If you’d happened to be looking in through my front room window earlier this evening (not that I am implying that any of you would), then you would have seen me prancing around doing utterly amazing dance moves and singing along to Cheryl Cole’s Fight For This Love, Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, Rihanna’s Umbrella, Florence & The Machine’s Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) and N Dubz’s I Need You.

You see, my children are all back at school and today I missed their noise and today was a bit rubbish. So what better way to make everything better than to wait for them to come home and to prance around playing We Sing Encore.

I actually think that We Sing Encore is the BEST singing party game on the market and having played ALL of them (as my very lovely friends will verify), this collection of songs and new features knocks SingStar into a corner.

This is a game that anyone can play and has been designed as such. I can honestly, truly and absolutely declare that the song list for We Sing Encore is the BEST that I have ever seen for a singing game collection (you can see the whole tracklist here).

Those who follow me on twitter will know that for months now I have been proclaiming Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse Of The Heart to be MY song. The lyrics, the video, the divaish prancing, well I’ve been playing it on a loop. So, you can imagine my ABSOLUTE delight (although possibly not my family’s) that it is one of the tracks on We Sing Encore! I get to watch men in speedos and belt out my blues. Tonight my children, bless them, could do nothing but laugh and let me flounce around the front room singing about powder kegs and needing someone or other tonight.

We Sing Encore is the first game which allows four mics and four singers to perform together. There are 40 chart topping songs from a wide range of leading artists, including mostly original videos (did I mention the men in speedos?). There are Solo and Party modes, as well as singing lessons (for those of you who can’t yet sing like a professional, like me… ahem!). There is Party Mode which includes Pass The Mic, First to X, Blind and so many more features. But, my favourite is Karaoke mode, with the vocals removed.

Tonight, in my front room, I really really was  Bonnie Tyler.

Earlier this year, I blogged about Sue Mongredien’s new Kitten Club series and how it is a MUST read for ALL 6-8 year old little girls. Littlest went on to read ‘Ginger’s New Home (Kitten Club)’ and was eagerly awaiting ‘Ziggy’s Big Adventure (Kitten Club)’. You can imagine her ABSOLUTE delight and shock (I mean squeal-inducing shock!) when she opened the book and read that the dedication was TO HER and her our ridiculoulsy naughty kittens.

I can’t thank the fabulous Sue Mongredien enough and, clearly, everyone in the whole wide world should buy a copy of ‘Ziggy’s Big Adventure (Kitten Club)’.

OK, so up until Thursday I had no idea about the FREE (yes FREE!) LEGO® Club which offers members exclusive magazines, access to their website, freebies, events and more!

According to the rather fabulous Kerry at Digital Outlook:

“LEGO® Club members receive five FREE magazines a year starting with LEGO Club Jr. for ages 4 – 6 years, which promotes independent reading, counting and writing, then graduate to LEGO Club Magazine for ages 7+, full of comics, competitions, activities, sneak peeks, info on LEGO Club events and regular LEGOLAND vouchers. On LEGOClub.com there is exclusive content like ‘Buildits’, ClubCodes, the LEGO Club Show and a chance to sign up for monthly email newsletters of the latest LEGO news.”

And she’s spot-on-right! The website is easy to use and full of stuff that I have been told by my youngest two kiddies is ‘really cool’. But for me it’s the actual paper magazine that has made me (this afternoon) really really adore Lego. Not only do my kids LOVE getting things through the post and not only do these magazines not cost us poor parents a single penny, but the content is really ace. (Well done Lego!).

All of my children have played for hours with Lego (some of their bricks belonged to G and his brother). Lego is one of the few toys I can think of that has playability through generations. Littlest and Middlest are currently upstairs. One is constructing a Lego alien (thanks to the instructions in the magazine) and the other is very excited about finding this building tips and ideas page on the Lego Club website.  I love that in this digital age Lego have still sent out paper magazines for children to get excited about, but I equally love that their website gives that ‘little bit extra’ for free to children and to parents. I think they’ve got their marketing spot on.

