Lost & Found - Book Review

I received Lost & Found: True tales of love and rescue from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home from Penguin Publishers to review and must admit I was totally sucked in by the emotional stories inside.  If you are a lover of animals then why not give this book a try and with profits going direct to Battersea you can't go wrong!

There is a sweet foreword by the beloved Paul O'Grady followed by 12 real life stories of course my favourites belong to the kitty stories! I also love books with photos in the middle which is exactly what you get with Lost & Found.

As you may already know we have four cats two of which were adopted from our local Cats Protection. Battersea care for around 190 cats and kittens and 400 dogs at any one time.  All in all 3.1million cats and dogs have been helped since Battersea was founded in 1871.

So if you are a lover of these furry creatures why not buy this book and help towards Battersea's ongoing goal to look after all dogs and cats who need help.  

Love Sophie...xxx

The New Granny's Survival Guide

If you are expecting a baby and would like to buy something for the grandmother-to-be or if you are the grandmother-to-be you have to buy this book! Currently available on Amazon.

I was given this book to review by Mumsnet and although not a Grandmother myself I thoroughly enjoyed all the book had to offer and can't wait to pass it on to my mum and mother-in-law who I am sure will really enjoy and appreciate the witty tales and advice.

With some really great extracts from real 'Grannys' I found it hard to choose my favourite but if I was pushed I would have to say this is one of my favourites:

"How much advice should you give to the new parents? Somewhere between none and none, in my experience.  My favoured way to listen to what she wants to do and say what a good idea that is" (gracesmum)

There is so much advice in this book ranging from 'Becoming A Gran' to 'Discipline' and 'Bigger Grandchildren' the list is endless and you really can't go wrong.

Take it from me, this book is a very enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it. Thank you Netmums and Gransnet for publishing such a fab book!

This Week I Am Loving...

This week I am loving... reading to my 6 year old daughter as she is especially into the Clarice Bean books by Lauren Child.  These books are fab and it's not only my daughter who can't get enough but me and my hubby love them too! 

Check out the amazing interactive official website of Lauren Child who is also the writer of Charlie & Lola too.

Don't forget its NaBloPoMo #16 - Please visit http://nowtspecial.wordpress.com for more Blogs taking part! 

MumsNet Book Review -The Book Of Bedtime Stories

Do you and your children enjoy reading bedtime stories together? If the answer is "yes" then you should give The Book Of Bedtime Stories by Walker Books a VIP space on your book shelf and be prepared for some quality family reading time! 

Thanks to Mumsnet my family and I were given the chance to read and review The Book Of Bedtime Stories and we really enjoyed getting the chance to do so*.  Each story has been individually chosen by Michael Rosen from over 400 entries submitted to the Mumsnet and Gransnet children's story competition. 

With ten beautifully written stories taking between five and ten minutes to read (please see the list of stories below), when I asked my girls to choose their favourite story they had trouble doing so but when pushed my six year old chose 'A Parcel For Theo' and my three year old chose 'The Dancing Bear'. Personally my favourite's were 'Allie To The Rescue' and 'The Night Thief And The Moon' which in my opinion should be made into a short film as the narrative is unbelievably descriptive and really provokes the imagination!  If I was to say anything negative the only thing missing from this book are some more funny stories! Although each story included is beautifully written and most are very classic in their nature we do like a bit of a giggle in our house as well.  Never the less this doesn't take away from the fact that we all really enjoy reading these stories together and The Book Of Bedtime Stories is currently on top of the pile!

The ten prize winning stories are listed below with a brief description of what you will find:


Time For Bed - A story about a little boy and his adventures before bed.
When Polly Jumped Over The Moon - A young cow who achieves her dream.
The Sheriff Of Rusty Nail - A sheriff who won't ride a horse but chooses a pig instead.
Bedtime At The Lighthouse - A story of two children staying with their grandparents who live below a light house.
Celeste, Who Sang To The Stars - An intriguing tale of a little girl who rescues the stars.
Allie To The Rescue - The adventures of an alpaca at her new home.
Princess Imogen's Independent Day - A princess who wants to do it all herself only to find that story time is best spent with others.
The Dancing Bear - A tale of an unusual friendship between a bear and a little girl.
A Parcel For Theo - A great little story about a boy and his lost toy jaguar.
The Night Thief And The Moon - A story of a blue creature who rises once every 100 years.

The Book Of Bedtime Stories is available from most book shops and if you need some new children's stories should definitely be on your shopping list. 

* All opinions are my own and I have not been paid to write this review.