LivingwithKids

Yesterday I was looking at the calendar on the kitchen wall, and realised it was almost full for this month (and the next). With the offspring's social life.

So far this year (and bear in mind we're only in March) there have been parties nearly every weekend, six sleepovers and 10 cinema outings. That's not counting the school disco.

How did this happen? BC (Before Children) we went out all the time. MotH goes out quite a lot for work. Me? Coffee with friends and the occasional dinner. Most nights I like to be in bed by 11pm. Rock and roll.

What about you? Do you still go out a lot, or has having children hampered your social life?

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland opens on Friday. I’m not sure why some critics seem to have taken a dislike to it, because as far as this house is concerned it’s pure Burton magic. I took four kids of various ages to a sneak preview and they loved every fantastical 3-D minute of it, declaring it ‘awesome’, ‘magical’ and ‘wicked’. They agreed Alice seemed a little ‘cold’, but thought that probably fitted with her background (very perceptive).

Their favourite characters were Matt Lucas as Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Alan Rickman as the Caterpillar, Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat - ‘very funny’ - and they all thought Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen was ‘hilarious’. And of course it does boast Johnny Depp, who, let's face it, even with that mad hair and those weird eyes is mesmerising *cough*.

My advice? Go see it, make your own minds up. Let me know what you think.

Now obviously this is REALLY aimed at children under six and not their mummies. But Disney has created the Disney Princess Dance, supported by the British Dance Council, to encourage youngsters across the UK to get active.

The campaign, launched by the lovely Sinitta (seen above with her daughter Magdalena), involves over 1500 dance schools around the UK.

You can find a participating school and try the online tutorial here. I mean with the kids, naturally, not by yourself when everyone’s out *cough*.

There's no need to panic - at least, not today. World Book Day is on March 4, a whole week away. I'm giving you a reminder because I have stared in the face of World Book Day Costume Hell, and it's not pretty. And if there's any Competitive Mum syndrome at your school... well, you've been warned.

One year No 1 Son announced he wanted to go as Legolas from Lord of the Rings . Given his hair is short and he doesn't have pointed ears, I knew this was going to be a challenge. It took me a fortnight to track down 'elf' ears from a film costume specialists. I found clip on hair extensions and plaited those, I made the cloak out of felt and covered a toy wooden sword with tin foil. I also made 'arrows' out of wooden sticks and glued on feathers. He looked pretty amazing, even if I do say so myself.

Then it was Iorek Byrnison from the Northern Lights. Iorek Byrnison is an armour-wearing polar bear. I was up three nights stitching white fun fur and at the end of it I was practically snow blind. Of course though it was totally worth it.

So my advice is to start planning their costumes now (if you haven't already).

What will your kids be wearing to World Book Day parade this year? I'd love to know.

A report came out yesterday that said it now costs £200k to raise a child. £200k! While I think that's probably really only the case for a very small percentage of the population there's no getting away from the fact that raising kids IS expensive. Even with the most careful budgeting, there is always something to buy - clothes, shoes, toys, books, games, clothes, shoes, toys... and that's without factoring in anything like holidays and um... university *eek*.

In her fab book the catchily titled ‘How To Afford Time Off with Your baby’ (available from Waterstones) full-time mum Becky Goddard-Hill gives 101 ways to ease the financial strain of having kids. Like me, she’s a fan of online grocery shopping to save money, stocking up and she also has some really cool tips on cutting the cost of children’s parties, saving for your baby’s future (don’t forget KidStart is a great way to do this) and cheaper Christenings, plus lots more.

You can also find expert tips  here and advice on how to make sure you and your friends are getting everything you're entitled to here.

*What are your favourite money saving tips? Share them below:

Kids love scooters - and here's your chance to win one!

The Micro Scooter team is introducing a new, limited edition set of eye-catching colours to their Mini Micro collection - they're available in green, yellow and red. But you can also buy red, green and yellow handle grips, decks and brakes as separates, allowing existing Micro Scooter owners to ‘pick n mix’ accessories to ‘revamp their ride’!