And me, well I’m enjoying a cup of tea and chocolate biscuit in absolute peace…

You can sign up for the FREE (yes FREE!) LEGO Club magazine here.

If you follow my rambles on twitter then you will be aware that a few weeks ago I declared myself  THE WORST MUM IN THE WORLD and had a complete parental-guilt breakdown! (Drama queen, me?)

If you cast your mind back to my last post about visiting Build-A-Bear, you’ll remember that it was for Littlest’s birthday and how I said that the Chester store was my “happy place” and how I mentioned that I’d promised to “take Littlest again next month when the ‘Ice Cream Bears’ are released”. (You remember, yes? Good!)

Well Littlest remembered too, of course!  She saved all of her birthday money and tooth fairy money and gave it to me. It was in my purse ready and I honestly think that every single day in July she asked me when we’d visit Build-A-Bear and that every single time I promised that it’d be soon. (Yes, promised!)

The problem is, dear blog-friends, that July was stupidly busy. Seriously, that sounds so feeble, but you have to remember that I’m a working-mum.  I run my own business from home (with G) as well as writing. The reality is that if I don’t work, then I don’t make money and if I don’t write then my head will explode and deadlines will not be met and people will shout at me. And this all sounds like I’m making excuses… and clearly I am! The truth is that I promised, there IS NO EXCUSE.

By the time I finally got around to taking Littlest to Build-A-Bear (mid-August) the ‘Ice Cream Bears’ were no more! Now, as I’m sure you’ll understand this was the END OF THE WORLD for Littlest. She had already chosen which bear she wanted, she’d saved her money, she’d decided what her bear was going to be called and so she sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. (Poor poor Littlest!)

So, to ease my parental-guilt, I mentioned that I was THE WORST MUM IN THE WORLD on twitter and it was suggested that I contact Build-A-Bear’s PR company and tell them just what a BAD mum I was.

So I did!

And they replied and the very fabulous Estelle at Publicasity contacted Build-A-Bear and arranged for a Mint-Choc Ice-Cream Bear to be sent to the Chester store. (Seriously, they did!) And yesterday Littlest and I went to the store and Tad assisted Littlest in the making of Lily the bear.

I can honestly say that she is the most grateful little girl ever.

I’d like to say a HUGE thank you to both Estelle and Build-A-Bear for stopping me from being THE WORST MUM IN THE WORLD and for taking customer care to the highest level there is.

And I know that these Star Wars bears have absolutely nothing to do with this post, but aren’t they the cutest things ever? They’re out in September and I am a Star Wars geek. I WILL remember to visit the store in September, I will, I will, I will…

Hello!

My name is Caroline and I have been a blogger for FOUR years now. Red is my favourite colour. I like cake, smurfs, roller skates and the number 13.

And your name is? [this is the part where you say your name]

Oh go on, really why not?

I mean just for this post,  just for today, why not de-lurk? Why not say hello on this my blogging birthday?

In amongst the many ‘unexpected’ things that happened to me during my time in Malta, there are two that scream out.

The first occurred when my cousin arranged for me to visit the Mayor of Dingli, to gift him 2 copies of Like Bees to Honey for the local library. It was ridiculously hot, I had sweat dripping down my back, I was wearing heels and I was slightly nervous about the prospect of having to be grown up and serious.

We arrived, I managed not to slip on the pavement or inside the government buildings and soon I was in the ultra cool Mayor’s office. We sat around a table, the Mayor, officials and I. We talked books, my connection to Malta and the plot of Like Bees to Honey. Then the official photographer arrived.

I stood (still not falling over) and made my way to the designated photo shoot spot, to be snapped handing over a copy of my novel to the Mayor. It was then that he foiled me. Seriously, it took everything in me not to squeal in a ridiculous way. The Mayor handed me a coin medal, in a fancy box!

I didn’t hug the Mayor, I didn’t squeal, I didn’t drop my shiny silver medal. I did, however, go on to show it to every single person that I met. In fact, with a bit of sellotape and a piece of string, I am planning to wear it wherever I go. It is so pretty.

