What I've Won In May

It's only been in the last week or so that I've managed to get back into the comping groove - hopefully next month's will be a bumper post! ;) Still, I have won a few lovely things:

☆ Jogging bottoms from Adolescent Clothing.
☆ Kylie Jenner lipgloss (Literally) from Student-Stylexo.
☆ Kids DVD bundle from Family Fever.
☆ Pygmy Cloud stationery from Digibloom.

For previous months, please click HERE.

Micro Playmobil Worlds

Sadly discontinued, Playmobil Micro Worlds is one of my favourite sources of awesome looking, affordable doll house toys. The sets came in fold out boxes, with two full size Playmobil figures and accessories, plus a whole bunch of tiny goodness. Here's the Noah's Ark micro set with a Shelly (AKA Kelly, Barbie's toddler sister) doll:


The tiny figures are magnetic (as was their original box), but they stand up nicely unaided too. I'd wanted a miniature Noah's Ark for ages when I first stumbled across the Micro Worlds. I picked this set up for under £5 on eBay, whereas dollhouse arks tend to start at around the £20 mark.

Since then I've added another four worlds to my collection, and fully intend to find the rest. Here is a guide to the eight Micro Worlds, and other Playmobil sets which incorporate the micro pieces.

#4330: Fairy Tale Castle
Full Contents. How cute is this mini version of the Princess Fantasy Castle? It even has the horse and carriage too. This set was released in 2006 then discontinued, but you can still get the micro bits as part of the Princess line. (More on that later.)


#4331: Pirate Ship
Full Contents. I love the little pirate ship, released in 2007, and it goes well with my vast collection of Playmobil pirate treasure - those doubloons are perfect miniature chocolate coins.


#4332: Noah's Ark
Full Contents. Released in 2006.


#4333: Knights' Castle
Full Contents. Released in 2006.


#4334: Farm
Full Contents. Released in 2008.


#4335: Modern House
Full Contents. Released in 2008.


#4336: Airport
Full Contents. Released in 2008.


#4337: Harbour
Full Contents. Released in 2008.

You can also get some of the miniatures as part of larger sets:

#4287: Children's Room
Full Contents. Released in 2008.


#4891: Christmas Market
Full Contents. Released in 2010, this set has a green version of the dragon from the Knights' Castle world, and the horse and carriage from the Fairy Tale Castle.


#4892: Christmas Room
Full Contents. Released in 2010 and discontinued in 2014. It doesn't contain any pieces from the micro worlds, but does have a blue car like the one in the micro airport world, and a tiny nativity which roughly fits the micro scale. In 2014 it was replaced by #5946: Advent Calendar Christmas Room with Illuminated Tree. It still has the micro nativity scene and can be bought from the Playmobil website for £19.99.


#5306: Children's Room
Full Contents. Released in 2015, this set is currently available from the Playmobil website for £11.99. It uses the little dragon and one of the mounted knights from the knights castle micro world.


#5333: Boy and Girl Room
Full Contents. A former - and far superior version - of #5306 including the micro world farm. It was released in 2010.


#5488: City Life Toy Shop
Full Contents. It doesn't have any micro world parts - but it does have toy boxes which would be in scale. Miniature Playmobil boxes were also included with a few other sets, like 2004's #4150: Christmas Eve Advent Calendar.


#6303: Royal Children's Room
RRP £13.75 - find it on the Playmobil website HERE. It contains the main part of the micro Fairy Tale Castle.


#6852: Children's Room
Another current set, it has the micro horse and carriage in purple, and I spy a little knight on a horse up in the chest on the table.


#6854: Dining Palace
Check out that little dragon - part of the micro knights' palace - in the gift box. According to Klickypedia, this set is due out this year.

Which is your favourite micro world? :)

For more posts on dolls and miniatures, please click HERE.

This Week #37

Marianna is so close to walking. She has taken a few steps unaided even! It's just building up her confidence now more than anything, because she's still really reluctant to let go when standing up. Another milestone this week has been saying her name for the first time. It's my fault for choosing such a difficult name - and then not shortening it - but when she does give herself a name it's usually 'baba'. We've been working on each syllable of Marianna and this week we got something approximating 'Ma-yi-ah-ah'. So cute!

