Making It Up

as we go along

giveaway

Discovery Pass giveaway with the Forestry Commission and #weloveforests

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Forestry Commission Badge

I’m very lucky to be working with the Forestry Commission as an ambassador at the moment, and I’m looking forward to getting back to our local forest, now that spring has sprung (she remarks quietly so as not to scare it off) *and* we’ve got a working car. (Knocking frantically on wood, and not really caring if that scares spring off after all!) As part of the arrangement we’ve been given a Discovery Pass, which gives us free entry/parking to our local site, along with a batch of other benefits. It’s a very worthwhile perk 🙂

And now I can offer you the chance to win your very own Discovery Pass.

Forestry Commission Discovery Pass - image

It’s valid for a specific location, and you will need to stipulate which venue you want. See the full details here

The prize will be fulfilled by The Forestry Commission and the winner must be willing to provide full contact details, to be passed to them.

The pass is valid for 12 months and gives free parking for one car at the designated location.

There are additional benefits to the pass including

  • A seasonal e-newsletter, with forest news and events
  • Generous discount vouchers for shops and activities on and off site. Benefits differ from site to site.

Sounds good doesn’t it? You too could have your very own preferred forest location and get free parking there. And all you have to do to enter is leave me a comment, telling me what your favourite tree is.

You can have extra entries for any or all of the following:

Sign up to the Forestry Commission Newsletter

Follow the Forestry Commission on Twitter

Like them on Facebook

Tweet this post *including* the hashtag #weloveforests (hint, the tweet button should do it for you.)

Share the post any other way you like.

You *must* leave an extra comment for each entry method – I use And the winner is plugin which makes a random draw from the entered comments. Competition runs until next Sunday evening 14th April at midnight.

Read 52 – books for children from Templar books

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A reading challenge from https://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup

The background: I’ve challenged Big to read 52 books this year. She will probably be mentioning them over here on her blog. I’m also going to have a crack at reading at least 52 books myself, and more importantly, I’m going to keep track of what books I’m reading to the little ones. I’m going to do all of that in a weekly post, and I’ve also set up a google plus community which you’re very welcome to join. (If you need an invitation, leave me a comment using relevant email address – which will stay hidden.)

This week I don’t seem to have had much time to read for myself. But in keeping with my aim to do more things particularly with the younger children, today has been a Big Reading Day.

I was lucky enough on twitter the other day to win a competition to win a parcel of goodies from Templar Publishing. I had no idea at the time I won what a fabulous selection they had to choose from! And the books were sent out by UPS so they got here really quickly. Smallest was thrilled with Naked Trevor from Rebecca Elliott and Sidney, Stella and the Moon, a debut picture book from Emma Yarlett. Both Tim and I have had to read about Trevor (including his naked bottom!), and I’ve read about the Moon three times now. I can see that becoming a firm favourite. It’s a simple story, about siblings who struggle with sharing and accidentally break the moon, and it’s beautifully illustrated, with lots going on in the pictures that you can talk about. As we read the front page she asked me why there were two Os there, so we talked about how you write Moon, and then you get to a page where one of the Os is broken, so that led to a good discussion too.

The real hit of the parcel though was the book for Tigerboy. Touch and Play is described on the website as an activity centre, and they aren’t wrong. Every page has got inviting textures, colours, and pictures. Tigerboy adores it – he shakes it to hear the rattle and has already identified his favourite page, with the squeaky black nose on the teddy bear. I’ve got pictures, but because my phone was charging they’re on Tim’s, so I’ll add them in tomorrow.

So, given today’s post has been all about the children’s books, I think it had better be a children’s book competition. What’s your favourite children’s book? Can be one from your childhood, or one you read to your children now, I don’t mind. But leave me a comment letting me know. The prize will be either a picture book or YA book, depending on what the bookshop down the road has in that I like the look of – I’ll update the post during the week with a title.

The competition closes next Thursday 21 March at midnight so that I can announce the winner next Friday. And you can have an extra entry for sharing this post, using the badge or joining the linky with your own Read52 post – but you must leave an extra comment for each thing you’ve done, telling me what it is. As I’m doing the posting, I’m afraid it’s only open to UK – but if you’re international and happy to arrange to have it posted on you can do that – I’m only sending to a UK address. Draw will be made using the lovely plugin and the winner is, which relies on separate comment entries.

Grab the badge

Enter the linky.

Last week’s winner was Anne-Marie from Child Led Chaos – congratulations!

Read 52 This is what happy looks like review with voucher giveaway.

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A reading challenge from https://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup

The background: I’ve challenged Big to read 52 books this year. She will probably be mentioning them over here on her blog. I’m also going to have a crack at reading at least 52 books myself, and more importantly, I’m going to keep track of what books I’m reading to the little ones. I’m going to do all of that in a weekly post, and I’ve also set up a google plus community which you’re very welcome to join. (If you need an invitation, leave me a comment using relevant email address – which will stay hidden.)

So this week I managed to read a whole book in three hours. It turned out to be one of those books that I just didn’t want to put down.

