Photo credit: SpeedKingz, Shutterstock
Welcome back to the video round-up. This month I decided to do something completely different and ask people to submit their most viewed posts with a little blurb about why they thought it was so popular and why it was special to them.
First up is a video from Kirsty Dee about a fitness bullet journal. Kirsty says she was really surprised that this was her most viewed as she wasn?t feeling that confident about the video. I love how this became a real reminder to have more confidence. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Erin Ek brings us her most viewed video which is an unboxing of a bell tent. As Erin says, it?s great for people to see real people putting up such a tent and they certainly give confidence to people that it?s achievable! I can see why it got som any views and a perfect video for this time of year too!
Next up is from Alina Davies with a Smiggles haul but filmed by her daughters. It?s also one of Alina?s favourite as the girls were just so excited to film. Vloggers in the making for sure, I say! Thank you for sharing this lovely video with us.
This video from Happy Mummy is wonderful as Maria is very new to vlogging but is thoroughly enjoying the process! Such a lovely video for Maria to share as shows such a great time they had on holiday. I loved watching this, Maria. Good luck with the vlogging venture!
I love this next video up from Lisa Robb as it shows her speed-cleaning her house. I love the fact that Lisa has no idea why it is her most viewed but we can only surmise that we all love any information we can get on how quickly we can do the housework. Just brilliant! Thank you for sharing!
Now for a whopping 92k view, I bring you this video from Katy Flint, a review of the Twirly Woos big red boat. As Katy says, the power of CBeebies right here for all to see. Well done with the views Katy, just incredible!
Laura Steer shares with us her most viewed video and I?m so pleased she did as it?s beautiful. It?s a video of the Lodge Hill Bluebell woods in Staffordshire. I can see why it is your most viewed, Laura. Thank you for sharing with us.
Chloe Bridge, with 262k views, brings us her 120 days of baby led weaning video. I love how it was such a surprise to Chloe to get so many views but seriously well done. That?s incredible. Such an important helpful subject though so I completely understand the high views!
And, finally, I?m delighted that Kerry Conway shared this post with us. Her birth story of her rainbow baby. Just beautiful and I can understand why it means just so much to you. Really kind of you to share such a special video with us, Kerry.
Thank you to everyone for sharing their most viewed videos. I?ve really enjoyed watching. If anyone has a theme they would like to see next month please let me know. I can be contacted at [email protected]
Hi, I?m Helen and mum to two teenage daughters and one teenage son and am married to a very handsome man! I blog at www.justsayingmum.com mainly about the musings of raising three teens which, as I?m sure you can imagine, comes with plenty of stories! I have also started vlogging about teens issues and all these vlogs are either with my children themselves chatting about various relevant issues to being a teen or with the fabulous Sarah and Jayne who are talking therapists who specialise in teens so we have lots of fun talking about very real parenting teen issues!
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With the kettle singing in the background to provide me with enough tea to enjoy the hot weather it seems appropriate to be writing about the incoming Steam Summer Sale. PayPal (who have a deal on with Steam to promote their payment method) confirmed the sale will kick off at 6pm BST on 22 June.
It?s official. The #SteamSummerSale starts 22/06 at 6pm BST and PayPal customers get an extra £5 off *terms apply. https://t.co/PdXnlKZ6qh pic.twitter.com/hobxCz3TBm
? PayPal UK (@PayPalUK) June 20, 2017
I remember back in the day when the exciting sales were just after Christmas and you could get slightly mangled white chocolate snowmen and Christmas ornaments for tuppence at Woolworths. I assume you young people will be dragging your camping stools to the Steam storefront from 21 June, nursing a thermos of something nutritious and exchanging stories about the time you queued for something else with your fellow queuers.
Perhaps you queued for a Zune. Perhaps it was the Kenzo x H&M collaboration. Maybe you went to the post office to collect a parcel once. It?s all grist for the queuing war story mill. Once I joined a queue in Malta just because the people in the queue seemed upbeat and the line was for a theatre. I ended up at a philharmonic orchestra concert of Beatles songs. Queuing is great.
If you?re interested in the PayPal promotion they?re banging on about it?s essentially about saving a bit of money if you spend more than £20 and use PayPal to make the purchases. Full details here. It?s regional so no idea whether there are similar haps in the rest of the world or whether it?s a UK reward for how much we love queuing. One thing to note if you tend to go all-in on Steam sales is in the small-print: ?The Offer shall not be available if the aggregate monetary amount credited to customers reaches GBP 24,000.00.? So, y?know. £23,999 or less if you want to save a fiver.
I?m going to go out and find a queue to join in the meantime. It?s going to be great. Don?t @ me with your ?blah blah blah that?s not how digital commerce works? because I?ll be reading a book and standing in line for something cool.
by Isaac Perry and Keanu Adorable
Last week was the 5th anniversary of London Fashion Week Men?s and the Brands, Good, Bad and Stylish came out in full, always pushing boundaries with their artisanal pieces. We here at Clothes Make The Man had the pleasure of attending various shows and presentations, and we have chosen our top 5 collections from the Spring/Summer 18 shows.
