LivingwithKids

What does being a responsible tourist mean to you? Obviously we all know we should take only pictures and leave only footprints in the sand... and if you’re flying you might be ‘offsetting’ your airmiles.

Virgin Holidays have just launched their Human Nature Collection, offering holidays ranging from volunteering projects and eco-friendly safaris to stays in small, specially selected hotels. The collection is all about balancing unforgettable experiences with more responsible travel choices, and the holidays directly benefit the local community or contribute to conservation.

I think it’s a pretty good concept and it’s certainly given me food for thought – I’m all in favour of educating our children to be responsible tourists, too. Let me know your views.

Our eyes met for a brief nanosecond, and I could feel my knees turning to jelly. Fortunately for Jake Gyllenhaal we were in a room full of press, otherwise I might have been tempted to leap across and give him a big sloppy kiss. Because I’m happy to report that in the flesh he is absolutely gorgeous – easygoing smile, lovely eyes and a fantastic sense of humour (my favourite quote of the afternoon:  ‘I’ve always really wanted to play a prince – some people might say I am in a lot of ways a princess.’)

The occasion was the press conference for Disney's Prince of Persia, and in addition to Jake, Gemma Arterton was also there (absolutely lovely and SO pretty, *sob*), and the wonderful Sir Ben Kingsley. Plus the legend that is Jerry Bruckheimer, and director Mike Newell. Needless to say I was VERY excited.

Before the conference we were treated to a screening of the film which I enjoyed  – it’s a real swashbuckling epic, with blood, guts and sand, romance and drama. There are lots of laughs, too (Alfred Molina is particularly genius).

And Jake? Well Jake is superb, of course. He doesn’t just look the part (although it has to be said he does sport a very impressive six pack - who knew?) and even though he adopts an English accent that sounds as though he’s been hanging out in Albert Square for much of the movie he makes a totally believable action hero.

Later that evening I took the kids to see the movie. They loved it too, declaring it ‘awesome’, although the girls were a bit disappointed that Gemma’s character, Princess Tamina, starts off feisty and ends up soppy over Jake. But let’s face it, you so would, wouldn’t you?

*Prince of Persia is released on Friday

Sometimes you're having a very ordinary day and the most extraordinary thing can happen. Like when an email popped into my inbox a few weeks ago asking if I would like to go on a trip to Orlando with five other mummy bloggers. My first reaction was 'Florida! OMG' because we really didn't get much sun last year and I'm in desperate need of a tan. And when I saw the invite included a trip to Discovery Cove, somewhere I've always wanted to go, well of course I said yes.

But then I started to feel afraid. I've never met any of these women before. What if they don't like me? How will my family cope without me? Will they remember to feed themselves? Will they remember to turn off the oven when they've finished cooking? Will they break the dishwasher? Will I feel guilty that I'm going on such an amazing trip without them? Will the puppy pine?

I've always been one to rise to challenges and meet them head on. And I know that Mummy Me Time is incredibly important for our wellbeing - and to be honest, I haven't had much of it for quite a while.

So I'm ignoring the fears, and I'm doing it anyway. I'm really looking forward to meeting Erica, Jo, English Mum, Laura and Linda, and I'm ridiculously excited about going to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Aquatica and of course Discovery Cove.

I won't be riding the big rollercoasters - but this trip will be an adventure for me, all the same.

What I love about Sport Relief is that you don't actually have to be that sporty to get involved. You can do as much, or as little as you like. So total respect to you if you're doing something sponsored and energetic this weekend. But if like me you're more of an armchair athlete (*ahem*) the good news is you can raise money for the charity by eating chocolate - these fab Dubble medals are only £1, and available from selected Sainsbury's.

Sport Relief also produces the most unlikely stars - this time in the form of Rufus Hound. Before his performance as Cheryl Cole he was slightly below radar for me - I knew who he was, I just wouldn't have been able to pick him out in a line-up. If you missed his rendition of Fight For This Love, here it is. Comedy gold.

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.

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?

Picture the scene. A diner in San Francisco, a few years ago. An over-excited eight-year-old boy who is on holiday and has been up since 5am because of the time difference has just ordered a stack of pancakes. He loves American pancakes, particularly with syrup.

The pancakes arrive. A stack turns out to be an actual Tower of pancakes. There are at least eight on the plate, each one an inch thick, and they are dusted with icing sugar. The boy pours syrup over the pancakes. 'Go easy,' says his mum. 'I love syrup,' the boy says happily.

He takes a few bites. The syrup has soaked into the pancakes. The boy pours more syrup on the pancakes. 'You'll be sick,' his mum warns. 'No I won't,' says the boy, defiantly. He manages a few more bites.

Suddenly the little boy goes pale. Then jade green. 'Are you alright?' his mum asks anxiously. 'I'm going to be sick,' the little boy says as his family starts to panic. 'Where's the loo?' the mum asks the waitress. 'The... loo?' the waitress repeats. The mum remembers this is America. 'The bathroom,' she says, trying not to shout. The waitress gestures to the other side of the diner. The boy and his mum run to the bathroom, the little boy holding his hand over his mouth. They get to the door... just. A. Little. Too. Late.

I'm pleased to say that this experience didn't put my son off pancakes, or, for that matter, syrup. We absolutely love American pancakes in this house, but on Shrove Tuesday we will of course be eating the crepe-kind. If you plan to do the same, here's the lovely Emma Forbes to show you how to make perfect ones, courtesy of We Love Pancakes.

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!

With Valentine's Day less than a week away, the National Trust have put together a list of some of the most romantic places in Britain. They include the beautiful Giant's Causeway and Lyme Park, famous as the setting for that lake scene from Pride and Prejudice.

It's got me thinking about my own favourite romantic places. In Britain I'd probably say St Ives. Further afield - well the beaches of the Caribbean are of course incredibly romantic, ditto California, but Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii, the backdrop for Lost, is one of the most breathtaking places I've been to, and it's no surprise that so many couples choose to get married there. It's simply stunning, particularly at sunset.

My ultimate romantic place though has to be Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como. It was used to great effect in Casino Royale and um.. Star Wars Episode II and it's almost laughably romantic, with idyllic terraces everywhere offering incredible vistas of the Lake.

Where are your favourite romantic places? I'd love to know.