A photo explained.

Last year we were lucky enough to visit my husbands parents who currently live in a beautiful villa on the Spanish coast for two weeks of sunshine filled bliss. When you're used to grey skies and wet summers the joy of feeling hot sun on bare skin is enough to make you want to burn your passport and never go home.

Days filled with long naps, fresh ripe fruit, cold beers and sandy toes passed by all too quickly. We dissolved into the relaxing refrain of 'manana, manana' and often did little more than roll from our sunbeds into the pool when the heat got to much.

Happy days. Happy, lazy days.

By the second week I felt so relaxed I didn't recognise the hassled, overprotective mother that I used to be, oh so long ago.

Then one evening as I sat with my glass of Rioja in the kitchen I watched the three year old run through the room and out the back door.

'Now where's he off to' I thought to myself in a haze of contentment, pausing a moment before pre-holiday Mum took over and decided that I better go and see.

As I stepped out the back door I saw him climb down a step into the pool, the pool he couldn't swim in, the pool he couldn't stand in. He was fully clothed with a mischievous smile on his face. I shouted and ran as he jumped into the water.

I threw myself in after him, the water barely reaching my chest as I saw him sink to the bottom. Pulling him up he gasped as I screamed at him 'What are you doing? What are you doing?' - unable to understand what had been going through his head.

I climbed in shock out of the water, my dress sticking to my body and I held him close. 'Don't you ever, ever do that again' I choked as he cried into my arms.

We dried off and I took him straight to bed. Lying beside him and crying in the dark for what might have been.

The next morning the sun shone through the shutters and he turned his beautiful face towards me.

'I sorry Mummy. I never do that again'.

This post is Kate's entry into the Printerpix Photo competition on Tots100
Share your family photos to win £600 of photography goodies! | Tots 100

Competition! Win a Kiddy Guardian Pro 2 car seat worth £225

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to review the Kiddy Guardianfix Pro car seat. It was a huge hit with our family and the latest model of it  - the Guardian Pro 2 (similar seat but without the Isofix option) has even won a Which? Best Buy Award. It doesn't get more rubber stamped than that!

The great news is I have one of these bad boys to give away - and you get to choose the colour!

This seat is stylish, functional, high-tech, durable, easy to use and most of all the latest word in safety. It is suitable for children from 9 months until 12 years old so really is the only seat you'll ever need (unless you're planning on extending your family of course!).

Everything you could possibly want to know about this seat can be found on Kiddy's brilliant website.

So what do you need to do to enter?

Entering is easy. All you need to do is leave a comment telling me how you used to get around with your parents when you were little. Did your parents have a car? Were you ever allowed to 'drive' it? Did you have seatbelts or did your Mum stick her arm across you when she stopped more suddenly than expected...? I bumped around the back of a Morris Traveller that wasn't even fitted with seatbelts - definitely not recommended these days!

See how much he loves it?!

Don't forget to leave an email address so that I can contact you - and let me know if you would like to receive updates on Kiddy products in the future.

For good karma you can also pop over to my Facebook page and Like it -you can tag yourself on the picture of the Kiddy car seat if you like so that I know you've been there.

For even better karma you can check out Kiddy's Facebook page too.

Still not satisfied? Want to add to your chances of winning even more? Why not pop over the Mellow Mummy who has a similar one on offer!

Terms and conditions:

Competition is open to UK and Ireland residents only.

Prize is non transferable, there is no cash alternative.

Kiddy will arrange shipment of the prize direct to the winner. Colour choice subject to availability.

Prize winner will be announced on 1st November 2012,  judges decision is final.

Listography Mugs Update - we have prizes!

I write this with a mixture of bemusement, delight and shock - but it seems that the Listography Mugs linky that I put on on Sunday has taken on a life of it's own.

Men swooned, women wept and one even peed herself little bit. Mug porn is alive and well in the blogosphere it seems.

The entries have come thick and fast, 34 at last count.

And to match the level of interest from you all a few wonderful people have put up some prizes from us.

So far we have wonderful Mary Poppins who has promised us a Cath Kidson vessel of some description*.

*Not the actual mug on offer!

We also have this amazing Twitter Addict mug courtesy Charis from NameArt:

Cupcake not included.

Another Twitter Mug from the ever lovely Paul at When I Was a Kid - one of my favourite sites for buying presents ever.

 And finally Galaxy has offered us not one but two chocolaty love mugs along with a jar of delectable Galaxy Hot Chocolate.

To enter just join in the Linky on this weeks Listography (with your own mug post obviously).

Prizes will be given for:

- My favourite mug

- Worst collection of mugs.

- Most entertaining post.

- Mugliest mug

Oh, and judges decision is final.

Beware out there. It's going to get mugly.

Disney on Ice: A review

Last week we were lucky enough to be sent tickets for the Disney on Ice 'Worlds of Fantasy' experience that was running in Dublin.

All five of us went along and despite the prices of the merchandise...

(Ouch)

...we all had a wonderful time. The children (7, 5 and 3) were all totally entralled with the magical spectacle before them and even Dad got excited when Lightening McQueen rolled onto the stage!

I'll let the pictures do the talking:

No. 1 son stifling a yawn before the show

Guess who got one anyway...

Mater takes the stage

The Cars

Spot the wannabe blogger in the family..

Toy Story

It's a hit.

Huge thanks to Disney for providing us with the tickets. Disney on Ice have a new show 'Princesses and Heroes' starting soon so watch out for it!

Disclosure: We were sent a family pass free of charge for the purposes of this review.