Category: Competitions

1. Where is the weirdest place you have fallen asleep : Win £500 to spend towards a bed this summer

   Posted on 7:20pm Saturday 23rd Aug 2014

   Where is the oddest place that you have fallen asleep?

   I was asked this very question earlier this week and I had to chuckle to myself as I can literally fall asleep anywhere, from the sofa to a nightclub, if I need to sleep, I can simply close my eyes and drift off. Last New Years Eve we were hosting a party and admitedly I may have had a little too much champagne but my bed called to me before the clock struck twelve and I was gone! (I am not always an awful hostess I promise).

   

   However, the weirdest place I have fallen asleep has to be the toilet at work. (I suppose I should insert an apology to my former employer right here) I was young, working long hours and partying long hours too and I remember sitting down on the toilet, resting my head on my hand and dozing right off. My hand slipped some 10-15 minutes later and I was jolted back to reality. I also had a bracelet mark on my face from where I was leaning on it, which took some explaining back in the office ......

   So do you have a story to tell?

   Carpetright are running a competition at the moment (#WeirdestPlaceToSleep) that’s all about weirdest places people have been found falling asleep. The oddest sleeping place that is revealed will win £700 to spend on a more comfortable sleeping place. There is also an amazing runner up prize up for grabs. One lucky person will enjoy a family midweek break in the beautiful British countryside with Mill Farm luxury holidays worth up to £380! 

   So could your strange snoozing habits be worthy of winning you a prize?

   All you have to do is to share your story via social media:

   Tweeting @carpetright on Twitter

   Tagging @carpetright in a Facebook status

   Or including @carpetrightuk on Instagram

   Don't forget to use the hashtag #weirdestplacetosleep BUT be quick as it ends on 3rd September at 11.59pm.

   Disclosure : This post is in association with Carpetright but the competition is being hosted entirely by Carpetright and they remain responsible for notification of winners and supply of prizes.

    

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2. Scottish Book Trust - Chae Strathie Signed Book Competition

   Posted on 3:37pm Saturday 16th Aug 2014

   If you have been on our Facebook or Twitter feed recently, you will have seen that we are big fans of reading, so when we were asked to host a competition for the Scottish Book Trust, we couldn't resist sharing these adorable titles with you.

   You may or may not be aware but the 2014 Scottish Friendly Children's Book Tour kicked off with award winning Jonathan Meres in January. During June the tour travelled to hot beaches Brighton and Hove with award-winning Scottish picture book author Chae Strathie.

       

   The book tour (organised by Scottish Book Trust) takes the very best UK and international authors directly into schools across Scotland and the UK to inspire a love of reading, writing and illustration. Up next is the fantastic zoologist and children's author Nicola Davies and she will be visiting Argyll & Bute this September to inspire and excite pupils!

   So would you like to win a signed copy of one of these gorgeous books? We are giving you the chance to win Bedtime for Tiny Mouse, a charming tale is ideal for sharing with little ones - and is the perfect addition to a soothing bedtime routine which will help them sleep soundly.

   All you need to do is simply enter below;

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

   You can find out more about each of the tours above by reading the daily blogs written by the authors on the road as well as seeing photos and videos from each tour on Scottish Friendly’s Facebook page and Twitter account @BooksOnTour.

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   The prize was provided by Scottish Book Trust in association with :

   Scottish Friendly

3. Beach Dragons : UV Protection Swimwear for Children : Review & Giveaway

   Posted on 9:49pm Sunday 10th Aug 2014

   . It is a super cool name and we loved it from the second we heard it but what we loved more was the gorgeous range of children's swim and beach wear that they have on their site.  was founded in 2012 by Jessica Dahlberg, a mother of three who decided to start her own business when she found just how difficult it was to find stylish UV protection beachwear for her children.

   The sun has definitely had its hat on of late but finding a sun hat that the children can wear in the water has been a bit of a challenge for me, so when we were given the chance to review some of the gorgeous  swimwear, we jumped at the chance.

    

   With two water babies in the family, they were both quick to jump into their new swimsuits (unfortunately the pool is not so happy for us to take photos, so stock images will have to do for now) and it was immediately apparent the difference in quality to many of the previous swimming costumes they have had.

   The Butterfly Swimsuit (shown centre above)

   UPF 50+ BLOCKS OUT 98% OF THE SUN'S UVA AND UVB RADIATION. 
   FABRIC: 91% POLYAMIDE AND 9% ELASTANE 
   INNER LINING: 100% POLYAMIDE

   The design is both adorable and practical and always gets comments in the pool. At £38 it is certainly not the cheapest swimsuit on the market but you how can you put a price on the protection of your childs skin?

   Blossom Bikini

   UPF 50+ BLOCKS OUT 98% OF THE SUN'S UVA AND UVB RADIATION.
   FABRIC: 91% POLYAMIDE AND 9% ELASTANE

   This bikini is perfect for a savvy tween. It is fashionable enough to be cool but sensible enough to satisfy mum too. The adjustable halterneck means that it can grow with your little one and my daughter loves the striking blue colour .... because according to her, not everything needs to be pink! We chose the size 9-10 and she is an average 9 year old and it fits perfectly, so if your little one is a little taller than average, it may well do to order a larger size.

