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For busy parents, booking a car MOT can easily fall off the to-do list. But making sure your vehicle is roadworthy and legal is important—not just for your family’s safety, but to avoid fines or unexpected breakdowns. If you live in Basildon or nearby, knowing what to expect and how to get ready for an MOT can take a lot of the stress out of it. 

This guide covers everything you need to know about MOT in Basildon, from the basics of the test to finding reliable local services. Whether you’re a new driver, or just need a refresher, understanding the MOT will help keep your family safe on the road year-round. 

What is an MOT and Why is it Important?  

The MOT test is an annual examination required by law for the majority of vehicles older than three years in the UK. It checks your car to make sure it meets the bare minimum environmental and safety standards. During the test, your car’s steering, brakes, tyres, lights, and emissions are all examined to make sure they’re in good working order. 

For parents, the MOT ensures your family car is safe for longer trips, weekend drives, and the school run. An up-to-date MOT can also provide peace of mind that your vehicle won’t break down on the way, meaning you’re not left stranded with a carload of exhausted youngsters. 

Finding Reliable MOT Services in Basildon 

When booking your MOT, it’s vital to choose a reputable service provider. Across Lee Chapel, Billericay, and Pitsea, motorists rely on Elite Direct for MOT Basildon, where certified experts ensure inspections are precise and cost-effective. Their professional approach means you can trust the results and avoid unnecessary repairs or inflated charges. 

Choosing a local MOT centre knowledgeable of Basildon’s roads and circumstances can help. Common problems local cars experience—wear from local driving habits or weather, for instance—experienced technicians can recommend appropriately. For parents, this knowledge enables early detection of issues, lowering the accident or breakdown risk. 

When Should You Book Your MOT? 

The good news is you do not have to allow your MOT to lapse before booking a test. You can get your vehicle tested as much as one month (minus one day) before the current certificate expires, without forfeiting any existing MOT time. This gives you flexibility and allows you to plan the appointment at a time of your choosing, rather than rushing to get it done at short notice. 

If you are late for the MOT, you face a penalty of up to £1,000, and not having a valid MOT can invalidate your insurance—a situation no one wants to risk. Parents often rely on Internet reminders, or calendar reminders, in order to monitor MOT dates and ensure their vehicle remains compliant. 

Preparing Your Car for the MOT Test   

Before your MOT appointment in Basildon, it’s helpful to do some preparation to increase your chances of passing on the first try. Here are some easy checks you can perform yourself:   

Tyres: Make sure they have enough tread depth (at least 1.6mm) and are free from damage.  

Lights: Test all headlights, indicators, brake lights, and hazard lights to ensure they work correctly.   

Windscreen: Check if there are any cracks or chips, and also check that your wipers are working and keeping your windscreen clear.   

Brakes: Have you noticed any strange noises and if braking feels uneven or soft. If you find any issues, have them examined before the MOT.   

Mirrors and Seat Belts: Ensure the mirrors are secure, and the seatbelts function properly, without fraying.   

Taking the time to do these simple checks can prevent common reasons for MOT failures and save you time and money. 

What Happens If Your Vehicle Fails the MOT? 

If your vehicle doesn’t pass the MOT test, the garage will provide a detailed report listing the faults. Depending on the severity, the car may be unsafe to drive until repairs are completed. For minor issues, you might be able to fix them quickly and book a re-test. 

Failing an MOT can feel stressful, especially when managing family commitments. However, knowing your options can ease the process. Some garages offer same-day repairs, or free re-tests within a certain period, helping you get back on the road quickly and safely. 

Hints for Busy Parents Booking Your MOT in Basildon 

Book Early: Don’t wait until the last minute. If you book your MOT in advance, it allows you to have more choices and avoid the queues. 

Combine Services: If your car is due to an oil change or service, ask if the garage will do this with your MOT. 

Inquire: If anything needs fixing or replacing, have the technician explain whatever repairs are performed or recommended. Understanding what must be done will help you make better choices. 