KTZ
KTZ were ready to go to war with military wear and street style being combined for this urban collection. No Surprises, key colours used were black and Khaki, this remaining consistent throughout. With many of the clothing items being be ones in which you would be able to wear day to day casually, excluding pieces including chainmail which was seen included within multiple outfits, however, despite not being everyday wear the chainmail added a really interesting feature to the show, presumably influenced from armour.
Blood Brothers
The streetwear influence on this collection was very apparent, with many of the key colours seen being popular in today?s street fashion times, red being a prime example. The garments that were paraded had a statement picture or piece of text on them, which grabbed your attention, the most eye-catching being the car on both the blue shirt and bomber. All garments shown in this collection are ready to wear and could be worn casually day to day.
Oliver Spencer
WHEN it comes to the catwalks, one thing that we can strongly agree on is that diversity is always great to see, and this sentiment was strongly expressed at the Oliver Spencer show. Men of all races and ages walked the runway were present, showcasing contemporary fashion from one of the most wearable brands showing at LFWM. the show ?Love Town? sought to pay homage to the ?proud, tough and loving place? that is London. The clothes were sharp and sartorially aware, but still infused with a casual elegance perfect for summer. Warm pink and cool blue provided the palette of the collection, which are easy on the eyes. At the end of the show, the models took one final walk, each wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words ?Love Town?. It was a poignant moment as they collected at the entrance to clap the designer making his bow, and solidifies the spirit of London, and concludes that we are stronger together.
Kent and Curwen
This is Kent & Curwen?s second time showcasing at London Fashion Week Men?s and this time the inspiration is teams. The live presentation consisted of models walking on stage to form a sporting team photograph. The English rose motif was seen throughout the garments highlight the designer?s roots. ?50s style Derby day suit had a modern twist as it was assembled with white trainers, an untucked striped shirt and an army, over-sized trench coat. Loose cream tank-tops with stripes and tailored shorts gave an old school boxing attire feel as did a frayed cream knitted jumper which had a touch of cricket. Calf-length socks and thick, hefty scarfs were present. The Kent and Curwen collection gave a very classic, British sportswear aura while still being very contemporary. All very wearable pieces for SS18
A-COLD-WALL*
There are few brands currently generating the same buzz as London?s A-COLD-WALL*, and the brand?s show at its home city proved why many people are so excited by it. The designer?s latest assemblage blends utilitarian design cues with unconventional silhouettes. There were a variety of everyday staples such as jackets, hoodies and trousers receive a high-cut crop treatment. Head designer Samuel Ross ingeniously plays with traditional suiting and accessories. Standout pieces include elongated raincoats, down jackets, blazers with contrasted shoulder pads, patchwork trousers, and experimental bucket hats. Of course, we can?t forget the diverse range of bespoke NikeLab Air Force 1 Low sprinkled throughout the collection.
The French Grand Prix will return as part of an unprecedented triple-header of races on the 2018 F1 calendar.
The Paul Ricard circuit will hold the first French race since 2008. It will kick off races on three consecutive weekends, followed consecutively by the Austrian and British Grands Prix.
Next year?s calendar will feature 21 races, equalling the record for the longest ever schedule. The Malaysian Grand Prix will not be held after this year, but the German Grand Prix will return at the Hockenheimring.
Azerbaijan?s round of the world championship will move forward in the year, taking the place previously held by the Russian Grand Prix. The latter will move closer to its original calendar slot, taking the place held by the Malaysian round this year.
Two races remain subject to final confirmation. Commercial arrangements have not yet been finalised with the promoters of the races in China and Singapore.
Next year?s Le Mans 24 Hours is to be held on June 16th and 17th and therefore will not clash with any round of the 2018 world championship. However the Indianapolis 500 will again take place on the same day as the Monaco Grand Prix.
This article will be updated.
Browse all 2018 F1 season articles
The PlayStation 2 action-RPG trilogy .hack//G.U. is coming remastered to PC, Bandai Namco have announced. Normally I strip goofy punctuation and capitalisation out of game names but the goofiness of .hack//G.U. is fitting. The story is centered on a fictional MMORPG, see, which players can actually log off from to poke around their in-game computer?s desktop. I do like a good in-world desktop. Coming later this year, .hack//G.U. Last Recode [official site] will contain all three volumes: Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption.
Bandai Namco say that these remasters boast ?updated 1080p, 16:9 widescreen picture, and 60 fps frame rate, gameplay balance changes and additional features to be announced in the upcoming months.? Expanding a little, they say Last Recode will have ?enhanced battle balance and game pacing to provide an optimal experience as well as a new Cheat Mode allowing players who want to just enjoy the story to start the game with full stats.?