   Sun Hat

   One of my biggest grumbles over sun hats is that you have to pick a neutral colour, so that it matches everything! Not with a  hat though, they are reversible giving you twice the wear out of them, which ticks all the boxes for me.  The hat is lightweight without being flimsy and again has an UPF50+. These two-tone hats keep heads protected from the sun's harsh rays and we love that the baby size (6-24 months) even comes with tie strings to help it stay put.

   All the  fabrics can be washed at 30 degrees and they have been in the wash a few times already in the past couple of weeks and there are no signs of the infamous "bobbling" on the swimsuits, as happens with many other brands.  recommend that you rinse it out after swimming but never ring or squeeze it as they may ruin its shape.

   The  collection of products are all their own design, so they are not mass produced and available at every shop corner, which coupled with the exceptional quality demonstrates what you are getting for your money.

   This together with the fact that all of the fabrics are tested and come with a UPF50+, which means that 98& of the sun's harmful UVA & UVB radiation is blocked out, means that you can have confidence every time they jump in the water.

   We genuinely fell in love with the  brand , so we not only wanted to share it with you BUT give you the opportunity to win one Anchor sun protection suit in baby pink or blue (available sizes are 6-12 mths/1-2 yrs/2-3 yrs/3-4 yrs) and one sun hat too (available sizes 6-24 mths/2-5 yrs/5-9 yrs).

   

   

   So what do you need to do? Enter below ......

   a Rafflecopter giveaway

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4. I Want To Be .....

   Posted on 9:43am Friday 1st Aug 2014

   What did you want to be when you grew up?

    

   I am not sure I ever had a burning desire to be "something" but then again, I am not entirely sure I ever grew up either!

    

   My eldest daughter often talks about being a "grown up", I think she believes that you get powers when you are an adult and money magically appears from the hole in the wall ( I don't want to destroy the magical powers illusion bit just yet, I kind of like being a super mum) but as for what she wants to be, I am not sure she has a vision yet.

    

   I was therefore interested to hear that Blossom Magazine have launched a brilliant competition for their readers this week.  The #IWantToBe campaign is asking young readers to submit a video entry of what they want to be when they grow up. (I promise I am not going to subject you to a video of my brummie accent)

    

   

    

   Entrants have until 6th September to submit their video to the email address of [email protected] and one winner will be selected to win a VIP London family trip which includes one family ticket to ZSL London with a Meet the Meerkats experience; one Rainforest Café voucher worth £100; overnight accommodation in one family room at 3-star hotel, in Central London and a visit to Blossom HQ plus a Blossom Goody Bag.

    

   In each edition of the magazine, Blossom features a different aspirational career to show girls they can be whoever they want to be - whether it's an airline pilot, an author or a doctor.

    

   So what does your little one want to be when they grow up?

    

   

    

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   The full terms and conditions are here, and are found in the current magazine edition too:

    

   T&Cs:  Terms and conditions: Promoter: Immediate Media London Company Limited. You must make sure that we have your entries by 11.59pm, 6th September 2014. 1. You can enter if you live in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands, unless someone who lives in your house works for the Immediate Media Company. 2. By entering the competition, you promise to us that you have read these rules and that you will follow them. 3. We can’t include entries which arrive too late and we can’t accept responsibility if your entry is lost. By entering this competition, parents/guardians grant permission to Immediate Media Company (publishers of Blossom) to post the winner’s video and entrants’ first names in its publications, websites and on its social media sites. 4. Winners will be chosen at random. 5. One entry per household. We don’t allow bulk entries or entries made by other people on your behalf. We will disqualify all entries which break this rule. 6. If you win, you will receive the prize described. We won’t swap the prize for cash. No alternatives or substitutions for any unused elements of the prize. If there’s ever a reason why we can’t give you exactly the same prize, we’ll give you something  j ust as good or better instead. Prize is one family ticket to ZSL London valid for 2 adults and 2 children aged 3-16. Children must be at least 5 years of age and be accompanied by an adult for the Meet the Meerkats experience. One Rainforest Café voucher worth £100, see voucher for expiry date and additional T&Cs – includes drinks. Overnight accommodation in one family room at 3-star hotel, in Central London selected by Immediate Media Company. Visit to Blossom HQ includes a Blossom Goody Bag. Travel and other personal expenses are not included. Prize must be redeemed before 31st December 2014. 7. Winners will be contacted within 28 days of a competition closing date, either by post, telephone or email. 8. If we contact you to tell you you’re a winner, but you don’t reply within a month, we may have to offer the prize to a runner-up or give it away in a future competition. Your details: We will use your name, address and any other details that you give us to run this competition. If you win, we will pass them to the person who’s providing the prize so that they can post it to you, and we may use your first name and county in the magazine or on our website but we won’t provide them to anyone else without your permission. You can find out the winner’s first name and county once the competition is over by sending a stamped addressed envelope to Competition Rules, ATTN: Marketing Assistant, Blossom Magazine, Immediate Media Limited, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT. Remember to tell us which magazine, issue number and competition you’d like to know about.