LivingwithKids

I don’t know about you but we seem to have loads and loads of photos all over the place and I've been meaning to organise them for a while now. Which is why I was so excited to discover Photobox’s personalised Photobooks.

They’re just fab. Basically you choose which photos to include (you can have anything from 26 to 100 pages holding up to 1200 photos), and then customize each page with captions, backgrounds, fonts, colours and layouts (or you can autofill if you’re pushed for time).

Then they send the book back to you, beautifully bound, like a coffee table book. Uploading the pics can take a little time but the end results are definitely worth it.

The photo books start at £23.99 plus P&P, but if you order through KidStart you get 5% back for your kids and 2 for 1 on Photobooks and canvas prints. PLUS all orders taken in March will be entered into a draw to win one of four £50 vouchers. Click here for more info.

All mums could do with a bit of pampering from time to time (hint hint, MotH) and one of the best gift ideas for Mother’s Day has to be a spa treatment – either gift vouchers or a visit arranged as a surprise.

And because mums-to-be need lots of TLC I thought I’d surprise the lovely Amy – a mum of four with one on the way - with a visit to the Sienna Spa at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel  in Manchester. Here’s what she thought of her experience:

‘My first impression of the spa was the fabulous smell, the lighting was soft and relaxing and the assistants were very friendly and informative. I turned up a bit early but I'm glad that I did because I was given a complimentary drink and guided into the relaxation room to start my spa experience.

There were nice deep chairs, soft lighting and relaxing music being played through the speakers at just the right level. The room overlooked the swimming pool and Jacuzzi, which looked gorgeous. Don’t forget your swimming costume!

After relaxing for a few minutes I was greeted by my therapist and lead to the treatment room. The room was lovely. Candles were lit, the lighting was dim and once again relaxing music flowed calmly through the air. I had the New Life treatment (£55) which is specially designed for pregnant women. My therapist ran through the treatment with me which started with a back, shoulder and neck massage before progressing onto the rest of my body. It was so relaxing and I felt completely at ease throughout. The final step was a lovely facial.

'The whole experience was great, I felt so good afterwards and I smelt wonderful from the amazing cream that was used on me. I would recommend this treatment to anyone who wants a hour of total carefree relaxation. The team at the Sienna spa were very helpful and caring which made me feel at ease from the moment I walked through the door. This is the perfect gift to give to someone you know who is pregnant or just to book yourself for a last minute bit of pampering before your baby arrives.’

Mother’s Day is on 14 March. I’m really not bothered about gifts for myself – just a card (ideally homemade) from my precious offspring is enough for me. But I do want to show my own mum some extra special appreciation this year.  She’s been through quite a lot recently, including a major operation and the loss of her favourite Uncle, so I think she deserves a special treat.

Here’s my shortlist:

Scented Mother’s Day basket from Interflora (£29.99). I just adore the colours of this arrangement and the pretty basket gives it added impact.

Pure DKNY (from £31.50), from Superdrug, Boots, John Lewis. My mum LOVES getting new perfume (who doesn’t), and this vanilla, lotus flower, Bulgarian rose, jasmine, freesia and orchid scented ethically sourced fragrance is simply delicious.

A box of Chococo chocolates. OMG. These chocolates are SO good. Handmade from the finest Venezuelan carenero superior bean chocolate and fresh Dorset cream and filled with the most delectable flavours (£19, available from buyagift).

Glee, the soundtrack (£8.97, from Woolworths). My mum has been a fan of Glee ever since I showed her the All the Single Ladies routine, so I know she’ll love this. Hmmm. Might have to get her a few things, actually.

*What will you be getting your mum for Mother’s Day?

I haven't got £1,000 to spare at the moment *sigh* but inspired by Josie at Sleep is for the Weak I've decided to share my fantasy shopping spree. And because it's my fantasy shopping spree I'm afraid I'm not going to be remotely worthy - it's all going to be for me, me me.

First of I'd like a new handbag. A gorgeous, desirable, buttery-smooth leather handbag. This would not be a handbag for screwed up receipts, old lozenges and lidless lipsticks. This would be a brand new bag, full of promise, to hold my life together. A bag like this DKNY Distressed Leather tote from House of Fraser, for £240.

Then I need a dress. Not a school run dress but an utterly beautiful dress, like this one from Coast, £85.

Of course I would have a brand new coat. Not a coat of many colours, rather a mac that will see me through this awful endless rain and into spring. A mac like this stone cotton trench  from Jigsaw (£185).

I would need shoes, too. These Dune Kross Platform Peeptoe Satin Ivory Shoes , in fact, from John Lewis (£95). And earrings - these Amethyst ones (£115), plus a Marc Jacobs wrap bracelet (£60) from Liberty.

And because all that dreamy shopping would make me tired, I'd like a bath in my favourite lavender foaming bath (£17.75) from L'Occitane while sipping on a glass of Laurent-Perrier from Majestic Wine (£45) and nibbling on caviar from Fortnum and Mason (£130). And I might even have a box of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat. Well, I did say it was my fantasy.