The Mini Micro Scooter in the UK’s number one selling scooter for kids aged 3-5 years.   Its high quality Swiss design makes scooting fun and easy for youngsters who love the independence and sense of achievement the Mini Micro Scooter gives them.  The new limited edition colours are available exclusively at http://www.micro-scooters.co.uk/, costing £54.95.

But we have three to give away in our fab competition!

All you have to do is email your answer to the following question with your name, address and daytime telephone number from your KidStart registered email address to competitions@kidstart.co.uk by the closing date March 9. If you are not a KidStart member click here to join.

Question: Which limited edition colours is the Mini Micro Scooter available in?

Aren't these Sesame Street kids t-shirts from M&S fab? They also do Bert and Ernie too, and they're only £5 each, bargain!

They reminded me, though, that Sesame Street is probably the only kids' TV show that my sister and I used to watch when we were little that's still on. I wish they'd bring back Rentaghost - although I doubt our sophisticated children would appreciate it!

Which kids' shows would you like to see back on TV?

How cool is Tomy's new mOmma range of bottles and feeding utensils for little ones? Not only is the range available in one of the best colours (orange), but it's really brilliantly designed to help babies and toddlers with their hand-eye coordination and grip, and it's also BPA free.

The range includes the Bottle Starter Kit (£31.49), Developmental meal set (£15.99) and incredibly cute Baby bib (£8.49). All available from Kiddicare (who also have a car seat sale on at the moment).

I cannot believe it's half-term next week - it's taken me completely by surprise. Maybe it's because of all the Snow Days, but they don't even seem to have been back that long.

But we have to entertain the little darlings. So here are some of the best events happening across the UK next week – if you have ideas for keeping the kids amused, I’d love to hear them!:

*The National Trust is encouraging the whole family to get back to nature with wildlife trails, bird box making and other events and workshops happening at many of their properties across the UK.

*Painshill Park, Surrey is offering children of all ages the chance to help break the Wicked Wizard’s winter spell and make magical wands or crowns, while Hampton Court Palace has Kids’ Ghost Tours... apparently Henry VIII is said to haunt his former home.

*In  Cornwall, the Eden Project has 40 minute skating slots for £5, including skate hire.

*The multi-award winning Imperial War Museum North has a celebration of show-stopping large objects from the Field Gun that fired the British Army’s first shell of the First World War to a Second World War Fire-fighting trailer and a 1960’s Trabant Estate Car, with a host of performances, resources and activities designed for families to explore the stories behind these amazing artifacts together.

*At Leeds Castle in Kent, in addition to the birds of prey flying displays, Knights' Realm Playground and maze, kids can find out what life was like through the eyes of servants through the ages.

And at Coalport China Museum  in the Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire you can celebrate the Chinese New Year with a range of events including dragon mask and shadow puppet craft sessions.

Phew!

Back in December I gave you a sneaky peek at Disney's The Princess and the Frog - and the good news is it opens today!

Set in New Orleans in the 20s, The Princess and the Frog gives a new spin on an old classic. It's the story of Tiana, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who dreams of owning her own restaurant. Unfortunately she gets mixed up with the handsome but rather cocky Prince Naveen and some voodoo magic which ends up turning both her and the prince into frogs! It's a wonderful, enchanting film, featuring a brilliant jazz-inspired soundtrack, instantly memorable songs and a return to 2D hand drawn animation. I guarantee the whole family will love it.

And make sure you pop along to your nearest Disney Store on Saturday mornings as they'll be hosting a whole range of special themed FREE events at their Princess and the Frog: Royal Academy, including animation, storytelling and etiquette lessons, plus extra events at half-term!

COMPETITION: To celebrate the movie's release, we're giving you the chance to win an amazing Princess and the Frog prize pack. The prize includes a Kissing Naveen plush toy, a Louis plush toy, a Nintendo DS game, a Wii game, a Princess Tiana fancy dress costume, a fortune card game, a notebook, CD soundtrack, backpack, watch and sticker set.

How to enter: All you have to do is send the answer to the following question from your KidStart registered email address to competitions@kidstart.co.uk including your name, daytime telephone number, address by 17 February. If you are not a KidStart member click here to join.

Question: Which US city is Princess and the Frog set in?