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Clothing small children is no mean feat. Especially when those small children develop tastes and fashion sense (I use the term sense loosely) so when Vertbaudet asked us to review from their new Spring & Summer catalogue, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask the 8 year old to choose her own outfit.

I was suprisingly pleased at her choice.

Note :  This is not my daughter in the pictures ....... her mane of curly hair, would never look that sleek :-)

She choose this coral party puffball dress for £32 and matching coral bolero cardigan for £ 22, which is a very "girly" choice for her and she obviously wanted to wear it as soon as it arrived. Unfortunately the weather didn't really lend itself to a summer dress (the rain outside trying to convince me that spring is nowhere in sight), so we compromised and added black leggings and pumps to create a great look.

The dress is 100% cotton satin and comes plain or printed (depending on your choice) and it has a pure cotton voile lining. While this is lovely, all parents want to know how it washes and I am pleased to say that at 40 degrees, it didn't lose any of its colour or quality. The only thing it needs to lose are its creases ....... how does one really iron a puffball dress??

She is delighted with the dress and I can see it being a key item in her spring wardrobe ..... I am just waiting for her to ask for it in the other colours too!!

Disclaimer : We were sent the Vertbaudet dress and cardigan to review but all opinions on the quality are our own (and the 8 year olds)

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You may or may not have noticed that we have a shiny spangly new badge on the Lilypad and we are thrilled to say that we are a "Little Fun Fest Blogger Extraordinaire". *sounds fanfare*

What is that baffled face? Do you mean you have no idea what I am talking about?

I have to admit that I had not heard about Little Fun Fest until after the event last year but I knew that it was something we would want to get involved in. It is basically a festival for the under 10's (and having never actually been to a festival myself, I thought it was a great way to start by taking the whole family) , based around having fun. What is not to love?

The website says that Little Fun Fest aims to provide funsters with their very own festival experience. Funsters can lose themselves in music, magic, rides, stories and dance. They can enjoy being a child and use their imaginations and energy in beautiful surroundings with other funsters. We want grown ups to join in the fun too, but we also want them to be able to sit back and watch their funsters enjoy a memorable day and take home a permanent smile.

It sounds like there is something for everyone, which is good especially when you have a big age gap between children but whenever I think about festivals, I am always thinking that I can't wear my heels, so I think I am finally going to have to admit defeat and purchase some wellies ..... just to make sure I look the part of course!

So if you fancy joining us on our Little Fun Fest adventure, tickets for Little Fun Fest can be booked here

All entertainments and rides are included in the entrance fee.

Disclaimer : We have been awarded tickets for our family to go to Little Fun Fest but all opinions are our own, so we will let you know how we get on!

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Half term, some parents love it, while others loathe it. I am not sure if it is the lack of routine or the need to occupy the children 24/7 but it doesn't need to be fraught, as the best thing is there is no school run!

So after chatting with some friends about what they have enjoyed this week, there are some that say the best thing about half term is the end of it but on the positive side, here are our top ten reasons to love half term.

1. No School Run. This really needs no further explanation but the thought of a few days without the mad morning dash and the questionable parking by the school gates, that inevitably leads to someone's wing mirror being clipped every day. Road rage, harrassed parents and a traffic warden is not an ideal combination before 9.00am.

2. Pyjama (or Onesie) Days. Having a lie in maybe an ask too far but what other excuse do you have not to get dressed till lunchtime .... or indeed at all.

3. Not having a schedule to keep to. Most mornings (and afternoons) are like a military operation in our house so not having to keep to any kind of schedule might mean that the days roll into one but it is lovely not to have to clock watch.

4. Having time off work. If you are a teacher, you benefit from enjoying the school holidays too or if you book time off to spend with the children, it can be a great way to escape the rat race and just enjoy your time together.

5. No packed lunches to make. I have to admit that I repeatedly try and get my daughter on hot dinners, especially in winter but apparently my lunches are better than school meals. I fear that this says more about the school meals than my packed lunch prowess! Either way, half term means no morning panic to create an appetising and healthy lunch that they "may" want to eat at lunchtime!

6. No more Groundhog day arguments. Brush your teeth. Get your shoes on. Have you got your bag. Where is your coat? Every. Single. Day.

7. Weekday movies. Films are always cheaper in the week, so it is the perfect time to take advantage of great prices and entertainment. (whilst trying to get the children past the popcorn and pix n mix without remortgaging your house). If you want to be even more frugal, you can just download a film at home and watch in your own lounge, just make sure you have a good TV stand to cope with the widescreen TV action.

8. Playing games. Whether it is Pictionary, board games or good old fashioned lego, having the time to sit and play with the children is a great way to reconnect with them .... and your inner child.

9. Enjoying time. With the madness of the daily school routine, the after school clubs, homework, bath, bedtime stories, there is rarely a chance to take time and out actually just enjoy spending time with those little people that you brought into the world. So just enjoy the time.

10. No School Run ..... Oh did I mention this already?? 

Would you add anything to the list?

Thank you so much to the lovely Emma, Andrea, Rebecca, Cat, Jen, Helen, Cas, Sarah, Anya, Helen, Vanessa, Penny, Alice, Annie, Angie, Joy and Cass for a great debate about what is to love and loathe abotu half term!

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Homebase.

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With the miserable weather lately, we have talked a lot about spring and summer (and when we might actually see them), so when Holiday Extra's asked if our readers might be interested in winning £100 gift vouchers, you can imagine we were nodding furiously.

So what do you have to do to be in with a chance of winning ......

By completing our 10-question survey you'll be entered into a prize draw to win your choice of a £100 gift voucher from Show & Stay which can be redeemed against a London theatre break or a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children for any UK theme park provided by Play and Stay.