"Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed."

YouTube is such a great source of entertainment for a stay at home dad. It's also a great learning platform. If you don't know how to do something, watch a YouTube video. Aside from all the ridiculous unnecessary videos on there of people making idiots of themselves there are loads of great ideas for entertaining your children. I use it a lot for learning craft techniques. While I was on there a few nights back a video popped up of someone making a crossbow using paper, lolly pop sticks and tape so as the boys are having a knights and castles phase at the moment I thought me an Seth could sit down and give it a try.

We sorted out the things that we needed and found the video to use as a tutorial, Seth was very excited when he saw it on the video in action. It fires pencils and yes I know that doesn't sound all that safe but the boys are very careful and I knew they wouldn't use them while I wasn't about.

Its what play tables were made for!!!

 I won't go in to to much detail as I will include the youtube video that I watched at the end of the post. They were pretty easy to make although some of the bending of the thick rolled paper was a pain even for me. The chap on the video used all white paper but we wanted ours to have a little more pizzazz so I chose pink (obviously) and Seth chose Blue. They actually turned out great, Seth's fired a lot better than mine but they both worked great. When we had finished I noticed another video of something I would like us to create but that's more of an outdoors summer activity so stay tuned.

For the full instructions on how to make a paper crossbow here's the video, enjoy...

"It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; its theconstruction of the foundation that will stand the test of time."

What I love about the boys is how appreciative they are of everything they get. As a blogging family we all get to review some really great products for some fantastic companies, although all toys sent are played with lovingly by the boys, some get delivered and I tend to initially make a decision whether I think the boys will find them interesting. Most of the time I'm right but sometimes I am really far from the mark and that is what happened last week.

We received our recent play patrol missions last week from Bigjigs toys and I was unsure about one of the products. Not because there's anything wrong with it, it's a great product, the quality (as always with Bigjigs toys) is amazing and it's versatile. The issue was it's a building material and they can be a little hit and miss with the boys. One building material dominates our play and although the Wooden Construction Set Is nothing like it I still thought it wouldn't get the attention it deserved. I couldn't have been further from the truth.

I like to think of myself as one of the boys, I'm a big kid and get stuck in when playing. I sometimes forget though that they are children. I often underestimate their innocence and the creative way they look at things, so I am pleasantly surprised when a product is sent to us that I don't think they'll be that into and their reaction to it couldn't be further from that. It's been a while since I have seen Seth get this excited about a product and it's now got him making up odd jobs around the house for pocket money so that he can buy other products from the range.

The 51 piece Wooden Construction Set Is a great product for any construction specialist in the making. As Seth put it "it's like grown up tools for children". Seth has played with this so much since receiving it and is now desperate for a work bench and matching tool belt. Last weekend we took the kit to our friend Chris' house so that he could create with the boys. The nuts and bolts are great for Opeie too because they are not to small and the chunky screwdriver included is perfect for his little hands and also Seth's limited grip.

Seth being Seth inevitably created a batman piece as one of his first builds, here's his batman tumbler. I think with enough pieces we could build quite a large detailed piece. The colours are great and as with all of Bigjigs toys wooden items the quality and finish to each piece is superb.

One of the things that always stick out for me with Bigjigs toys is the attention to detail or the finishing touches to their products. For this one it's the packaging, I love how the container for the pieces looks like a tin of paint. I think it's a great touch but these details are the things I've come to love about Bigjigs and their desirable classic toys. Yet again a massive thumbs up from me and our team of independent contractors.

"Where words are restrained, the eyes often talk a great deal."

I love reviewing great products that are sent to us, But i also love to write about places Ive been, experiences Ive had and things I'm passionate about.

It seems that I am reminded weekly that I am getting older, not in a bad way at all, I just have a completely different outlook on life these days and I'm evolving. My most recent reminder was my latest eye test, that probably sounds like a set up for 'my eyes are deteriorating and I'm falling apart' but it's not at all. My eyes are naturally getting worse that's a given but it's more about the glasses, the style of frames that are these days Gracing my face have definitely matured. Years back the aim of my look through the use of my glasses was to look a little like a cartoon character...

 (Yes that's me during my 'I'm going to wear red lip liner round my eyes' phase. I was something of a trend setter back then)

My oversized specs would get passed around by my friends for fun and there was no shortage of photos that would end up splashed across Facebook etc. It was like i was Mr Potato head and everyone wanted my accessories...

My 'play glasses' enevitably ended up in the boys dress up box (probably where they belong) and i know Mrs M was secretly happy about that. It was time for some big boy glasses.

It had been a good two and a half years since my last eye test and spec savers were starting to hound me via post with their 'you are due an eye test letters. I find eye tests depressing, it's like being stuck on an invisible conveyor belt while being examined by robots (or maybe that's just our local spec savers). It seems that customer service has taken a back seat in the optometry experience and i was never thrilled when i needed a check up.