Keep a Copy of Documents: Take your current MOT certificate and service history with you to your appointment, it helps the technician to assess your vehicle condition more effectively. 

Check Reviews: Look up reviews for local MOT centres to identify one that suits your needs and budget. 

Why MOT Basildon Matters for Your Family’s Safety  

It is not just a mandatory requirement, but an essential safety measure and an MOT is a crucial step in the process. Through thorough MOT inspections, problems that are not easily noticed during normal driving can be identified before they cause a serious accident. Parents will experience fewer worries and will be more assured that their cars are safe for every trip if they make sure to get their vehicles through the MOT. 

Final Thoughts 

Booking your MOT in Basildon doesn’t have to be a stressful chore. By understanding what the test involves, preparing your vehicle properly, and choosing a trusted local service, you can make the process smooth and straightforward. 

As a parent, your time is precious, and the safety of your family is paramount. Keeping your MOT up to date is a small but vital way to protect both. So next time your MOT is due, remember these tips and book early with a reliable provider for peace of mind on every journey. 

Image: Depositphotos

–  Kids Eat Free offer allows families to receive a free kids meal child with any adult main meal costing over £5 from The Breakfasts and The Classics menu –

–  The offer is available nationwide in all 344 Morrisons Cafés – 

Morrisons is helping to keep families fed during the October half term with its Kids Eat Free offer which is available at its Cafés nationwide all day, every day.

Families looking to save on feeding the kids can enjoy a free meal and drink for one child aged 16 or under when they purchase an adult main meal costing over £5 from The Breakfasts and The Classics menu.

Kids can dine out on any meal from the Birds Eye kids menu which includes, Birds Eye Chicken Dippers, Birds Eye Fish Fingers, Birds Eye Green Cuisine Veggie Fingers or Goodfella’s Mini 4 Cheese Pizza and any kids drink – which would usually be £4.00 each. 

The Morrisons Café is not only a perfect spot for kids, but adults too with British classics like a classic Steak Pie served with a creamy mash available for £7, or lighter options like the Ham & Cheese Toastie for £4.50. Diners can also tuck into two meals with any two drinks for just £15, available everyday from 12pm until close. This means, with the ongoing offer of Kids Eat Free when one adult meal is purchased*,a family of four can dine in any Morrisons Café for as little as £15 this October.

Matt Khan, Senior Café Trader at Morrisons, said: “We recognise that for many parents and carers, ensuring kids are well-fed during the school holidays can be particularly tough, especially without access to free school meals. That’s why we continue to provide our Kids Eat Free offer, just one of the ways we’re making nutritious food more affordable and accessible for families.”

To find your local Morrisons Café, visit: https://my.morrisons.com/storefinder/.

The festive season is full of sparkle and joy, but it can also take a toll on the planet. Every year, huge amounts of plastic packaging are discarded, and countless gifts go unused, ending up as waste.

That’s why this Christmas, Seedball is offering something a little different – thoughtful, sustainable presents that truly make a difference. Each gift is packed with native wildflower seeds, wrapped in peat-free compost and natural clay, and presented in recyclable packaging. Once scattered, these little seed balls transform into beautiful wildflower displays that support pollinators and local wildlife well into spring and beyond.

This year, give a gift that grows and pick from Seedball’s eco-friendly Christmas collection, including some festive favourites below:

New for 2025: Set of Six Wildflower Jars RRP: £24.00

Looking for a gift that’s as joyful as it is planet-friendly? Seedball’s brand new Set of 6 Wildflower Jars are perfect for spreading a little flower power this Christmas. Each glass jar is filled with eight seed balls, each containing much-loved wildflowers including corn chamomile, poppy, cornflower, buttercup, corn marigold and forget-me-not.

Gift the full set to one lucky nature-lover, or split them up for thoughtful stocking fillers, teacher presents, or little treats for colleagues. Beautifully simple, endlessly useful, and a gift that will bloom into colour by spring – it’s Christmas giving made easy (and a little wild!)

