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As the Lilypad is full of gorgeous hand crafted items, it should come as no surprise that we love Hobbycraft, so when we were asked if we would like to run a competition with them, how could we resist?

After scouring through the crafty delights, we found it so difficult to select a prize so being huge fans of Snazaroo facepaints, we thought that the Snazaroo Mini Starter Kit would be a great prize for the competition.

The Man on the Lilypad has some fancy art degree (disclaimer : am not in anyway jealous of his ability to draw, paint, create) so any excuse to do face painting in our house is welcomed!!

So would you like your very own kit? Simply enter below:

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions

UK Entrants Only.
The winner will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 3 working days by email
Hobbycraft will be responsible for the despatch of the prize
By entering this competition, you understand that your details will be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date19/04 /2014 at 12am

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It is no secret that my girls love the water and approach it with enthusiasm but even though there are 6 years difference between my girls, how they approach the changing rooms are a totally different story.

Toddler : Happy to run around naked for long periods of time in the changing room, avoiding getting dressed at all costs.

Tween : Would rather put her clothes on over a wet swim suit, than actually get naked in front of anyone.

Toddler : Thinks a towel is something you wear on your head and zoom around in.

Tween : Cannot be seperated from said towel and sits in a cocoon until forced to get ready.

Toddler : Will happily chat to anyone .... whilst naked.

Tween : Avoids eye contact with anyone in the changing room.

Toddler : Will contentedly ask to go to the toilet and walk over the wet floor to do so ..... whilst naked.

Tween : Would not even consider walking on a wet floor in the toilet .... incase it was something other than water.

Toddler : Will ask a stream of questions about anything, including other peoples boobs.

Tween : Do not even mention the word boobs if you want any kind of conversation for the rest of the day.

Toddler : Will try and help you fit everything into your swimming bag .... even if those things don't always belong to you.

Tween : Will repeatedly leave goggles, swim hats and other items in the changing rooms.

Toddler : Cannot wait to get out of the changing room and buy something from the vending machine.

Tween : Cannot wait to get out of the changing room and buy something from the vending machine.

Oh .... maybe they are not so different after all.

What are your children like in the changing room?

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Anyone with a toddler will not be able to escape CBeebies and the joy it brings to their lives, so when we hear that there was a CBeebies Live tour, we were a little excited but equally a little scared at the thought of a long car journey, trying to amuse a determined toddler.

Now we all know that travelling with children can be as easy as juggling jelly, so here are my top tips for a wobble free expedition!

Take your time.

It sounds so simple but trying to get out of the house with a toddler can take twice as long as any other time. Give yourself an extra hour if it is a long journey, allowing for some traffic and the inevitable toilet breaks!

Book in advance

Whether it is tickets for the event or a hotel close to the event, a tired, hungry and impatient toddler can test the patience of the most calm of parents. Relieve the stress and book in advance.

Baby wipes are your friend

Baby wipes are definately underated. Not only do they deal with dirty bottoms and sticky hands, they are great for wiping a table over in a busy service station or cleaning baby sick off leather seats in the car. No need to ask how we know this. We just do.

Technology is your friend

I fondly remember the days playing I-Spy in the back of my Dad's Ford Cortina on long car journeys as a child but this game will only last so long. It also isn't quite so effective with a toddler who doesn't really grasp the concept and shouts random words, consequently aggravating the ""tween". So in-car entertainment is your friend. DVD players on the headrests are a godsend .... although what is played can be a whole other debate!

Wear comfortable clothes.

This applies to everyone. As much as I love my skinny jeans and heels combo, its not the most practical for a long car journey and the same applies to the children.  They will undoubtedly be eating at some point, maybe spill a drink (or be travel sick), put them in something comfortable, not too warm and not too fussy. It makes life easier for everyone.

Think about the time of day you travel

We always try and arrange a longer car journey around nap time. It makes for a much more peaceful journey.

Don't swear

Driving can bring out the worst in the best of us. If a driver cuts you up, take a deep breath. If you swear, you know that your toddler will store that little gem of information until a really quiet moment, in front of a group of really important people. Or in church.

Enjoy!

We sometimes spend so much time planning our adventures that we forget to enjoy them. So Enjoy!!

Would you add anything else to the list?

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I have to admit that I have only really started using eBay in the last few years (I am not entirely sure how it passed me by before) but now before I buy anything, the thrifty side of me has to check eBay to see if I can get a better deal. The range of products listed every week never ceases to amaze me and you really can find anything on eBay.

So in March 2014, eBay launched their eBay Collections and we were delighted to be asked to create some of the the first collections to feature on the site. This was extremely exciting, especially when we found out that we were in the company of style icons such as Danni Minogue and Kelly Hoppen. The collections are essentially a mood board or an online scrap book for you to create a visual picture of what you are trying to create, whether that be a room, a theme or (like me) just indulging a shopping habit!

eBay have rolled out their collections now so you can click and create collections to your hearts desire. You will find  "add to collection"  just underneath "add to watch list" on each item listing. It really is that easy. I have created collections around our home and socialising .... which is something we love to do! The Man on the Pad is a little concerned at how excited I got over finding new things to add to each collection but it is a great way to see if items work together, especially if you are redesigning a room.

If you would like to have a little look at our collections, just click here. You can follow the boards too, if the mood takes you!

Click.

Create.

Inspire.

eBay Inspires me to shop more cleverly. How will you use the collections?

This post, is part of my ongoing partnership with eBay.