Recently though a new opticians has opened not to far from ours. HD eyes has broken away from the conventional corporate high street eye specialists and has given the experience of the eye test a well needed makeover. I was greeted by very friendly staff and offered a hot drink as soon as i walked in, when does that happen really. The staff were friendly, fashionable and very approachable which put me at ease. The eye test was different from ones i had had previously with new techniques and a very personal approach. i chatted to Kally who owns the opticians with her husband Dil at great length during the test, she asked all about me, Mrs M and the boys. She told me about her family and we talked about the blog a little. It was like meeting up with a friend for lunch if of course you sit with your friends faces a couple of inches away from your own.

I knew that my eyes were going to be a little worse but after seeing the frames they had available i was secretly hoping for it so i had an excuse to get new ones. There's that horrible feeling after having most eye tests where the optometrist marches you out into the shop, you look at frames and you politely say 'yes they are nice' and try on about 20 different pairs of glasses that you know you are never going to buy, the styles are horrible, many of them being not far off from the old NHS frames you used to be able to get. I always see celebrities wearing nice specs and think 'where have they got those'. Well after my eye test at HD Eyes i was in frame shopping heaven. There were no end to the amount of glasses id love for my collection. Kally, Dil and Sam are definitely doing something right. Some classic, Some a little more obscure but all very stylish.

Despite pining after a beautiful pair of bright green Oko by Oko frames (I'm just desperate to go back to being that trend setter) i decided on a more classic pair of William Morris frames that i fell in love with as soon as i saw them.

They were perfect but it wasn't long before Mrs M went back there shopping for another pair as a Christmas present. I love wearing glasses, they are a part of me now and i would feel lost without them. I think i was about 14 when i had my first pair. I'm not 100% on the age but i do clearly remember how excited i was picking frames. It was the start of something big and something i was going to fully embrace. I could see exactly where my new look was going and now it was all a little less blurry.

HD Eyes may be a little out of the way for many people that read this but honestly, If i moved away from Shropshire i would come back to HD for my eye tests, it was an eye opening experience.

"Pink it's like red but not quite And I think everything is going to be all right"

Its always been important to us as a family to make sure that colours are not viewed as gender specific. The ridiculous comments i have heard from other parents in the past regarding what their children wear still shock me to this day. We had an issue with Seth making 'Pink' related comments until he started school but after the first month he was can to his open minded self telling us that the colour snobs at school were 'silly'. We are firm believers in giving Opeie the overall decision to things that we buy when we are out shopping as we did with Seth.

When you have boys there seems to be some serious stigma around including 'Pink' into their daily life, which is exactly how we make sure it viewed like any other colour. Being a creative and quite artist family we don't want colours avoided just because they are not deemed as macho. Its a bit of a long introduction i know but when i was asks by Oxotot to review some more of their products and was asked if i wanted then in green like our previous products i chose Raspberry instead. 

Since the moment we used an Oxotot product during Opeie's dining we've not really used anything else since. We've not needed to! The products are so versatile that they tend to go everywhere with us. The product design is simple yet inventive and the fact that they are BPA, phthalate and PVC free means that as worrying parents we can relax a little.

First up the Oxotot Snack Disk:

This product has been perfect for taking food with us when we are venturing out. We usually use it for fresh fruit, strawberries, cherries and grapes etc. The size of the container is perfect for Opeie's little hands  and the curve shape is great for minimizing any spillages. One of the things i love about this product is that although it is white there has been no staining from having dark red fruits in. We've also used it for pasta in a tomato sauce on many occasions and still no staining. The lid on the Snack Disk clicks in solidly and there is no chance of unwanted mess while transporting it about.

Oxotot Divided Plate:

A while back we reviewed the Oxotot Training Plate which is another fantastic product and this item aside from being bigger is pretty similar. The divided plate as stated in the name is divided in to perfect sized portions sections and has been great for seperating Opeie's wet from dry foods. The detachable curved ring is a genius addition to this product and is perfect for keeping in any mess (or limiting it at least). The center section for dipping sauces has been great for adding humous in to Opeie's meals.

The Flippy Snack Cup:

One of the newer products from the Oxotot range. We had a similar product a while back when Opeie was first attempting finger foods but as his little hands grew it became increasingly more difficult to get at the snacks inside. The Flippy Snack Cup is great for dry snacks at home and on the go. Because Opeie doesn't eat meat, dairy or Soya these things are replaced by a variety of nuts and seed to get protein, good fats and  amino acids into his diet. This product has been great for making sure these don't go all over the places during snack time. As with all of the Oxotot products the softer rubber base is none slip and a perfect deterrent from plates and bowls flying across tables.

Here he is donning one of the pink tops he chose himself!

The great design and simple yet well thought out colour scheme is what originally drew me in to the Oxotot range. Its a finer and more classy way of children's dining.