I?ve not touched the transmedia world of .hack myself, so here?s over to Bamco for the official word:
?[. . .] the world of .hack focuses on the mysterious events surrounding a wildly popular in-universe massively multiplayer role-playing game called The World. .hack//G.U. begins after the events of the original .hack series with players assuming the role of Haseo as he tracks down a powerful Player Killer named Tri-Edge who killed his friend?s in-game avatar Shino, and put her in a coma in real life.
I?m a big fan of ?if you die in the game, you die in real life? premises but I suppose I could settle for comas.
Photo credit: Photographee.eu, Shutterstock
Last month I shared lots of posts around going away with little ones, but this month I wanted to focus more on great days out ? to give you inspiration through the coming summer months. I love taking my three out for the day but I am useless at thinking of where we can go. Thankfully the blogging community is full of great ideas and I am going to share the best here today!
Now when you think about summer days out, you immediately think of the beach, right? Porridge & Parenting has some great tips for surviving the sand and sunshine and Happy Mummy has a fab post listing the top 27 beaches to visit in the UK.
Farms and Zoos are always a hit with little ones aren?t they? Quite Frankly She Said had a great time at Willows Farm in Herts, Counting To Ten went to one of my favourites, Whipsnade Zoo and LesBeMums went along to Paradise Wildlife Park. I have also heard such great things about Colchester Zoo and I love Chester Zoo too.
If you are wanting to go to a theme park then Counting To Ten shares her tips for a day out at Chessington (the parent swap card sounds brilliant!) and Five Little Doves shares her day out at CBeebies Land at Alton Towers. We went to Peppa Pig World a while back and are going again next week ? the girls can?t wait! Another great one is Legoland ? Gracie has been begging me to go again for ages! Family Fever shares her day there and I am loving the look of the splash park ? something we missed when we went last time.
A fab free day out for families are the Gruffalo trails around the country. They Grow So Quick shares her visit to Dalby Forest, The Mum Diaries shares her day at Fineshade Woods, The Unnatural Mother shares hers at Gisburn Forest and We?re Going On An Adventure shared her day at Delamere Forest. Such a popular day out ? I have been to Wendover Woods myself and loved it!
I know there are other trails around too and They Grow So Quick also shares her day at the Room On The Broom trail, as does Let Them Be Small. Definitely check out which trails are near you ? they make for a great day out!
The UK has so many beautiful places to visit from North to South, East to West. Starting off in Scotland, Edinburgh With Kids shares her day out at The National Museum of Flight. Coming down into England, Make Do & Push takes her little ones to The Hepworth Wakefield, Inside Out & About shares her day at Newby Hall & Gardens and Porridge and Parenting shows us around Warwick Castle. If castles are your thing then Spooky Mrs Green shares her trip to Beeston Castle.
I do love a lovely garden and Rock and Roll Pussycat shows us around Walsall Arboretum. If you are in County Durham then I Am Crabstix has a great post with lots of ideas for days out. If you are near Derby, Nottingham or Leicester then Tattooed Tealady shares a fab day out nearby at Manor Farm East Leake.
Not far from us, so an idea for me this summer, is Wicksteed Park and The Mum Diaries has a few tips and a video to tell you more. Milton Keynes Kids has a great list of cheap days out for kids in Milton Keynes, of course. Happy Mummy shares some lovely photos from a day out at Forty Hall & Estate ? another place I am adding to my list!
Moving further south still, Savings 4 Savvy Mums shares her day on the Watercress Line ? I haven?t been there for years! I love this post from Bump To Baby as she shares her trip to Brighton ? somewhere I went almost every day as a teen! Somewhere else I loved as a child was Ashdown Forest and Bridie By The Sea brings back lots of memories here.
If you are in the south west then My Family Fever has some great days out for little ones. I love the sound of Digger Land! I also love this post from Hello Archie, sharing some lovely toddler friendly days out in Cornwall.
Last but not at all least is Wales, my home for many years. Such a gorgeous part of the UK and Let Them Be Small shares a day out Ty Hyll ? Ugly House, Capel Curig. Cardiff Mummy Says tell us all about Greenmeadow Community Farm, Cwmbran and another at the Gillian Ayres exhibition at The National Museum of Cardiff.
Now obviously we would love it to be sunny all summer, but chances are there will be some rain at times. You Baby Me Mummy shares a great day out at Kidzania London, somewhere I have been in the past too. It lends itself to older children really but while older siblings play, the younger ones do have a toddler zone to enjoy.
Hopefully there are plenty of ideas here for you ? let me know where you end up going!
Next month I am going to be asking for posts around summer activities to keep little ones busy at home ? for those days when you aren?t galavanting off here there and everywhere! If you have a post to share then why not tweet me @WhatKatySaidUk or email me [email protected]
Katy is a busy mum of 3 and blogs over at What Katy Said, sharing tips to help other mums get more organised and make more time for themselves. Starting out as a way to help others, her award nominated blog has now become her full time career and she is regularly listed as one of the top 10 baby bloggers in the UK. Connect with her over on Twitter @WhatKatySaidUK.