Flowers for Bees Collection RRP: £16.00

Give bees a helping hand this Christmas with our set of six bee-friendly wildflower mixes. Each beautifully designed box celebrates a different British bee species, complete with a unique seed blend to support them.

Just scatter the seed balls onto soil or compost – in pots, window boxes, or garden beds – and let nature do the rest. Each set includes 36 seed balls, enough to cover around 2m² or fill plenty of pots (leave about 10cm between each ball).

Perfect for eco-conscious gifting – keep the set together for one special present or split them up as charming stocking fillers or Secret Santa surprises. Each box also includes a little info card with easy sowing instructions. Best scattered in spring or autumn for a beautiful bee-friendly display!

Christmas Bees Mini Tins (Set of Six) RRP: £18.00

Bring a buzz of joy to stockings, Secret Santas, or little thank-yous with the festive Christmas Bees Mini Tins. Each one holds five seed balls, packed with a magical mix of wildflowers including Common Toadflax, Cornflower, Cowslip, Meadow Cranesbill, Musk Mallow, Oxeye Daisy, and Red Campion. Cute, cheerful, and brimming with wildlife-friendly seeds – the perfect way to gift a pocket-sized patch of colour.

Happy Christmas Mini Tins (Set of Six) RRP: £18.00

Bright, colourful, and oh-so festive – Seedball’s Happy Christmas Mini Tins are made for gifting. This set of six little tins makes it easy to spread the joy: keep them together for one big present, or split them up as thoughtful stocking fillers, office party treats, or teacher gifts. Each tin has five seed balls, bursting with around 30 wildflower seeds, plus a sprinkle of pollinator-friendly annuals like Chamomile and Corn Marigold. A gift that’s guaranteed to grow more than smiles!

Make Your Own Seed Ball Kit – 3 to choose from! RRP: £15.00

Looking for a gift with a creative twist? Each Make Your Own Seed Ball Kit is fun, hands-on, and just a little messy – perfect for kids, adults, and anyone who loves to get stuck in. Each kit comes with eco-friendly pouches of wildflower seeds, clay powder and peat-free compost to roll between 40–60 seed balls. Just add water, mix, and roll! In under an hour, you’ll have your own batch of seed balls ready to bring pollinator-friendly colour to gardens, balconies, or window boxes. A brilliant activity to enjoy together over the festive season.

Set of 5 Wildflower Tubes RRP: £26.00

Beautifully illustrated and bursting with blooms – Seedball’s best-selling Set of 5 Wildflower Tubes is a gift for gardeners and wildlife alike. Each tube contains 20 seed balls packed with much-loved wildflowers including Poppy, Cornflower, Oxeye Daisy, Red Campion and Forget-Me-Not. Perfect for window boxes, balcony pots, garden beds – or scatter them freely and embrace a little chaos gardening! Gift the whole set or split them up as individual presents. A truly blooming marvellous way to spread joy this Christmas.

To explore Seedball’s wider range of festive gifting and stocking-filler surprises, visit the website at www.seedball.co.uk

• Just in time for Halloween, McDonald’s and Care Bears team up to launch an exclusive spooktacular Happy Meal®.
• From Wednesday, 15^th October, every Happy Meal® comes with either a Halloween-inspired Care Bears plush toy or a Care Bears book.
• Nine spooktacular plush toys to enjoy, plus a brand-new, exclusive book available.

McDonald’s is delivering smiles with the launch of the Care Bears Happy Meal®, arriving in restaurants nationwide on Wednesday, 15^th October.

For a limited time only, families can enjoy one of nine spooktacular Care Bears plush toys, each given a Halloween-inspired makeover to spark imagination, storytelling, and play.

From fun mash-ups like Cheer Bear & Grumpy Bear to Tenderheart Bear & Harmony Bear, the collection comes complete with surprising twists for kids to enjoy their very own Care Bears crew this spooky season.

In addition to the plush toys, McDonald’s is also offering an exclusive Care Bears book, written especially for this campaign and never released before. Packed with colour, creativity, and heart-warming adventures, the story extends the magic well beyond mealtime.

