It feels like our wedding and honeymoon is so long ago now and planning your honeymoon is often as stressful as planning your wedding day, but it’s just been made a lot easier. The online travel agency Opodo.co.uk have just released their findings after a lengthy survey about how to enjoy the perfect honeymoon, and some of the results are quite a surprise. While most people look no further than the nearest beach when they’re dreaming of the ultimate honeymoon, it’s actually more about finding the best blend of activities that suit you as a couple. The trick is to work out exactly what kind of honeymoon you want, but to allow some room for flexibility so that you can take advantage of any unexpected experiences.

Your Family over the Royal Family

How do people find their honeymoon ideas? That’s one of the main questions that’s been answered by the Opodo survey, and the results are quite unexpected. While perusing through wedding magazines accounts for 20% of the inspiration search, more people find the best advice from their circles of friends and family members, with just under half (48%) of honeymooning couples saying their best recommendations came from that source. Many use social media for inspiration, with 26% saying use ideas to plan their own wedding, which is why you should consider online travel agent Opodo.co.uk when choosing the perfect honeymoon, and take their advice when it comes to planning the ultimate in honeymoon experiences. Looking at famous couples was the least popular source of honeymoon inspiration, with just 6% of those surveyed saying that they found honeymoon inspiration from the Royal Family.

Plan together

If you take one piece of advice from the survey results released by Opodo, it’s that you should always plan your honeymoon and honeymoon activities together. While 42% of people said that the honeymoon should be all about focusing on your partner, more said that it was essential to plan your activities together (57%). What was more revealing is that three-quarters of couples surveyed said that the key to the perfect honeymoon was striking the right balance between relaxation and adventure, so follow the advice of that 75%, and you won’t go far wrong.

Balance the romance with adventure

The common mental image of the traditional honeymoon is simply lounging on the beach sipping cocktails, and while spending time on the beach remains a popular activity (69% stressed the importance of beach trips), it’s also important to consider other activities. Sightseeing and city-hopping are also some of the more popular activity options, with 64% of honeymooning couples naming it as a priority. However, don’t forget the adventure aspect as well, and if you’re an adrenaline couple you won’t go far wrong with a little watersports (35%) or adventure touring (31%) to really get the blood pumping. While your honeymoon should always include the romance and relaxation, it’s clear that most people also want a splash of adventure thrown in, so make your honeymoon wishlist perfect before you even pack your bags.

Thanks to this survey conducted by travel experts, and the timely release of the results, it’s never been easier to learn the secrets of the perfect honeymoon. Take your time to find the perfect location and the best activities to enjoy, and you’ll be looking back on your honeymoon and wondering when you can jet off to do it all over again.

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We all want our children to invest a little time into hobbies and creative pursuits. While I’m not against screen time, alternative family activities are certainly time well spent. Let’s be honest, it certainly can be a challenge nowadays. What with Kindles, consoles, and all kinds of kids TV, tearing them away from a tablet can be quite the task.

This is why my girls and I are huge fans of the new craze in the UK, Kindness Rocks.

So, yeah, 2017 was the year of the fidget spinner, bottle flipping, and the almighty dab. Gawd bless all parents across the country. We survived it. But this year, the newest craze has got a little more cultural, creative, and, well, kind.

The Kindness Rocks movement encourages children to children (and adults, might I add), to decorate pebbles and leave them in places where walkers-by are likely to find them. When strangers fall upon a Kindness Rock, they can take it for their own or share the joy and hide the special stone somewhere new.

It really is that simple, but so very wonderful, right?

I have to say, we’re now painting rocks on a weekly basis, in our house. As soppy as it may sound to those of you who aren’t in the know, this movement is doing more than spreading kindness outside in the big wide world, it’s responsible for bringing the family together too.

While enjoying crafting with the kids is enough of a reason to get involved in Kindness Rocks, it does send out a pretty important message.

I love that our girls are so excited to create something together and go out and brighten strangers’ days with their handicrafts. Not only does this really reinforce how vital it is that we do nice things for others, it also instils in them a sense of confidence; their creations, their little pebbles, can really have an impact on how someone else feels.

Where did this incredible craze come from? Over the pond, actually. That said, it’s really taking the UK by storm. Hundreds, thousands of people are signed up to local Kindness Rocks Facebook groups, many of which are actively designing and dishing out their pebbles in towns, parks, and cities across England.

So, what do you think? Are you in on it, and have you seen any Kindness Rocks lurking around? We’d love to see your makes and finds – please do share!

And now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to hide some painted pebbles. Stay kind.