In other news, work was pretty quiet. I had planning committee and did level 1 safeguarding children and young people training. We've been out with Marianna quite a bit instead, to the boating lake, town, etc, and I've been working hard on clearing the board on the competition database. Fingers crossed I'll win something.

Check out my Top Ten Travel Tips, a guest post for The Rare Welsh Bit - www.therarewelshbit.com

A photo posted by Jessica Powell (@plastigffantastig) on May 24, 2016 at 7:46am PDT

Suitcase shot for my guest post for The Rare Welshbit - Ten Top Travel Tips.

☆ READING: The post that got 'Mommy Bloggers' everywhere talking - Josi Denise's essay on why all parenting blogs suck. They're all boring, fake, money grabbing and lack real engagement. Her own mommy blog gained her nothing... bar the thousands of dollars she raked in each month from sponsored posts and sugarcoated reviews.

My heart bleeds.

I don't know what marks parenting blogs out as especially naff but, unlike some viral flouncers, Josi is going to keep blogging to show us how we should be doing things. Meanwhile I'll continue sharing my boring sucky life with you all - if I've got to live it, the least the rest of the world can do is listen to me complain about it. ;)

☆ WRITING: 10 Things Every Blogger Should Know About LinkedIn. I've been spending lots of time working out LinkedIn so you don't have to.

☆ WATCHING: The Simpsons. It may have been going forever, but it's still good!

☆ LISTENING: Individuality by Area 7.

"Do you really care what other people think about you?
Does it really matter what they do or what they say?
You fought too hard to let them throw it all back in your face,
When their opinion never mattered anyway."

☆ WEARING: Bangles. At least until Marianna appropriated them.

☆ EATING: Chocolate cake.

☆ REVIEWING: Nothing this week.


This week was so disappointing. The Tots100 parent blog chart finally updated - and I dropped 80 places. :( It's not the be all and end all, I know, but it's still not the kind of statistic you want to see.

Still, other posts this week included The Mummy Tag and editorial calendar ideas for June.

Blogging Editorial Calendar for June

Throughout the year there are so many awareness days, commemorative days, special days, celebrations, holidays, observances, etc, etc. These can be great as blog post inspiration, or just for getting a bit of extra traffic to an existing post by promoting it as a tie-in.

Read on for a list of notable dates for June - if the day has its own website or wiki page, I've linked to it. A lot of the weirder ones are USA based unofficial 'national days'; I've included them in the list if they've crossed the pond, or had a fair number of media hits when I googled them.

1st

☆ Children's Day. [Various]
☆ Gawai Dayak. [Malaysia + Indonesia]
☆ Global Parents' Day.
☆ Global Running Day.
☆ Go Barefoot Day.
☆ Heimlich Maneuver Day.
☆ Madaraka Day. [Kenya]
☆ Mothers' and Children Day. [Mongolia]
☆ Neighbours' Day.
☆ Pen Pal Day.
☆ Say Something Nice Day.
☆ World Milk Day.

2nd

☆ Children's Day. [North Korea]
☆ Decoration Day. [Canada]
☆ Leave the Office Early Day. (or nearest weekday)
☆ Republic Day. [Italy]
☆ Rotisserie Chicken Day.

3rd

☆ Chimborazo Day.
☆ Chocolate Macaroon Day.
☆ Mabo Day. [Australia]
☆ Repeat Day.

4th

☆ Butterfly Education and Awareness Day.
☆ Cognac Day.
☆ Hug Your Cat Day.
☆ International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.
☆ National Flag Day. [Estonia]
☆ Old Maids' Day.

5th

☆ Constitution Day. [Denmark]
☆ Constitution Day. [Faroe Islands]
☆ Indian Arrival Day. [Suriname]
☆ National Fish and Chips Day. [UK]
☆ World Environment Day.

6th

☆ Applesauce Cake Day.
☆ Drive-In Movie Day.
☆ Gardening Exercise Day.
☆ Memorial Day. [South Korea]
☆ National Day of Sweden.
☆ Queensland Day. [Australia]
☆ Russian Language Day.
☆ Yo-Yo Day.

7th

☆ Chocolate Ice Cream Day.
☆ Flag Day. [Peru]
☆ Ludi Piscatorii. [Ancient Rome]
☆ Sette Giugno. [Malta]
☆ Union Dissolution Day. [Norway]
☆ VCR Day.

8th

☆ Best Friends Day.
☆ Bounty Day. [Norfolk Island]
☆ Upsy Daisy Day.
☆ World Oceans Day. 