The second ‘unexpected’ thing occurred last Saturday, when I had a day off to travel to Gozo and spend time with my family. We were sightseeing in the capital of Rabat, when a tour guide arrived with a crowd of Russian tourists.

Now, this tour guide had happened to be at a party held in my honour the night before, but clearly none of the Russian tourists knew that when she suddenly shouted across the crowded main square, “Look, there is the famous British author Caroline Smailes.”

You can imagine my expression and possibly the words that ‘slipped’ from my mouth!

“Quick,” she said to the Russian tourists. “Get your photo taken with her!”

And so I spent the next ten minutes having my photograph taken with Russian tourists, whilst hearing my family giggling ridiculously in the background.

Seriously, I couldn’t make this stuff up.

(To see my coin medal and other photos from my stay in Malta – nip on over to my Facebook page)

For the last 7 days I have been surrounded by beautiful family and friends. I have felt warmth, sadness, absolute joy, overwhelming love and pride. I have been ‘exposed’ across the Maltese islands and I have been so very welcomed.

Like Bees to Honey is buzzing in Malta. It’s a BEST SELLER on the island (currently at number 4 and an interviewer on Monday told me that I’d outsold Dan Brown in the process!). This tiny island has embraced both me and my writing in a way that I have never experienced before. There are so many well-wishers, so much support and so many willing to shout about my novel from their rooftops.

My stay in Malta has passed in a whirl. In the last week I have given 5 signings, received a medal by the Mayor of Dingli, had my photograph taken with an Air Malta plane, given an interview for Net TV, attended a party held in my honour, been ‘attacked’ by a gang of Russian tourists to have their photo taken with me, had a tour of Farson’s brewery (and saw the Cisk being put into cans), attended a Beer Festival, been interviewed and filmed by The Times of Malta, spoken to a million different people, met family who I haven’t seen for over 20 years, made new (and very perfect) Maltese friends, visited tourist attractions, visited places that tourists will never see, hugged the Azzopardis a ridiculous number of times, sunbathed and eaten (far too much).

Oh, the stories I have to tell you…

Today (armed with waterproofs, deckchairs, a picnic, several umbrellas and sunglasses) we ventured out to Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in Chester to watch a very fabulous adaptation of  ‘Hercules’.

Part of Grosvenor Park has been transported into an insular theatre, yet one that pulls on the natural surroundings.  There is something very perfect about watching a live show and hearing birds fidgeting in the trees, about hearing sirens blasting past and about hearing the sound of children’s laughter carrying from elsewhere in the park.  It was very much a pulling on a moment, on something that felt old and authentic. Once upon a time many stories were told in this way, with a cast of travelling actors playing numerous parts and musical instruments. This was acting and performance in its most natural state of being.

I really loved it.

The especially built stage blended into the natural setting of the park, giving an organic feel as the characters weaved in and out of the audience. There was a sense of honesty and wholesome storytelling that made me feel truly happy. This was about stepping back in time, stripping back a story to a crafted script and excellent character performances. This wasn’t about special effects or deafening sounds, this was about  grounded, family entertainment. We sat in the picnic area so close to the stage that we felt that we were part of the performance, perhaps we were.

Today I was reminded about just how much I love the art of storytelling.

I honestly feel that being outdoors added something ‘magical’ to the performance. The children were so engaged, didn’t fidget and Littlest giggled lots. At one stage Middlest was given a ‘high five’ from a character playing a lion, which made him feel utterly important. The children loved it and not once did they ask how long was left (which, as any parents know, is a clear sign of enjoyment!).

This adaptation of  ‘Hercules’  is written in such a way that it is suitable for 7+ , pulling on the original myth yet not at all patronising (I’m sure this is why the children enjoyed it so much). Hercules had murdered his wife and children, this is acknowledged with an awareness of audience. The actual storytelling, the utterly perfect script made this performance thought provoking, yet funny and fresh.

An amazing gift, from the super talented Darren Craske: