Blimey, Halloween has come a long way since we were kids!   We took the kids out Trick or Treating around Kensal Rise and Queens Park and we were  blown away by the carnival like atmosphere and how much people had decorated their houses.

First prize has to go to the house on Dundonald Road with the truly scary hanging body (pictured above).  The whole street was AMAZING though – highly recommend going there next year as it’s something of an institution, just be prepared to join the party!

Thank you to everyone who made such a huge effort to make Halloween so special for the kids (and the grown ups!)

Made us laugh...

Cool little roof display inside a small mall

The rest stops led to some confusion...

The Moomin's come to Stockholm!

The Kids Loved Kolmarden - especially the camel ride!

The Beautiful Swedish Archipelago!

So now it’s back to reality / normality / routine (delete as appropriate) ….   Hope you’ve all enjoyed your holidays!!

I thought there’d been some mistake, until some Dick Turpin character dressed in an orange Vue uniform told me that 3D films cost a bit more.  A Bit?  I thought, but I kept it to myself and decided not to report this daylight robbery….

So we wandered over to pick up some snacks to make the most of the incredible cinematic experience we were about to have.  The girls chose a handful of pick n mix sweets that you could literally count on one hand, plus the smallest popcorn and a bottle of water.  When Dick Turpin ran it through the till, it came to 10 pounds plus change.  The breakdown was as follows:

• Small Popcorn – £4.70
• 10 Pick n Mix Sweets – £2.99 
• Bottle of water – £2.80

So, totalling this up, (with my carparking fee – a bargain at £3.50) the whole thing came to nearly £50 for one adult and two kids to see a film.  Doesn’t bode well for the upcoming summer holidays -  at this rate, we’ll be completely bankrupt by the time the holiday’s are over!

Kung Fu Panda 2 was a nice little action packed moral tale which is good for older kids (our 4 year old girl found it a bit much).  Without spoiling the ending, it is left suitably open for a sequel.  We’ve already started a Kung Fu Panda 3 saving fund….

Loud, live music is one of the main reasons why we all go to festivals, but high levels of noise can obviously be damaging to the sensitive ears of your child. With Glastonbury festival starting this week and many other great events coming up soon (See below), you may be worrying whether those sound systems are going to be too much for little junior…

As you’ll see from the short video below, with a piece of protective gear as simple as these baby ear defenders you can have the best of both worlds.  Resembling a pair of cool looking headphones, they’ll blend in perfectly with the festival crowd!  At just 140 grams they’re also very light to wear while wide-radius, foam-filled cushions make the Peltor baby ear defenders great protection against excessive noise. Most important of all, your little one will feel comfortable with this smart protective item on, leaving one thing less to worry about!

Music enthusiasts already know, but it is worth repeating –

Eden Sessions kicks off on 24th of June in the magnificent ambience of the Cornwall Eden Project and features a series of events until July 10th, followed immediately by the Wireless Festival in London’s Hyde Park from July 1st-3rd and The Latitude Festival  in Southwold, Suffolk from July 14th -17th. Family-oriented party-goers might also want to get their baby ear defenders ready for the  Claire House Summer Festival and the Home Festival, both starting on June 24th.

Summer season is just warming up, so there will be many occasions when your ear defenders will help to avoid making tough decisions between staying with the kids and attending your favourite gigs.  Rock on!

Peltor Ear Defenders are available in Lime Green & Pink from KIDSEN.

Well that depends on where you live. In Sweden childcare costs £140 per month on average and it is considered a public responsibility, financed by the state, councils and parents – allowing both parents to return to work comfortably. In the UK, charities are warning that childcare in Britain is now so expensive it IS becoming a luxury.

Child care across the UK is rising more than twice as fast as family incomes. The Daycare Trust’s latest survey reveals that in England the cost for 25 hours of nursery care a week for one child under the age of two on average costs more than £5K a year. Only Swiss and American families pay more!

Anand Shukla, acting chief executive for the Daycare Trust told the BBC the costs make new mothers think twice about returning to work.

By comparison, in Sweden all nursery fees are subsidised by the government and local councils. The maximum a family has to pay for full time child care for one child is on average £140 per month – and this is not a typo…per month. Not week! If you are a lower income earner or if there are siblings, then this drops significantly . Full time is 5 days a week
from 7am to 6pm (on average), with the option to drop off and pick up to suit your needs!

How can two Western countries situated so close to each other be worlds apart?

What do you think???