9th

☆ Coral Triangle Day.
☆ Donald Duck Day.
☆ Jerky Day.
☆ TM -Transverse Myelitis - Awareness Day.

10th

☆ Ballpoint Pen Day.
☆ Iced Tea Day.
☆ Portugal Day.

11th

☆ Corn on the Cob Day.
☆ Kamehameha Day. [Hawaii]
☆ Miners' Memorial Day. [Canada]

12th

☆ Helsinki Day. [Finland]
☆ Independence Day. [Philippines]
☆ Lovers' Day. [Brazil]
☆ Loving Day. [USA]
☆ Peanut Butter Cookie Day.
☆ Red Rose Day.
☆ Russia Day.
☆ World Day Against Child Labour.

13th

☆ Hungarian Inventors' Day.
☆ Sewing Machine Day.

14th

☆ Baltic Freedom Day.
☆ Bourbon Day.
☆ Flag Day. [USA]
☆ World Blood Donor Day.

15th

☆ Abor Day. [Costa Rica]
☆ Beer Day. [UK]
☆ Bug Busting Day.
☆ Global Wind Day.
☆ Magna Carta Day.
☆ Nature Photography Day.
☆ Smile Power Day.
☆ Valdemarsdag. [Denmark]
☆ World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

16th

☆ Bloomsday.
☆ Dump the Pump Day.
☆ Fresh Veggies Day.
☆ Fudge Day.
☆ International Day of the African Child.
☆ Sussex Day.

17th

☆ Apple Strudel Day.
☆ Eat Your Vegetables Day.
☆ Flip Flop Day.
☆ Icelandic National Day.
☆ Occupation of the Latvian Republic Remembrance Day.
☆ World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

18th

☆ Autistic Pride Day.
☆ Go Fishing Day.
☆ International Panic Day.
☆ International Picnic Day.
☆ International Sushi Day.
☆ Splurge Day.
☆ Waterloo Day.
☆ World Juggling Day.

19th

☆ Garfield the Cat Day.
☆ Juneteenth. [USA]
☆ Labour Day. [Trinidad and Tobago]
☆ Martini Day.
☆ Turkey Lovers' Day.
☆ World Sauntering Day.
☆ World Sickle Cell Awareness Day.

20th

☆ American Eagle Day.
☆ Flag Day. [Argentina]
☆ Ice Cream Soda Day.
☆ International Surfing Day.
☆ Vanilla Milkshake Day.
☆ West Virginia Day. [USA]
☆ World Productivity Day.
☆ World Refugee Day.

21st

☆ Cherry Tart Day.
☆ Day of Private Reflection. 
☆ Daylight Appreciation Day.
☆ Global MND - Motor Neuron Disease - Awareness Day.
☆ Go Skateboarding Day.
☆ International Yoga Day.
☆ Make Music Day.
☆ National Aboriginal Day. [Canada]
☆ Willkakuti. [Bolivia]
☆ World Humanist Day.
☆ World Hydrography Day.
☆ World Music Day.

22nd

☆ Anti-Fascist Struggle Day. [Croatia]
☆ Chocolate Eclair Day.
☆ Onion Rings Day.

23rd

☆ Grand Duke's Official Birthday. [Luxembourg]
☆ International Widows' Day.
☆ International Women in Engineering Day.
☆ Let It Go Day.
☆ National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism. [Canada]
☆ Okinawa Memorial Day. [Japan]
☆ Pecan Sandies [cookie] Day.
☆ Public Service Day.
☆ St. John's Eve.

24th

☆ Army Day / Battle of Carabobo Day. [Venezuela]
☆ Fairy Day.
☆ Inti Raymi. [Inca Empire]
☆ Jani. [Latvia]
☆ Jonsmessa. [Iceland]
☆ Kissing Day.
☆ Midsummer.
☆ Pralines Day.
☆ Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. [Canada]
☆ Saint Jonas' Festival. [Lithuania]
☆ Sânziană. [Romania]
☆ St. John's Day. [Estonia]
☆ Swim a Lap Day.
☆ Take Your Dog To Work Day.
☆ World UFO Day.
☆ Wrong Trousers Day. [UK]

25th

☆ Day of the Seafarer.
☆ Global Beatles Day.
☆ Leon Day. [USA]
☆ National Catfish Day. [USA]
☆ Statehood Day. [Croatia]
☆ Statehood Day. [Slovenia]
☆ Strawberry Parfait Day.
☆ World Vitiligo Day.

