Both of my girls love to read. At ages 5 and 2 they have already developed a passion for having stories read to them. Before bed we always read a few books together. Both girls come and sit on my lap and it's such a lovely 15 minutes. It's one of my favourite times of the day. We usually read about 5 books so when Scholastic kindly offered to send us some new books from their World Book Day Club, I jumped at the chance to read something new.


The Scholastic World Book Day club is a huge selection of over 400 books including offers and money saving packs. I didn't realise that when you shop with Scholastic and spend over £10, they donate 25% worth of free books back to a school or nursery of your choice. Last year, they donated over £9 million in free books to schools which I think is fantastic. The World Book Day Club runs until the end of April and there are lots of well loved authors to choose from.

We were sent the following books:

  • The Koala Who Could - Rachel Bright
  • That's Not My Chick - Fiona Watt
  • There's a Monster in Your Book - Tom Fletcher 
  • Sugarlump and the Unicorn - Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks

The Koala Who Could 
This book is about a Koala named Kevin. Kevin doesn't like change and he likes the same routine. Some other animals try and show him how change can be good and in the end Kevin enjoys it.


The story will help little one's who worry a lot that change can be great. Eva loves this book. She likes to point out and name all of the other animals in the story. The colours in the book are warm and the illustrations themselves are inviting. 

That's Not My Chick
This book is ideal for little one's. Each page contains touchable textures and simple descriptive phrases to match the textures. It's good for sensory development. There are many in the series but this one is perfect for springtime. The pages are bright and eye-catching. 


Eva used to read these books all the time when she was younger and they have now become Ophelia's firm favourites. I can't begin to tell you how many times a day we have read this book since it arrived. 



There's a Monster in Your Book
Tom Fletcher is one of our favourite children's authors. We are big fans of his 'Dinosaur that pooped' series as they always provide a giggle when we're reading them and this book is no different. This is truly a unique reading experience. The story is about a Monster hiding in the book and you have to try and get him out using the commands in the story such as shaking the book, blowing at the book etc. 


The book has gone down an absolute storm in our house. Even Ophelia laughs ecstatically when we read it and joins in with the actions. The illustrations are accurate and quirky and the print is easy to read and follow. It's a great read for the middle of the day or also super handy for getting any last minute energy out of the window before bedtime.


Sugarlump and the Unicorn
This is another fantastic book by a much loved author. There is glitter on every page so of course Eva was instantly drawn in. The story is about a rocking Horse named Sugarlump who wishes to see the world. A magical unicorn turns him into a real Horse and he gets to experience lots of new things such as galloping through fields and even dancing. However, he misses the children that used to own him.


Eva loves this story. Although she gets very sad when the Rocking Horse is upset but the ending is lovely. The book has wonderful illustrations and characters that are emotive. The rhyming words help to keep the girls interested.


You don't have to be a member of a school book club to order these books or any others from Scholastic. You can buy them directly from https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/ and then nominate a school or nursery to receive the 25% back (if you spend over £10) at checkout.


Have you read any of the books before? What books are your child's current favourites?

*Thank you to Scholastic for sending us the books. All words and opinions are my own*
Last week I was super busy. Between working, blogging, date nights and events, I have been a very busy lady. I haven't written a #LittleLoves post for a long time. In fact my last one was in November which you can read here, Moana, 2nd Birthday and Chicken Pox.


Read:
I read a fantastic blog post by Harriet from 'Toby and Roo' about how she is a Sepsis Surviver. After having an emergency c-section with her son Reuben she developed Sepsis and ended up being admitted into hospital for 3 days. She is attempting to raise £5000 for Sepsis Trust and is trying to raise awareness of the symptoms. You can read her story and find out more about her fund-raising here, Fundraising for Sepsis #SuckItSepsis.



Heard:
Heart radio is always on in work and lately they have been playing lots of Spice Girls classics which is literally music to my ears. I've been enjoying singing and busting a move or too to the likes of 'Say you'll be there' and 'Wannabe'. Last year I got to interview Emma Bunton which was a childhood dream of mine. You can watch it here, My interview with Emma Bunton.


Made:
I was invited to learn to cook a few Turkish dishes at the Saray Restaurant in Cardiff. We travel to Turkey on holiday every year so I couldn't wait to see how some of the dishes were made. There will be a full blog post soon but I can't speak highly enough about the restaurant. The staff are very friendly and the food was authentic and delicious. I can't wait to return.




Watched:
On Saturday I got to watch my first ever live boxing fight at The Principality Stadium. It was between Joshua and Parker. I've been to a few sporting events at the stadium but this was something else. I will definitely be getting tickets to the next one as I really enjoyed it.