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There was recently the birth of a new baby prince and it became very apparent in our "baby collection" that we had rather a lot of girl babies and not many boys. Fear not, we were delighted to be given the opportunity to review the Baby Annabell brother doll, which was perfectly timed following the birth of Prince Louis of Cambridge! 

We adore Baby Annabell and have tried and tested many of the products in the range from the swimming doll to big sister, not to mention the Baby Annabell bedroom. And if I am honest, it makes for a refreshing change to have a baby boy in the house! 

The key things to note about Baby Annabell's Brother are:

• You can cradle him in your arms and he will yawn and his eyes will close (this is actually adorable)
• You can tell how well he's feeling as his mood changes when you stroke his cheek or pat his back. (again adorable)
• He can now really wet his nappy & use his potty!
• It says that the Baby Annabell brother is suitable for three years and up and we have a six year old so it is definitely made to last. Please note: 4 x AA batteries are required (not included).

First impressions of the Baby Annabell Brother, or "Baby George" as he is now affectionately known in our house (the 6 year old wasn't convinced on the name Louis, but lets not tell William and Kate) was sheer delight at firstly having a new baby to look after but secondly, and more importantly, that it was a boy. 

I know that I have stressed this a few times but the fact that it is a boy is a big deal. We have a great deal of "pink" in our house and if you go into any toy shop, the pink baby girls ALWAYS outweigh the number of blue ones. It is proven that from cognitive and motor development to social-emotional growth, that no other single toy comes close to the impact that dolls can have. So having a "boy" doll may inspire more opportunities for boys to play, explore and experiment with different choices, personalities, and responses.

The Baby Annabell Brother is soft to the touch but his face moves with a sucking motion when he has his dummy or bottle. This is possibly my favourite feature of the doll (although we are not allowed to refer to him as a doll - he is a baby of course). lf you him flat or pat his back, baby goes back off to sleep. The sounds he generatees are varied, from crying to a sucking sound and a cute “happy” sound along with snoring whilst it’s asleep. Baby Annabells brother is suitable for ALL children and can assist them to learn skills of nurturing, empathy, and caretaking through doll play.

The new Baby Annabell Brother is available from around £50 which seems a lot for a "doll" but when it is suitable from 3 years of age and we are happily playing with it at the grand old age of 6 and a half, this makes it a gift that will stand the test of time. (oh and it is adorable too!)  

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Do you remember when you were a child and there was nothing more entertaining than rolling down a hill and ending up laughing and laughing at the bottom because you were dizzy and out of breath? Fast forward a few years and the folk from Thumbs Up have devised the Thumbs Up Roller Wheel to bring you hours of fun, whether you have a hill or not! 

We found that the inflatable wheel comes complete with a collection of colourful balls inside that jiggle and bounce around as the wheel rotates, this interactive toy really captures kids' imaginations. What's more, because it's made from durable inflatable plastic, it's suitable for use both indoors and out - just be sure to use it on the grass if you're outside to avoid any potential punctures!

The Roller Wheel comes with a manual foot pump but to be completely honest you might be there all day with it and if, like me, you have an impatient child who can't wait to get in the wheel, you might be better off choosing an electric pump like we did! It took around 2-3 minutes to fully inflate with the electric pump so not long at all. 

As you can see, the delight on her face at being able to get inside the roller wheel and despite taking a little while to get to grips with it (i,e falling out a few times) she played it in for over an hour. Who knew so much fun could be had with an inflatable wheel?

My eldest daughter was not amused that she was too big to go in the Roller Wheel (there is a weight limit of 5 stone, 7lbs) but that didn't stop her from pushing her sister around. The really big "kid" (also known as my husband) loves being outside and as the little one is a secret adrenalin junkie, the pair of them loved rolling her around in the Roller Wheel. 

If I am being completely honest, when I first opened the box I thought it might be a bit young for the 6 year old and a bit limited as to its use but I can safely say that she thinks it is brilliant and has even put the iPad aside to go outside and play, so the Roller Wheel gets my vote.

As well as being brilliant fun, the Roller Wheel also helps children sharpen skills like coordination, cooperative play, physical strength, visual and auditory stimulation and more. If you think your little one would love a Thumbs Up Roller Wheel, we are delighted to be able to give you the chance to win one! All you need to do is enter below. 

 Thumbs Up Roller Wheel Giveaway

 The Thumbs Up Roller Wheel Costs £30 from Amazon

Terms & Conditions

The Prize: Thumbs Up Roller Wheel

The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Gleam and notified within 7 working days by email
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 Date 08/07/2018

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