The campaign brings Care Bears from the world of Care-A-Lot into real life, as families can enjoy in-restaurant character visits across the country, themed activity pages, and immersive graphics that make the Happy Meal® experience even more magical. Find your nearest participating restaurant here. October half term dates available at selected McDonald’s restaurants – check it out!

Whether it’s spooky mash-ups from your favourite Care Bears, diving into magical stories, or meeting the characters in person, the Care Bears Happy Meal® sparks imagination and shares the care – available for a limited time only, exclusively at McDonald’s.

They are also included in the Buy One Get One Half Price – PJs in a Bag Offer

Unwrap the magic this Christmas with Boux Avenue’s Mini Me PJs in a bag – irresistibly cosy and utterly adorable. Designed to match with your own festive PJs, they’re made for memory-making and picture-perfect moments by the tree. Because nothing says Christmas quite like coordinated magic, soft snuggles, and a touch of sparkle.

Boux Avenue’s Mini Me Pjs in a Bag are available for ages 2 to 12 years old at £26.00 to £28.00, with matching adult Pjs in a Bag available in sizes 6-18 at £40.00. They are also included in Boux Avenue’s Buy One Get One Half Price – PJs in a Bag Offer.

Kid’s Christmas Scene Pyjamas in a Bag – Red Mix £26.00 – £28.00 – in ages 2 to 12 and matching Adult’s Christmas Scene Pyjamas in a Bag – Red Mix £40.00 – sizes 6-18.

Kid’s Deer Print Pyjamas in a Bag – Pink Mix £26.00 – £28.00 – in ages 2 to 12 and matching Adult’s Deer Print Pyjamas in a Bag – Pink Mix £40.00 – sizes 6-18 or Adult’s Deer Shorties in a Bag – Pink Mix £35.00 – sizes 6-18.

Kid’s Striped Christmas Pyjamas in a Bag – Red Mix £26.00 – £28.00 – in ages 2 to 12 and matching Adult’s Striped Christmas Pyjamas in a Bag – Red Mix £40.00 – Sizes 6-18.

Kid’s Heart Print Pyjamas in a Bag – Pink Mix £26.00 – £28.00 – Ages 2 to 12 and the matching Adult’s Heart Print Pyjamas in a Bag – Pink Mix £40.00 – Sizes 6-18. 

Kid’s Red Heart Pyjamas in a Bag – Cream £26.00 – £28.00 – Ages 2 to 12 and the matching Adult’s Red Heart Pyjamas in a Bag – Cream £40.00 – Sizes 6-18. 

As grown-ups, we’ve all been through the tricky teenager stage, but so much has changed in recent years (the rise of social media, the impact of Covid, and more) bringing with it issues that were not so prevalent in the past. The success and impact of TV programmes such as Adolescence have further brought these issues to the fore.

For children (and the parents of those children) about to encounter this phase of their life, there is a new book LADULT: Navigating Safely from Boy to Man.

Written by father-and-son team, Dr Andy Cope (who, with a PhD in positive psychology, became the UK’s first ever ‘Dr of Happiness’) and Oliver Cope (who is currently completing a university thesis that examines the link between social media and attention spans) LADULT isn’t just another book on growing up – it’s a survival guide for the wild ride into adulthood.

The book has been created to help boys and young men grow in confidence, build helpful habits, spend less time glued to screens, upgrade their relationships, strengthen their resilience, fulfil their potential, and future-proof their life.

Aimed at boys aged between 12 and 16 – who are discovering that one minute, you’re a carefree kid, the next, you’re juggling exams, screen time, relationship dramas, weird emotions, and the daunting reality of entering the adult world – LADULT is packed with insight, science, stories, and straight-up advice, teaching readers how to bounce back from setbacks and build the kind of mindset that keeps you strong – no matter what life throws at you.

And it doesn’t shy away from the big stuff. Tackling the perils of testosterone, screen time, neurodiversity, toxic masculinity and pornography head-on – but with a good dose of humour thrown in, LADULT is a route map to confidence, resilience, and helping boys become the man they want to be.