I got that  beautiful card from my six and a half year old little girl today.  She wrote it all by herself which makes it extra special!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there, past, present and future…  x

The McCartney’s are never short of a good idea or two.  Last year Mary McCartney partnered with Mini-A-Ture to produce some gorgeous tees.  Our customers loved them and it was nice that all the money from them went to help the Sunway Children’s Home.

This year, Stella McCartney has come up with the genius idea of giving kids the chance to see their artwork featured in one of her collections.

Your child’s artwork can be uploaded directly to her site and people can vote on the pics – the two most popular win.  It’s a great idea and a fantastic way to include everyone in the launch of Stella’s new collection.

Check out Stella’s Competition Site for full rules & plenty of inspiration like the entries above!!

So, it’s that time again.  The time when the festival season gets into full swing.  If you thought your festival days were over when little Annika or Andreas came along, then you’d do well to check out our mini festival guide.  These are the best family friendly festivals that are sure to be great fun for the whole family!!

1. The Big Chill – When: 5-8 August. Where: Eastnor Castle Deer Park. Malvern Hills, Herefordshire Who: Massive Attack, Thom Yorke, Roots Manuva, Gregory Isaacs, Lily Allen.. What: For yummy mummys and daddys who still enjoy good times and with a dedicated “Club Mum Area”, a kids tent and boutique babysitting facilities, the Big Chill makes that possible.

2. Belladrum – When: 6-7 August. Where. Inverness-shire. Who: Amy MacDonald, Feeder and Divine Comedy. What: A laid-back festival, set against the backdrop of Scotland’s beautiful highlands.

3.  The Green Man – When: 20-22 August. Where: Brecon Beacons. Who: Flaming Lips, Doves and Billy Bragg. What: A child friendly festival with designated family camping area, a film tent  and comedy line up. There is even a boutique babysitting service available. Best of all you are encouraged to bring your own instruments to join jamming sessions around the campfire.

4. Serenata - When: 27-28 August. Where: The Smedmore Estate, Kimmeridge. Dorset. Who: Katherine Jenkins, Russel Watson  What: Britain’s first classical music festival. Family friendly with its own dedicated kidszone, cafe and even a kids classical concert.

5. Notting Hill Carnival - When:  29-30 August. Where: Streets of Notting Hill, West London. Who: Everyone who loves music. From Soca, and Samba to Hip Hop & Steel Bands. What: Europe’s biggest street festival, celebrating an array of sounds, food and culture. Sunday the 29th is kids day, with 20 miles of beautiful costumes, food and music.

Don’t Forget Your Essential Festival Gear!

Amidst all the celebrations don’t forget to keep your little one’s ears protected. They have extremely sensitive hearing and very little protection against noise. Peltor KID’s, effectively block out harmful noises without shutting out other ambient sounds – allowing your little one to enjoy the atmosphere. The ear protectors come in lime green and pink – both for high visability and fun!!

Peltor Kids Ear Defenders are available at KIDSEN.  Click Here for Details.

The holiday season is here!  (Well almost).  If you haven’t booked a break yet, you could still get away by renting one of these two amazing holiday homes courtesy of some very fortunate friends of KIDSEN.

The house above is a gorgeous French Farm House that sleeps 8 people – perfect for a group get-away.  It even comes with an option of a baby sitter and a cook!

But who’d want to go to France, when you could spend the summer in Beautiful Sweden (because let’s face it, summer is definitely the time to go to Sweden).  In which case, check out another friend’s place – a classic Swedish pad  just outside of Stockholm.

Click Here to find out more about the holiday home in France

Click Here to find out more about the holiday home in Sweden

France Vs Sweden

What is it?
A Swedish Tradition of Having Coffee and Cakes with Friends.  It’s an institution in Sweden – the culinary equivalent of a Siesta.

Why do we love it?
Swedes will literally down tools and go and have a Fika.  Nothing gets in the way.  The Fika tradition is spreading – there’s even a coffee shop called Fika now open in New York.  We love the idea of getting together with friends and having quality food and great coffee.  Bliss!

Where can I have a Fika?
Fika is all about indulgence and atmosphere.  Our two favourite places for a Fika in London are the Scandinavian Kitchen and Bea’s of Bloomsbury.  Try them – you will not be disappointed!

Above: The Wonderful Food and Great Atmosphere at Scandi Kitchen, just behind Oxford Circus.  Totally authentic Fika right in the heart of London.  A long time favourite haunt of the KIDSEN Team.  We unashamedly love everything they do!

Below: Tasty Treats Await at Bea’s of Bloomsbury on the Theobald Road. Lovely!

For more information on Scandinavian Kitchen Click Here

To read more about Bea’s of Bloomsbury Click Here