26th

☆ Beauticians' Day.
☆ Chocolate Pudding Day.
☆ International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
☆ International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
☆ Log Cabin Day.
☆ Ratcatchers' Day.

27th

☆ Helen Keller Day.
☆ Independence Day. [Djibouti]
☆ Mixed Race Day. [Brazil]
☆ Orange Blossom Day.
☆ Please Take My Children To Work Day.
☆ PTSD Awareness Day.
☆ Seven Sleepers' Day.
☆ Sunglasses Day.

28th

☆ Ceviche Day.
☆ Constitution Day. [Ukraine]
☆ Insurance Awareness Day.
☆ International Body Piercing Day.
☆ Paul Bunyan Day.
☆ Tapioca Day.
☆ Vidovdan. [Serbia]

29th

☆ Almond Buttercrunch Day.
☆ Camera Day.
☆ St. Peter's Day.
☆ Waffle Iron Day.

30th

☆ Meteor Day.
☆ Navy Day. [Israel]
☆ Philippine - Spanish Friendship Day.
☆ Social Media Day.

Weeks and Months

☆ African-American Music Appreciation Month. [USA]
☆ ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Awareness Month. [Canada]
☆ LGBT Month. [USA]
☆ National Dysphagia Awareness Month. [USA]
☆ SANDS - Stillbirth and Neonatal Death - Awareness Month. [UK]


☆ National Reconciliation Week. [Australia] (First Week)
☆ National Dairy Goat Awareness Week. [USA] (Second Saturday to Third Saturday)
☆ Aromatherapy Awareness Week. [UK] (Second Week)
☆ Child Safety Week. [UK] (Second Week)
☆ Glaucoma Awareness Week. (Second Week)
☆ Heart Rhythm Week. [UK] (Second Week)
☆ International Men's Health Week. (Week inc. Father's Day)
☆ Bike Week. [UK] (Third Week)
☆ Breathe Easy Week. [UK] (Third Week)
☆ Cervical Screening Awareness Week. (Third Week)
☆ Diabetes Week. [UK] (Third Week)
☆ Drowning Prevention Week. [UK]
☆ National Insect Week. [UK]
☆ National Picnic Week. [UK] (Third Week)
☆ National Pollinator Week. [USA] (Third Week)
☆ National School Sport Week. [UK]
☆ Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Week. (Third Week)
☆ Gifted Awareness Week. [New Zealand] (Week including June 17th)

Movable

☆ Ambubachi Mela. [India]
☆ Queen's Official Birthday. [Commonwealth] Various.
☆ Solstice.
☆ Vat Purnima. [India]
☆ Whit Monday.
☆ Yhyakh. [Sakha Republic]

☆ National Moonshine [alcohol] Day. [USA] (First Thursday)
☆ Labour Day. [Bahamas] (First Friday)
☆ National Doughnut Day. [USA] (First Friday)
☆ Saio Matsuri. [Japan] (First Saturday)
☆ Cancer Survivors Day. (First Sunday)
☆ Father's Day. [Lithuania, Switzerland] (First Sunday)
☆ National Cancer Survivors' Day. [USA] (First Sunday)
☆ China's Cultural Heritage Day. (Second Saturday)
☆ World Doll Day. (Second Saturday)
☆ World Gin Day. (Second Saturday)
☆ Canadian Rivers Day. (Second Sunday)
☆ Children's Day. [USA] (Second Sunday)
☆ Father's Day. [Austria, Belgium] (Second Sunday)
☆ Mother's Day. [Luxembourg] (Second Sunday)
☆ The Big Lunch. [UK] (Second Sunday)
☆ Blue Monday. (Monday before Father's Day - beginning of International Men's Health Week)
☆ Father's Day. (Third Sunday)
☆ Bomb Pop Day. [USA] (Last Thursday)
☆ Handshake Day. (Last Thursday)
☆ Seersucker Thursday. [USA]
☆ Armed Forces Day. [UK] (Last Saturday)
☆ Inventors' and Rationalizers' Day. [Russia] (Last Saturday)
☆ Veterans' Day. [Netherlands] (Last Saturday)

Check out other months, HERE.