LADULT – published October 2025, by Capstone, A Wiley Brand, in paperback and ebook priced £12.99

Getting the whole family moving together creates lasting memories, whilst also building healthy habits that benefit everyone. Whether you’re looking to squeeze in some exercise between school runs, or planning weekend adventures, family fitness activities offer the perfect solution for busy households. These shared experiences not only improve physical health, but also strengthen family bonds, boost confidence, and teach children that staying active can be genuinely enjoyable. From garden games to living room workouts, there are countless ways to make fitness a fun family affair that suits every schedule and fitness level.

Active Indoor Adventures

Living Room Dance Parties

Transform your lounge into a dance floor with impromptu family dance sessions. Create playlists that appeal to all ages, mixing current chart toppers with classic hits that parents enjoyed in their youth. Dancing burns significant numbers of calories, whilst also improving coordination, rhythm, and cardiovascular health. Children naturally love music and movement, making this an effortless way to get everyone’s heart rate up without it feeling like traditional exercise.

The beauty of dance parties lies in their flexibility; they can last five minutes or an hour, depending on everyone’s energy levels and available time. Encourage silly moves, freeze dance games, or even choreographed routines that the family can learn together. This activity works particularly well on rainy days when outdoor plans fall through.

Obstacle Course Challenges

Design indoor obstacle courses using household items like cushions, chairs, and blankets. Create crawling tunnels under tables, jumping stations using pillows, and balance beams with masking tape on the floor. These courses develop agility, problem-solving skills, and friendly competition amongst family members.

Rotate course designers weekly, allowing each family member to create their own challenging layout. Time each other completing the course, celebrating improvements and creative solutions. This activity particularly appeals to children who enjoy games with clear objectives and measurable progress.

Active Video Games

Modern gaming consoles offer numerous fitness-focused games that get families moving together. From virtual tennis matches to dance competitions, these interactive experiences combine technology with physical activity. Many games track progress and calories burned, appealing to family members who enjoy monitoring their achievements.

Choose games that accommodate multiple players simultaneously, ensuring everyone participates, rather than waiting their turn. These sessions work excellently during harsh weather when outdoor activities aren’t feasible, providing an engaging alternative that still promotes movement and laughter.

Outdoor Family Fitness Fun

Garden Circuit Training

Transform your back garden into a fitness circuit using simple equipment or bodyweight exercises. Set up stations for jumping jacks, running on the spot, stretching, and strength exercises adapted for different ages and abilities. This approach introduces children to structured exercise, whilst maintaining the playful atmosphere they crave.

Designate different areas for various activities, perhaps using garden furniture, or natural features, as markers. Parents working towards health goals, including those incorporating medical support like Wegovy for weight management, often find family circuits particularly motivating, as they combine personal fitness objectives with quality family time.

Nature Scavenger Hunts

Combine walking or hiking with treasure hunting, by creating nature-based scavenger hunts. List items for family members to find during walks, such as specific leaves, interesting rocks, or wildlife spotting. This activity encourages exploration, whilst providing moderate cardiovascular exercise through walking at varying paces.

Adapt hunt difficulty based on children’s ages, including photography challenges for older kids or simple colour-matching games for younger ones. These hunts work brilliantly in local parks, woodlands, or even neighbourhood streets, making them accessible, regardless of location or budget.

Playground Workouts

Visit local playgrounds and engage with equipment alongside your children. Many playground features double as exercise equipment for adults – monkey bars for upper body strength, benches for step-ups, and open spaces for running games. This approach demonstrates that fitness can happen anywhere, whilst maximising playground visits.

Create family challenges using playground equipment, such as who can cross the monkey bars fastest, or complete the most consecutive swings. Parents can incorporate their own exercises whilst supervising children, making playground visits beneficial for everyone involved.

Cycling Adventures

Family bike rides offer excellent cardiovascular exercise, whilst exploring local areas together. Start with short routes around familiar neighbourhoods, before progressing to longer adventures along cycle paths or quiet country roads. Cycling builds leg strength, improves balance, and provides practical transportation skills for children.