*What would you spend your fantasy £1000 on?

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?

Mixtapes and sock bunnies are all very well, but sometimes it’s nice to get a little special something that isn’t homemade for Valentine’s Day. Here are a few suggestions:

*A bouquet of flowers, delivered right to your door. Interflora have a gorgeous selection, including this beautiful Dramatic Dozen rose arrangement (£39.99), and the good news is they’re delivering on Sunday.

*A Bonterra & Green and Black’s gift pack, including a bottle of delicious Bonterra Rosé wine and 12 adorable mini bars of G&B (£15, available from Ocado) ideal for um... sharing *cough*.

*A romantic DVD – Play.com have a brilliant selection, including the classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s (£4.99), so you can indulge your inner Hepburn.

*A glamorous box of chocolates – especially Lindt’s Amour Heart Box of luxurious Lindor truffles (£4.99, available from Sainsbury's).

And for him, well most men I know would be very happy with a copy of James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game (£17.99-£24.99, available on Wii, PS3 or Xbox360, from Play.com). Or failing that a sock bunny.

What will you be getting your loved one for Valentine’s?

We've got a birthday in our house next week - thankfully we're at the stage now where the party is the easiest thing in the world: a sleepover, video games and a dvd, pizza, maybe some 'midnight feast' snacks. But it wasn't so long ago that we were having to come up with inventive ways of entertaining 20 or so kids for two hours. So here are my top tips for throwing the perfect child's birthday party - please feel free to add your own!

1. Decide on a venue. House parties are easiest for little ones, but if you're worried about the mess then your local school, sports centre or church hall can probably be hired out quite cheaply.

2. Choose a theme. Not so important when the kids are nursery/reception age, but after that a really good idea. Fancy dress, wizards and witches, Ben 10, Harry Potter, Hannah Montana - whatever your little darling and their friends are into.

3. You need some sort of entertainment, but it doesn't have to cost the earth. For little ones, traditional still works - so pass the parcel, musical chairs, pin the tail on Peppa Pig, a sweet-stuffed pinata, etc. Ignore your inner Competitive Mum - just because Lucy had pony rides, a carousel and a ride in a hot air balloon doesn't mean you have to do the same. My brother-in-law has always done homemade puppet shows - he sets them to chart hits and the kids love them. A disco will also work, karaoke if your head can take it, or you can make your own football party. If you do want to spend a bit more, soft play parties are always popular with younger ones, cinema outings can be fun from about the age of 6, or when they're a bit bigger, go karting, bowling, laser quest or paintball.

4. Don't get too stressed about the food. The honest truth is that kids don't want to spend an hour sitting down to a lavishly prepared tea. They want to get up and run around and cause havoc. So a few sandwiches, grapes, carrot sticks, and cherry tomatoes (so it seems a bit healthy), crisps, some fairy cakes and of course the birthday cake (if you want a recipe for a super easy one, click here).

5. Going home presents should be cheap and cheerful (and you don't need them past the age of 10). One simple toy, some sweets, a blower/bubbles, a slice of cake.

Finally, send out the invitations 2 weeks in advance, and if you haven't had an RSVP don't be afraid to ring up and ask. Some parents are incredibly lax about replying to invites which can be incredibly annoying if you're trying to work out numbers. If you're guilty, take note!

E-cards have always seemed a bit impersonal to me - but if you've forgotten to send someone a card, they can be a useful way of letting someone know you're thinking about them. And Tesco have come up with a great idea this year.

They will donate 5p per card for the first 100,000 sent to the Woodland Trust. If you want to send a card, simply click here.

I don’t want to panic you, but there are just eight shopping days left until Christmas. Eight days! OK, deep breaths, everyone. Here are some ideas for stocking fillers:

For her: These Fruity Beauty Bath Cupcakes from M&S are adorable (£2.50 each) and this Cole and Mason ‘Animill’ salt and pepper grinder is also super cute (£7, available from Debenhams).

For him: Something practical, but useful. An electric toothbrush with a built in timer, in fact. The Oral B Vitality White and Clean (£29.35, available from Argos) is ideal.

For them: The Ben 10 10cm Alien Force Action Figures (RRP£4.97) are sure to be a big hit and keep them quiet until they can open their main presents, as is the Tamagotchi Music Star (£9.68). Both available from Toys R Us. You can  find out what our Mum Testers thought of some of this year's toys here and you can find more great stocking fillers over at The Great Toy Guide

For everyone: After extensive sampling (in the name of research, of course) my little testers have come to the conclusion that Lindt’s Santa (£3) and Snowballs (£2) available from Ocado and Tesco, and Thornton's Santa and Reindeer (£3.49) are especially yummy.

And don’t forget, you can get KidStart savings when you shop IN STORE at House of Fraser, JoJoMamanBébé and Goldsmiths by registering your cards.

Happy shopping!