Where are the Friday Fives?

You may be wondering what happened to our regular Friday Fives post? It has actually been posted... just not here. You see, we have some special news to tell you.



We've established a brand shining new Made in Me website. Don't worry, The Land of Me blog isn't going anywhere, it's just going to focus exclusively on news, views, and other titbits from The Land of Me. With Me Books, our picture book app, now launched as well as other projects on the boil, we thought it best to keep all of our general Made in Me studio news and gossip on the new site.

So without further waffle, we present the new Made in Me site. Enjoy!

Friday Fives - Robots!

Hello peeps! I have returned from sunnier climes to resume my duty on the Friday Fives. Huge whoops to the lovely Meg Wang from Penguin who wrote some rather snazzy Fives for me whilst I was camping in sunny France. Merci beaucoup mon ami. Now then, some things will remain cool forever. Like The A-Team and brush tipped felt tip pens. Robots. There's another one. Always cool. Et voila!

1. Wallpaper
This will set your antennas a-twitching readers. Check out this wonderfully retro robot wallpaper. Available in a few different colour palettes, this would go down a storm in a little ones bedroom. It's pretty toppy for a single roll, so maybe better to only cover one wall. Probably best, otherwise your wee one might feel as if they'd woken up in an episode of Robot Wars every morning. And no one wants that. Check out designer Aimee Wilder's site for more details.



2. Storage boxes
'Robots in disguise'! Errr or not, more like 'storage boxes in disguise!' Hmm not quite as catchy but you get the gist. These are really nifty. Not only are they incredibly handy for keeping things in they also look super slick AND you can literally create your own robot! Fun times people, fun robo times. Yes indeed. The whizz kid behind this stroke of clever is the brilliantly named Guus Oosterbaan. You can get your hands on these mighty fine boxes here.



3. Stencils
Stencils are another one. They will always be cool. Beautiful things happen when the worlds of stencils and robots collide. Discover a smorgasbord of antennae, buttons, nuts and bolts and other robotic goodies so you can create a whole gaggle of robots. Make up stories, rustle up a comic strip or give the guys at Dr. Who some new ideas for a baddy. Snap one up here.



4. Build-a-robot
Now this get-up is emitting fun factor rays all over the shop. Beautifully crafted wooden pieces of android for your nippers to fit together to create their very own pet robot. Can you have a pet robot? I think so. Plan always dish out the best in wooden toys ensuring they are jam-packed with fun and learning too. There is something totally charming and topsy-turvy about a wooden robot and I, for one, am a whopping fan.



5. Cup Cake Mould
'I command you to eat the contents of my head or you will be exterminated!' If only you could hear me doing my best robot voice that first sentence would have been funny. These cupcake moulds are likely to make you bust out your best robo-dance. Fill them with your best cupcake mix, stick them in the oven and BOOM! A lovely, tasty army of robo-cakes. Yumbots by name. Yumbots by nature. Yum yum. Yum. Yum. Snag them here.

The Little Interview - Dick from Dick and Dom

My, my this has come around quickly...it's time for The Little Interview again. This week we are honoured to have Mr. Richard McCourt AKA Dick from Dick and Dom answering our little bunch of questions. I love Dick and Dom and am particularly partial to a game of Ferrity Trousers but aren't we all? So without further ado I present to you an insight into Dick's childhood.....




1) Describe yourself as a child in 5 words.

Shy but cheeky, talkative, small and thin.

2) What’s your favourite kids book?

James and the Giant Peach

3) What was your favourite toy as a child and why?

Lego, so many things to build, your imagination could run wild.

4) If you could be a fictional character from a kids TV show/film/book for a day who would it be and what would you do?

Horrid Henry - All the stuff he does and more!

5) What inspired you to work in kids entertainment?

Phillip Schofield (used to do our job on CBBC!)

Friday Fives - Fun Cakes for Kids

Harry’s on holiday and she’s entrusted me – Meg from Ladybird Books – to write the Friday Fives for this week. At Ladybird, we make and eat a lot of cake. I believe that cake makes meetings and work environments better. And since we make children’s books, we like cakes for (little and big) kids.

1. Confetti Cake
This perfectly civilized cake batter has been mixed with rainbow-coloured hundreds and thousands, so that when the cake bakes, the sprinkles dissolve and form little coloured spots within the baked cake. Check out the recipe here. It’s like a party in every slice!

2. Sea Turtle Ice Cream Cake
Ice cream cakes take a little longer to make and a little more freezer space, but how cute is this?!? Mint chip scoops make up the turtle shell around a springy sponge so that every slice has that magical combination of cake and ice cream. It’s almost too cute to eat…almost. See how to make one here.

3. Cheeseburger Cake
It’s a hamburger. No, it’s a cake. No, it’s a hamburger cake! This beauty comes from Ronna’s blog. A layer of brownie sandwiched inside a cake bun, this hamburger cake is garnished with marzipan cheese and tomatoes with buttercream lettuce, ketchup and mustard. If you’re afraid of fondant, check out this link for other suggestions on how to make your cheeseburger cake. Awesome.

4. Princess Cake
I know what you’re thinking, Made in Me reader: “Way too tacky. I get the hamburger cake, but the Princess Cake is one step too far.” As much as we try to encourage our children to be individuals, most little girls, at some point, will want a princess cake. So check out the videos here for tips on how to make this 3D marvel. There’s also a special kit here. The look on your little girl’s face will be worth it. Or make it for yourself and live out those gypsy wedding dreams!

5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
I love chocolate chip cookies. So does Cookie Monster. (Did you know that Cookie Monster’s name before he ate his first cookie was Sid?) If you have a cookie monster at home, try this non-cake cake. The cream cheese frosting between each layer is a bit hardcore, so read more here for a frosting variation. As Cookie Monster would say, cakes and cookies are a “sometimes food”. That’s good enough for me!

My Small World and The Land of Me

If you live in Bath, or in the surrounding area, you're bound to frequent My Small World - Bath's most beloved children's toy shop. Well, the lovely Dawn, owner of this fabulous treasure trove, has been an avid follower of The Land of Me since the very beginning and has always said she 'wanted to do something a little different'. Well, she's been true to her word and has now set up The Land of Me experience in the shop!

The team at My Small World have created a magical little area where children can sit and journey through the different adventures as well as cut and colour their way through an abundance of puzzles, games and craft activities... and it's going down a storm!

So, if you're in the area and have little ones, we urge you to pop in and have a play! However, if like us, you live a little further afield, do not fret, as you can find their gorgeous range of toys and games in their online shop here.

It's the first time we've partnered with a children's boutique and we're thrilled to discover that it's going swimmingly according to Dawn. "Parents love it, we love it, children of all ages LOVE it".

Thanks Dawn, and to all the team at My Small World.