Plan regular family cycling trips to different destinations, perhaps combining exercise with visits to parks, beaches, or historic sites. This approach creates positive associations with physical activity whilst achieving fitness goals through enjoyable exploration, rather than structured exercise sessions.

Seasonal Activity Ideas

Winter Fitness Fun

Cold weather doesn’t have to stop family fitness fun. Embrace the season by building snowmen, having playful snowball fights, or going on winter hikes with warm, layered clothing. Ice skating, sledging, and creating snow forts are fantastic ways to stay active while enjoying the crisp winter air. Indoors, families can try yoga by the fireside, or turn household chores into lively games. You could also host a living-room dance party to keep everyone moving, or set up a mini indoor obstacle course for a fun challenge on chilly days.

Summer Movement Celebrations

Warmer months open up endless opportunities for outdoor fun and movement. Water games, garden sprinkler runs, and paddling pool play offer both refreshing relief and active enjoyment. You can also organise family garden sports days, create colourful chalk obstacle courses on driveways, or enjoy evening walks as the daylight lingers longer. Picnics in the park, bike rides, or nature scavenger hunts can further encourage everyone to stay active and make the most of the sunshine. These outdoor adventures help build lasting memories while promoting fitness and togetherness.

Making Family Fitness Sustainable

Scheduling Success

Integrate family fitness into regular routines, rather than treating it as an additional burden. Weekend morning activities, after-dinner walks, or pre-bedtime stretching sessions become anticipated family traditions when consistently maintained. Flexibility remains crucial – some days might allow hour-long adventures, whilst others suit ten-minute dance sessions. The goal is to keep movement enjoyable and adaptable so that everyone looks forward to participating together.

Celebrating Progress

Acknowledge improvements and participation, rather than focusing solely on performance. Create family fitness journals, take progress photos, or establish reward systems that celebrate consistency over achievement. This approach builds positive relationships with exercise that extend beyond childhood.

Encouraging shared family goals and celebrating small milestones together can make physical activity more enjoyable and sustainable for everyone.

To Conclude

Family fitness activities offer wonderful opportunities to combine health benefits with quality time together. These shared experiences create positive associations with physical activity, whilst also building stronger family relationships. Whether dancing in the living room, exploring nature trails, or playing garden games, the key lies in choosing activities everyone enjoys and can participate in together. Regular family fitness sessions establish healthy lifestyle patterns that children carry into adulthood, making these investments in active time together genuinely worthwhile for long-term family wellbeing.

Image: Depositphotos

Planning your first family ski trip? It’s an amazing feeling to whisk your kids away to a wintery wonderland and introduce them to the thrill of skiing, but planning a family ski trip can be daunting. This article will help parents through all the essential logistics, preparation steps, and common pitfalls. This should help you plan a trip that is fun, manageable, and stress-free.

Choosing the Right Resort & Accommodation

First, ensure that you choose a resort known for its family-friendliness. This means having gentle slopes, good ski schools, childcare/creche facilities, non-skiing activities, and ease of access (short transfers, direct flights). Staying close to lifts or ski-in/ski-out accommodation can also make it quick and easy to hit the slopes each day on family ski holidays.

Timing, Bookings, & Cost-Management

The timing of any ski trip is an important consideration. When travelling with kids, you will be visiting during peak season (school holidays), so be sure to book everything as far in advance as possible – this could also help you get better deals and keep your costs down. There are often package deals to take advantage of that bundle everything together and can simplify planning, plus discounts on children’s equipment hire, so be sure to look around before the trip.

Gear, Clothing, & Kit Logistics

Following this, you need to be smart when it comes to gear, clothing, and kit. Hiring equipment such as skis, boots, poles, and helmets is smart, because it will significantly reduce the amount you bring with you – travelling with kids is often stressful, but this is amplified when you are also lugging ski gear for a small group. You can purchase clothing, though, including waterproof salopettes, thermal layers, and gloves. Make sure that everyone has plenty of layers that will allow them to adapt to changing conditions. There are useful packing checklists available online that will ensure you have everything you need.