You’re going to be expecting some riveting and worthy work of art here aren’t you? Or a SF barnstormer of a novel. Probably not a YA contemporary romance. Sorry to disappoint, but that’s what this is. And it’s a beautiful one, just about perfectly judged. I loved the email exchanges that start the story and then pepper the book – I know what it’s like to fall in love by email after all 😉 (Seriously, I met my other half on an email list. 14 years and four children later…) I loved the two main characters, neither of whom are quite what they seem, which is what sets up the necessary friction. The plot is perhaps a little overly complex, but hey, there’s got to be something to keep your interest hasn’t there? And this would transfer beautifully to the big screen, although given that it’s partly about a film set and a film star it might be a little circular.

I had to wait to read it though. Big got to it before I did. She read it in under a day – and loved it to pieces. So it’s got a generational seal of approval, from the 13 year old and the ever young at heart slightly older mother. I love a good romance, and this is great. I particularly like that the female lead doesn’t automatically swoon at the feet of the film star, but instead runs out on him several times. Not all women are automatically turned by a pretty face.

So, a competition. We’ll do it for a £10 amazon (or whatever the local equivalent currency and shop is – yes, it’s open internationally) voucher again this week, and to enter, leave me a comment telling me what your happy looks like. (I really should have had a chat with the book PR who sent this over to see if they’ve any copies for competitions. Ah well. You could always pop over to twitter and enter Miss Page Turner’s competition as described here.)

The competition closes next Thursday 14th March at midnight GMT so that I can announce the winner next Friday. And you can have an extra entry for sharing this post, using the badge or joining the linky with your own Read52 post – but you must leave an extra comment for each thing you’ve done, telling me what it is. Draw will be made using the lovely plugin and the winner is, which relies on separate comment entries.

Grab the badge

Enter the linky.

Read 52 Divergent and a voucher giveaway.

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A reading challenge from https://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup

The background: I’ve challenged Big to read 52 books this year. She will probably be mentioning them over here on her blog. I’m also going to have a crack at reading at least 52 books myself, and more importantly, I’m going to keep track of what books I’m reading to the little ones. I’m going to do all of that in a weekly post, and I’ve also set up a google plus community which you’re very welcome to join. (If you need an invitation, leave me a comment using relevant email address – which will stay hidden.)

Most of the reading I’ve done this week has been to Smallest. We’ve read lots of Tree Fu Tom, some Driver Dan, Kitty helps out and my first words. I’m not sure I’ve managed anything for myself, although I did read Divergent last week.

I really enjoyed it. I raved about it so much that Tim read it as well. It was great to be able to discuss it in person with another adult too. First off, it’s a ripping yarn, a strong story that rattles along at a good pace. But as well as that there are some interesting ideas in there. There’s discussion of the traits of the different factions, of how they are deteriorating from the original ideas. There’s nothing dauntless about stabbing someone in the dark, for example.

There’s also ideas around nature and nurture when you look at what’s happening to the children. Can’t wait to get my hands on the next one and get to discuss that too.

This week I’m giving the competition a twist. Instead of a book from my stash, the winner can choose a book of their choice up to £10 or equivalent in local currency from the book depository. To enter, leave me a comment telling me what you’d choose. (You can change your mind if you win though. )

The competition closes next Thursday 28 th February at midnight so that I can announce the winner next Friday. And you can have an extra entry for sharing this post, using the badge or joining the linky with your own Read52 post – but you must leave an extra comment for each thing you’ve done, telling me what it is. As this is a voucher draw for a book of your choice up to £10 if the book depository ships to your country you can enter. Draw will be made using the lovely plugin and the winner is, which relies on separate comment entries.

Grab the badge

A reading challenge from https://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup

Enter the linky.

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Read 52 unfinished books and a giveaway of The Good Father

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A reading challenge from https://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup

The background: I’ve challenged Big to read 52 books this year. She will probably be mentioning them over here on her blog. I’m also going to have a crack at reading at least 52 books myself, and more importantly, I’m going to keep track of what books I’m reading to the little ones. I’m going to do all of that in a weekly post, and I’ve also set up a google plus community which you’re very welcome to join. (If you need an invitation, leave me a comment using relevant email address – which will stay hidden.)

This week I seem mainly to have been starting books rather than finishing them. I’m now reading Fuse (Pure Trilogy 2) by Juliana Baggott during the day, Slated by Teri Terry in the evenings and The End of Politics and the Birth of iDemocracy by Douglas Carswell any time I feel intelligent, which isn’t very often. We’ve also kept up the Tree Fu Tom theme as we got a pack of those for review and I’ve been reading them with Smallest.

So for the competition this week, to win a paperback copy of The Good Father, tell me about a book you started and didn’t finish.

The competition closes next Thursday 14th February at midnight so that I can announce the winner next Friday. And you can have an extra entry for sharing this post, using the badge or joining the linky with your own Read52 post – but you must leave an extra comment for each thing you’ve done, telling me what it is. As I’m doing the posting, I’m afraid it’s only open to UK – but if you’re international and happy to arrange to have it posted on you can do that – I’m only sending to a UK address. Draw will be made using the lovely plugin and the winner is, which relies on separate comment entries.

Grab the badge A reading challenge from https://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup

Enter the linky.

<disclosure: Above book links are affiliate links. Some books were sent free for the purposes of review, others are from the library.>