Wore:
I recently went on a bit of a mini shopping spree for myself (only in 3 shops) but I managed to get quite a few new pieces. I bought quite a few things in Primark which I wore last week. One is a lovely white blouse and the other is a flowery dress. I stupidly didn't get any full length pictures in them.



And Lastly:
The girls had a lovely Easter egg hunt in our garden. The sun was actually shining so the Easter bunny hid their eggs outside. This was the first year that Ophelia was really involved. Both of them were so excited and happy during the hunt which was lovely to see.






Little Loves Coffee Work Sleep Repeat
The south of France is a beautiful region that has a warm climate all the way through to September and October and plenty of amazing places to visit. You should avoid it between November and January because the weather is cold but the rest of the year you’ll get blazing sun all day long. It has great transport links so getting around is easy and there is a varied range of things to see and do. You can find great luxury resorts as well as traditional French towns and sites of historical interest so there is something for everybody. If you’ve never been to the south of France before you should definitely add it to your bucket list, these are some of the highlights for first time visitors.

Nice


Nice is one of the most popular and well known places in the south of France and if you’ve never been there before, it’s a good introduction to the region. If you’re looking for the best place to enjoy the warm climate and relax on the beach, Nice is the best place for it. The beautiful golden beach attracts over 3 million visitors a year but there’s a lot more to do if you don’t want to spend the whole trip sitting on the beach. It’s a great cultural hub with sights like the Russian Cathedral and the Matisse Museum. Nice also hosts an annual Jazz festival, which was the first Jazz festival in the world, and has played host to world famous musicians over the years. In February, during Mardi Gras, Nice plays host to one of the oldest and largest carnivals in the entire world.

Saint Tropez


These days, Saint Tropez is renowned for its luxury lifestyle but it hasn’t always been that way. Nowadays, there are all sorts of great high end villas from companies like Elegant Address for you to stay in but some of the old Saint Tropez still lives on. Before it was a hub for high end living, it was a quaint fishing town. Since then, it has established itself as one of the best seaside resorts in the world with picturesque beaches and great sun all year around. At the centre, you’ll find the old port that was once the heart of the Saint Tropez fishing industry, complete with traditional cafes and restaurants. When you’re down at the harbour, it’s worth visiting the old market square where you can buy some great local produce. If you’re looking for something cultural, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Saint Tropez is the Musée de l'Annonciade, the local art museum.

Cannes


You’ve probably heard of Cannes in association with the world famous film festival that is hosted there every year but it has so much more to offer. The film festival is the most widely recognized event but Cannes actually hosts loads more film, TV and fashion events throughout the year. It’s also got plenty of great beaches and some of the best shopping destinations in the country.

The south of France is a brilliant region that has something to suit all tastes so it should be on everybody’s travel bucket list this year.

This is a collaborative post


When I was younger, I had the perfect smile. My teeth were in great condition. I never needed a brace and I had perfectly straight teeth. I looked after them well, brushing them twice a day and I was hardly allowed to eat any sugar. I didn't have any fillings. However, after 2 children my teeth have been ruined.



Pregnancy can effect a woman's oral health and cause swollen and bleeding gums. Pregnancy hormones also make teeth more likely to be attacked by plaque and my goodness did they attack mine. 

During my first pregnancy I had a lot of morning sickness and the acid from that was attacking my teeth. I used to brush my teeth straight after being sick and at the time, I didn't realise, that was the wrong thing to do. My teeth became softened by the acid in the vomit and therefore they weakened.

When I went to the dentist after having my second child, I was mortified buy what he found. I needed 4 fillings and they were all quite severe. 2 of the fillings may need to be changed to nerve root fillings very soon. I had very bad cavities which we have put down to the pregnancies etc. I felt incredibly sorry for myself. 


I've now become very self-conscious of my smile. Gone are the days when I had that perfect white glow. You can now see some of my ghastly fillings and therefore I have been considering having Veneers to achieve that perfect smile. A friend of mine has recently had them done and they look fantastic. She's very pleased with the results. I have been searching for places that offer Porcelain Veneers and I came across Harley St Smile. They offer various services such as teeth whitening (something I would also really like), teeth contouring, veneers and a mini smile makeover. 

If you are pregnant and are worried about your teeth then here are the tips my dentist gave me for future reference to keep them as healthy as possible:

  • Avoid sugary drinks
  • Clean your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
  • Snack on vegetables between meals rather than acidic or sugary food
  • Avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol

Did you suffer with cavities when you were pregnant? Would you consider having a dental treatment such as Veneers?

*This is a collaborative post*





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