Ski School, Lessons, & Pacing

Ski schools are the best way for kids (and adults) to get to grips with the basics. Group lessons are an easy, fun, and sociable way to learn, while private lessons can be useful for nervous skiers. Be sure to schedule rest days, or half days, as skiing can be very tiring, especially for beginners and kids. You can use downtime to enjoy quality time together, exploring the resort, and off-slope activities.

Hopefully, the advice in this post should help you plan the perfect family ski holiday. Family ski vacations are a great way to pass your love of skiing onto your kids and create new memories together, but these trips can be harder to plan than a typical vacation. By focusing on the above areas, you can simplify the process and plan a trip that you will all cherish for a lifetime.

Image: Depositphotos

Introducing the Luxury Sleep Mask by Cradle & Tonic – the ultimate sleep companion for both pregnancy and postpartum. Crafted from 100% mulberry silk, this luxurious sleep mask not only blocks out light but also helps to nourish your skin, minimising fine lines while promoting a restful, rejuvenating sleep. Soft and snug, it’s the perfect addition to your hospital bag and an essential item for those precious moments of rest.

Pregnancy is exhausting, and we all know how difficult it can be to get proper rest with the endless disruptions, discomfort, and anxiety that come with it. The Luxury Sleep Mask blocks out light to promote melatonin production, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, even when your mind is racing. Struggling with insomnia in the third trimester? This mask creates a sanctuary of darkness that lulls you into a deeper, more restful sleep, whether you’re napping during the day or fighting off a restless night. And if you need to rest in a bright hospital room or while travelling, this mask transforms any space into a calming sleep zone, giving you the luxury of uninterrupted, peaceful sleep no matter where you are.

Postpartum, sleep becomes even more precious. Between the unpredictable sleep schedules of your newborn and the overwhelming fatigue of new parenthood, the Luxury Sleep Mask ensures that you can rest and recover whenever you can. Deep, uninterrupted sleep is vital for your recovery, and this mask helps you maximise that precious downtime. Plus, it supports breastfeeding by encouraging healthy prolactin levels, which are crucial for milk production. When it feels like your mind and body can’t catch a break, the mask offers an instant sensory retreat, helping you wind down and reconnect, even if you’re just lying down for a moment.

Available in dusky pink and olive, the Luxury Sleep Mask by Cradle & Tonic is more than just a sleep aid – it’s a wellness essential for every stage of motherhood.

I See a Star is the second book in the University of Cambridge: Teeny Tiny Science series and the perfect first introduction to the cycle of a star for children aged 3+.

Created in consultation with Dr Matthew Bothwell from the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge.

From clouds of dust drifting in the freezing depths of space to the explosive power of a supernova, join two children and their cat on a fantastic journey through the life-cycle of a star. As they ride on a meteor, zoom in a rocket and stargaze from their garden, young readers will discover how the stars up above us begin, grow and die in an incredible, ever-changing cycle.

With a storybook format and stunning illustrations, this book will entertain, inspire and gently educate 3-5-year-olds. Beautiful, lyrical text by Saskia Gwinn and breathtaking, collage-style artwork by Daniela Sosa.

Saskia Gwinn is an author of children’s books. She has worked in children’s publishing for nearly 20 years, crafting best-selling, award-winning non-fiction books to inspire kids on almost everything from how time began to the silliest things in the world today. She lives in Hertfordshire with her two boys who hope dinosaurs will one day revisit Earth.

Daniela Sosa graduated from the Cambridge School of Art with an MA in children’s book illustration. When not illustrating, she enjoys nature walks, old pubs, and crafty projects. Originally from Romania, Daniela Sosa now lives in Cambridge, England.

University of Cambridge: Teeny Tiny Science

I See a Star

Written by Saskia Gwinn

Illustrated by Daniela Sosa

14^th August 2025 | Age 3-6

Paperback • £7.99 • 9781805133278

Hardback • £12.99 • 9781805133261