuddly audience watched on...

If your children are anything like I was when I was younger then this toy would have gone straight outside in the dirt, which is another great advantage to good quality wooden toys. Opeie would have played with this none stop a year or so ago but sadly I think it's a little too young for him now to keep him interested. It's definitely something to pack away for future generations of our pirate family though.

As always it was a great quality toy from the Bigjigs ever expanding selection of fantastic eco friendly toys, for more vehicles to accompany the range click here.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

Being picked to write for Bigjigs toys for another year is amazing. We had so much fun reviewing some great products last year. A few days back our first package came for 2014 and the boys were so excited to see what was inside. The contents gave us a great excuse to get the trains out as they hadn't seen the light for about 6 months.

The Rail and Road Overground Station Is a great addition to our ever expanding Bigjigs rail set. The boys loved this from the moment they unboxed it as it's the first larger rail piece they have had with an upper level. The weather has been great so we threw caution to the wind and built our track on the uneven grass in the back garden. One of the great things i love about Bigjigs products is that everything is so robust, you can be as heavy handed as you like.

The piece is great as it connects both Bigjigs road and rail sets together which i love. Bigjigs rail has such a nice classic feel to it and i love the boys playing with trains as it takes playing back to when it was a little more simple and imagination was the key ingredient. Its so easy these days to get dragged into new technology that its nice for the boys to be able to take a step back. Plus i always think that the boys play much nicer together with these sort of products as it encourages team work.

With our Bigjigs package also came a set of Farm Skittles which i planned to write a seperate review for but the boys being so creative and using their imagination they included the skittles in to their play beautifully. Seth placed the farmer and his animals on the platform to wait for their train (minding the gap of course). After boarding they were taken around the scenic route of our garden.

Opeie took a less delicate approach and lined them up on the road and used a car to mow them down. Not the sort of play we would expect from our animal loving vegan friendly boy.... but very creative.

As always when the Bigjigs toys come out, it was a fun hour or so of family bonding and It is so much nicer to be able to take our toys outside while the sun is out. One of the many things i love about Bigjigs Rail is the vesatility, no two tracks that we build are the same so this toy reinvents itself every play.

We took the Farm Skittles to Nanny and grandads a few days back too and Opeie and grandad had a lovely game (they've got great flooring for it). As expected these are two great products from a company we have grown to adore over our time working with them.

"Let every eye negotiate for itself and trust no agent."

Last week we found out that Bigjigstoys have chosen us for another year to write for them as their Play Patrol bloggers which we are so excited about. The boys loved receiving the Bigjigs packages every month last year and really enjoyed reviewing some great items. Seth decided that this year their identities are even more secret and Bigjigs have even asked for their code names this time round. After careful deliberation with the boys (after all agent names are a serious thing). Here is Agent Freshmaker and Agent RockRock, masters of deception.

"It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life."

I love it when a toy inspires the boys to do something creative, which is what happened this week. The postman played his lovely tune on our letter box and me and Opeie rushed to the door excited. It was a package we have become quite accustomed to over the last 12 months and each package as exciting as the next, but this one a little more exciting as it was the final stage of this years Play patrol applicants. Opeie did what he does best and destroyed the outer packaging to get inside, 'Bigjigs' he shouted, he knows that packaging and logo better than anything.

Inside was the Wooden Safari Animal Building Blocks And Opeie's initial response put a huge smile on my face "ooooh... a Gilaffe". Opeie pronounces all his words so clearly but I can't bring myself to correct him with giraffe as it's so cute, I'm still gutted he no longer pronounces dinosaur 'Di Si Yur'.

So the 'Gilaffe' came out with all his friends and we built some lovely creations. The quality as always is exactly what you would expect from Bigjigstoys, the fact that they are made of soft wood means they are perfect for a long life with enthusiastic children. The colours and design are timeless and classic and one of the great things with them being wooden is that if you child moves on to the Bigjigs rail products you can have a zoo built along side the track, the toy can grow with your child's development.

As I said at the start of the post the Wooden Safari Animal Building Blocks Inspired Opeie to get his craft box out as he said he wanted to look like the lion. So our afternoon was than taken up by making Bigjigs inspired masks which was great as the toys had Also helped Opeie to be creative and use his imagination.

Good luck to all the other bloggers x

“It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become.”

Every now and again a company or product comes a long that i/we fall in love with. 9 times out of 10 its the product itself but our recent and final package as Bigjigs toys Play patrol agents was an amazing product from a company with an ethos that you want from a business that makes children's toys. The Green toys fire truck is more than just a robust vehicle great for playing indoors and out. its classic design and bright clean colours make it the perfect play thing for any child. The fact that it is so sturdy is great as it means its perfect for the more boisterous children who love to throw their toys down slides or have them in mud holes in the garden (the way i used to play when i was younger).

The thing that clearly stuck out for me though and the reason these toys are so desirable is the fact they are made from 100% recycled plastic. We are so good with what we recycle week by week, i hate the thought of landfills so its a breath of fresh air to think that all that plastic recycling we do could be used to make something as amazing as this product. Our beloved Lorax would be very proud of this company.

With the fear of 'what are my children playing with?' in terms of the chemicals used in production these days its also great to know that these products don't contain BPA, PVC or phthalates. As it states on the box also, the products are safe to use with real food and are dishwasher safe too. Green toys tick all the boxes when it comes to the design process and morals behind children's products. They seem to know exactly what children want aesthetically but they are also taking care of the parents needs too. They really do live up to their 'Earth friendly' title on the box.

Bigjigs toys have a great selection of Green toys products, my favourites being the Green toys Rocket and the Pizza Parlor. Green toys are here to stay and with the amount of plastic products that are thrown away weekly we'll be keeping them in business. I cant think of a more rewarding way for our younger generations to learn about the importance of recycling. 

 Remember, don't just throw it away, bring new exciting life to your plastic milk containers and other recyclable trash.