Pony Rides and Friendships

A few months ago my daughter was invited to go horse riding with her best friend, it was a rainy and muddy day but that didn't put them off. My daughter was all covered up in her Helly gear, which is perfect for such occasions as this.

The first task when we got to the stables was to find a suitable helmet, it took a while as my daughter has a rather tiny head but eventually we found one befitting of her petit size and off we went to find her a horse. A rather beautiful specimen named Smudge, a very proud little lady took him down to the training paddock.

For someone so little, it was hard for her hold the reigns and keep her feet in the stirrups but she worked hard and got the horse moving around the paddock. Her little face lit up as the horse trotted round the paddock, as her confidence built up and with the help of the riding school staff the trotting turned to galloping.

As she turned the horse through the cones, her new found confidence grew and the look of joy on her face was just fantastic. Isn't it just amazing what children can do and what they can learn in such a short space of time.

As they trotted off into the muddy forest, I was amazed at the spirit of both girls, they didn't even look back, just off they went into almost knee high mud, doing something they'd never even attempted before. Not afraid and just happy to be on a horse, getting to play real life horse riding Barbie.

These two little friends are just inseparable anyway and for them to be able to have this first lesson together was just fantastic, so big thanks to her lovely mum for inviting us.

Life is full of adventures and this was just one of them, I can't wait to see what life holds for my little lady, to see where life takes her and what else she gets to try.

A Barbie Christmas Wish List

We have been lucky enough to review some wonderful Barbies this year, from a mermaid to a superhero and a rockstar to a ballerina, there have been many to keep us occupied, and so that you can see them all in one place, here is our Christmas Barbie wish list.

We loved dressing up as superheros earlier this year, we had a party to celebrate the release of this wonderful and thought inspiring doll. My daughter has loved dressing up and believing in herself since the day we had our party, dressing up as superhero Barbie for Children in Need, it has inspired her to believe she can be anything and it proves that just because she loves pink doesn't mean she can't be super.

For the mermaid in you, why not chose the Bubble-tastic Mermaid Barbie, this doll is great for in the bath or outside in summer. Whichever you choose, you can be sure of some bubble fun, She does come out when play with the other barbies so she isn't just a one trick pony.

For those that love to sing and be a rock star then how about the Rock n Royal selection, this superstar Barbie is great for those who love to rock out, whether to be a princess or a rockstar this doll has it all, with a super spinning dress and catchy song we've had hours of fun with this one, especially my daughter dancing and twirling to the tune.

And finally, we've had the pleasure of getting to know Ballerina Barbie and Saddle N Ride Barbie, two wonderful dolls that are great for anyone who loves ballet or horse riding.  With these you can imitate your favourite hobby and enjoy it with the doll that has been so loved for decades.

There is a doll for every occasion with Barbie and whilst not everyone agrees with the level of pink that Barbie comes with, it really is just another colour. This is about playing at being something and everything whilst you are young.

My daughter aspires to be a doctor when she is older but she loves pink and princesses and right now thats ok, there is only a short window of time where you can be literally anything you want. I spent many nights wanting to wake up to find princess dresses in my wardrobe, heck if that happened now I'd be a happy bunny. But I have gone on to work in male dominated IT environments and it hasn't stopped me from owning a business and being a strong woman.

Barbie Saddle ‘N Ride Horse Review

Growing up, I would have given anything for a Barbie with her own horse and for one that walked, I'm sure my little heart would have burst!

My daughter has now got to live my dream, with her own Barbie Saddle 'N Ride Horse. Not only does this horse move but even better, Barbie jumps onto the horses back and off it goes. You simply pop Barbies gloved hand into the side of the horse and then pull her round until she clicks and stands up, you press the button which is the horses mane on the front of the head.

The horse is more steady on a flat surface, it falls over on our carpet, so this is something to bear in mind if you are thinking about getting one.

The excitement when we finally popped the batteries in and got her moving was just brilliant, my daughter was giggling and laughing and to be honest I was too. The way she flips round onto the horse is just amazing and you can tell lots of thought went into it. The horse has a brushable tail and comes with it's own little brush which attaches to the gloved hand.

My daughter loves brushing her hair and we even played with our other Barbies, they shouted from the sidelines as the Barbie and Tawny raced through the dining room.

We both love the Saddle 'N Ride horse, the horse itself is really cute and we love Barbies outfit, the cute little floral top and denim jacket combo is great and the fact she has hat for safety is also really helpful when trying to get my daughter to wear hers on the her scooter.

This would make the perfect Christmas present for any Barbie or horse loving child and for me this is something that will get played with over and over.

And finally if you haven't seen this wonderful new video from Barbie then I can highly recommend a watch, it certainly put a smile on my face.

NB: We were sent this doll to form a review, all words opinions and pictures are my own.