Feeling like I'd lost a limb...

It's 10:45am and I am parked up in the car on a miserable day feeling pretty miserable myself. People always say when you have children time flies by and when you don't have children you think 'yeah yeah'. Peoples comments though, no matter how often you hear them don't prepare you for your life moving in to warp speed. Ive been dreading this day for around a year and the build up to it has got harder and harder.

Today was Opeies Nursery trial day and was the first time we have left Opeie with someone else and it's heartbreaking. He's always been right at my side apart from one afternoon where I left him with our friend Chris for 20 minutes while I had something to do (I thought I was going to be sick the whole 20 minutes and couldn't stop shaking). Yes I know it probably sounds mental but he's such a huge part of me and being away from him really isn't a nice feeling.

We were really careful when choosing Opeie's nursery, we knew exactly what we didn't want and were lucky enough to find what we did early in our search, it didn't make this day any easier though. When I woke up this morning I felt a wreck. We packed his bag and got him ready and Opeie was in a very happy mood, completely unaware of where he was going.

We arrived at the nursery and as I expected the staff put me at ease. We chatted while Opeie played and he looked relaxed but sadly it was a completely different story for me as I was desperately trying to fight back the tears. There was a chance that when we left Opeie would panic and be really upset and although that thought was quite upsetting the thing that was worrying me more was him not being like that. I know that comment sounds awful and of course I don't ever want him to be upset but selfishly I'm worried about becoming obsolete and also the thought that we will be paying someone else to have fun with my best friend just doesn't seem right. 

I planned on staying at the nursery as long as I could but as I watched Opeie happily playing with the other children I decided I needed to just get a grip. I told him I was going and he gave me a kiss and said 'Okay' no questions asked. He's becoming so independent and it scares me, he'll be at school before we know it and then what will I do with myself?

I planned on sitting in the car for the 3 hours he was there without us but we had a text from the nursery saying he had been fine and had even happily gone to the loo himself so we headed home. The drive back felt so weird without him being in the back and when we got home we practically sat in silence on the sofa, what were we meant to do now? before we knew it though it was soon time for us to head back and get him and we couldn't wait. Our happy eco system was finally restored and although Opeie looked shattered he was happy and excited, telling us what he had been up to. Today was just a trial day but he'll start soon and I have no idea how I'll feel, but as Ive realised today its not all about me, its about my best friend who I have been smitten by since day one.

Seths Laboratory - Kidz labs - 4m - Green Science- Soda Can Robug from The Toadstool: Review plus competition

 Its no secret that weve been going a little science mad recently, since Seth seems so interested in it we have fully embraced the transformation of his bedroom into his very own lab. Rather than an experiment today we are mad scientists and teamed up to create a Robug that we could use to take care of all our evil doing. The Kidz labs- Green Science- Soda Can Robug at first glance looks like a very interesting kit and we couldn't wait to start building.

All you need to add that isnt provided is 2x AAA batteries and a drinks can. Firstly (and very important) in no way do i endorse the can i used. We don't drink soft drinks and don't think that any children should drink this so the can was taken from our neighbours recycling. I did debate wrapping the can in tape but i wasn't sure if it would affect the vibrating once finished. That said, i can continue haha.

What i loved about this from the get go was that i had Seth's full concentration. I love most toys but things like the Green Science range have Seth a lot more interested than an actual toy. There is an end result from what we are doing and for Seth's age group it keeps them motivated.

 If like Seth, your child is in to tinkering then these kits are perfect. The fact that Seth got to use an electric screwdriver was really exciting and as the pieces were put together you could see that Seth really felt like he was accomplishing something which was fantastic. Despite Seth's limited muscle movement on his hands he didn't need much help building this, all he needed me for is to hold the screws in place while he tightened them, again only adding to his confidence.

 When we opened the box (even though there's not a huge amount of parts), Seth assumed that the build was going to take us some time but within 15 minutes the Robug was starting to take shape. Seth being the impatient child that he is (aren't they all), kept asking "is it time to put the can in yet?"

 Eventually it was that time. Seth was really chuffed with his creation and what he had achieved but we felt like it was missing a little something so we went looking through the boys craft box and found some googly eyes. Our Robug, created to take care of our evil doings ended up looking far to cute for any of that sort of business...

And the other robots didn't like that at all!

Building our own Soda can robot was a lot of fun and Seth said that he wished he had other things to create so watch this space. It wasn't until after we had built this and i had written the review that i noticed the price. I expected the price to be closer to the £20 mark so was pleasantly surprise. At £9.99 it really is a must for keeping your tinkering child entertained.

The green Science Robug can be purchased from thetoadstool.co.uk along with other great kits from the Green Science range.

Competition time:

As part of this review The toadstool are giving two lucky winners the chance to win this kit or a Green Science kit of their choice. So be sure to enter to get your hands on one of these great kits

a Rafflecopter giveaway