Sunset Scooting at Bexhill-on-Sea

Isn't it good to break out from the norm sometimes? During half-term we grabbed my husband out of work early on the Friday afternoon and dropped JJ off so he could go away for an adventure weekend with our church. Then the rest of us headed down to my favourite local seaside town, Bexhill-on-Sea for some fresh air and exercise.

Back to School with Start-rite Shoes

My twin girls have been trying out some Start-rite shoes ready for back to school in September. They have already worn them for the month of July at school and now the shoes are put away for the next couple of weeks until they start back to school. Both of their senior style brogues and loathers have done an ace job so far and I feel fully confident they are going to last them well into year next too.

As part of Start-rites back-to-school campaign they wanted us to really put the girls shoes through their paces, so they have been to school in them, walked through the woods, scooting on their new Micro Scooters in them and playing at the park too.

Fabulous Twin Fun - Micro Scooter Sprites - Unboxing at the Beach

As part of my girls being involved with the Start-rite back-to-school shoes campaign they were sent new Micro Scooter Sprites in the teal owl design. Start-rite want the girls to put their shoes through vigorous testing and to make sure they really can stand up to the beating that a normal 10 year old gives them. How better than by regularly scooting in their shoes and lets be honest, kids don't always use the brake on a scooter, they often do it with the sole of their shoe!

Both girls have had Micro Scooters before, they started with the Mini Micros when they were just toddlers and then moved up to the Maxi Micros when they were around 5 years and to be honest they have been moaning at me for the last couple of years that they wanted a grown up 2-wheel scooter. Well now they are super happy and their wish has come true!

The Micro Scooter Sprite scooters start from £89.95 for the silver, £94.95 for the coloured and £99.95 for the patterned ones. They are available in a variety of colours. My girls were sent the Teal Owl with a bell and flower accessory included in the box. I noticed it was on special offer last weekend so it is definitely worth keeping an eye on the Micro Scooters website and signing up for their newsletter, which will keep you informed of their current deals.

Have a watch of our video and see the girls unbox and set up their scooters themselves. I love it when a product is so easy that a 10 year old can take it out the box and do everything they need to make it ready to ride. Even putting their bell on the Sprite scooter is child's play.

Scooting Adventures in their Start-rite School Shoes

Do you think someone likes their new @startrite_shoes? She's been waiting for these brogues to arrive & now they may not leave her feet! Review to follow in a few weeks.

A post shared by Michelle Pannell (@michelletwinmum) on Jun 26, 2017 at 8:00am PDT

This last half-term has felt like it was very long and we were truly ready for it to end. So finally when that last bell rang at school on Friday I picked the girls up for a few hours girlie time.

First stop, our local town Battle where we had some jobs to do ready for our holiday. Prescriptions to fulfil, keys to be cut, summer reading challenge to be signed up for and celebratory ice-cream milkshakes to be enjoyed! Miss M opted for a bubblegum flavour and Miss E white chocolate; I'm not much of a fan so I had an Oreo cupcake instead.

Micro Scooters - choose the MX Trixx or Speed V2?

There are so many scooters out there nowadays that it can be a bit hard to know which one to choose. Even when you have whittled it down to choosing from just one brand, like Micro Scooters there are still an abundance of options.

The children were bought their first Mini Micro scooters (thank you Nanny and Grandad) when my girls were just 3 years old and they loved them. Nowadays they can start much younger as they do different seating and handle options to make them suitable for 1 plus years.

Although Micro Scotters are on the costly side of things I soon learned it was a false economy for us to buy any other brand as JJ went through 3 scooters in the time that the girls had their Mini Micros and even when they upgraded to the Maxi Micro scooters last summer their small ones got passed onto a friend and her kids are still using them now.  They are built to last and continue to give a great smooth ride.

The girls on their Maxi Micros last month - they go everywhere with us!

About six weeks ago JJ was sent two Micro Scooters to try out as his older one had been stolen. He was over the moon. We wrote up our review of the Micro Scooter Speed V2 a couple of weeks ago and since then JJ has been using the MX trixx white edition scooter and comparing the two, here are his findings -

	Speed V2	MxTrixx
Age range	7 years upwards	5-12 years
Styling  (is it cool?)	8/10	10/10
Designed for	Leisure scooting	Tricks and stunts
Comfort of handlebar height	10/10	7/10
Height adjustable handlebars	Yes (height 68cm up to 98cm)	No (total height of scooter – 77cm)
Smoothness of ride	7/10	9/10
Comfort of ride on the feet for long rides	9/10	6/10
Ease of scooter handling bumps in the path	5/10	10/10
Comfort of handgrips	9/10	8/10 (but give more grip)
Brake (effectiveness)	8/10	9/10
360 spin of deck	yes	Yes, quick and smooth
Total weight of scooter	3.75kg	3.8 kg
Footplate/ deck	Wide and comfortable for large feet (JJ is a  size 7 & still plenty of room)	More narrow Length 47cm x Width10cm Specifically made for tricks and is drilled to reduce weight, 3% concave, 82.5* angle
Wheels	145mm diameter including Shock Dampening System. Large for a faster ride	5 Star Metal Core 100mm, 87 A Shore PU with ABEC 7 Bearings
Stand	Yes	No
Ease of putting together/ opening for first time	3/10	3/10
Folds for storage/ travel	Yes, easily	No
Price	£99.95	£99.95

JJ came to the conclusion, that for him as a tall 9 year old (he is just shy of 150cm) he likes the Speed V2 scooter best as it is the most comfortable ride for all the leisure scooting he does. I tried really hard to get him to do some tricks but bunny hops was about as far as he got as he really is a bit of a scardy cat (not that I said that to him).

He loved the actual ride on the MX Trixx and said that it was far smoother and could cope with bumps in the path much better but he liked the bigger footplate and brake better on the V2. If he could make his own he would take parts from each.

To be honest it really does depend on what your child will use the scooter for, as to which is the best to choose. The MX Trixx would be good for both leisure scooting and tricks if they are shorter than JJ and you don't mind them just slamming the scooter on the floor (as there is no stand). The white handlebar grips were getting quite dirty after just a week but the overall styling is great - really cool.

As I am not very knowledgeable about the world of tricks on scooters, I'll let you watch this lad explain the features on the MX Trixx. From what I understand this is a small version of a pro tricks scooter and it is packed with features.

Anything negative with the MX Trixx?
Overall I think this is a fantastic starter scooter for a youngster who wants to get into tricks. The only gripe I have is that the instructions were rubbish and it was hard to get the clamp to tighten enough to make the scooter safe. I could not manage this at all and had to get my husband to help. Once tightened it has been perfect but I would not want to take it apart again!

Disclosure: We were provided with 2 scooters for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!

Review: Micro Scooter Speed V2

JJ was beyond himself with excitement a few weeks back when he received a new scooter from the premier scooter brand - Micro Scooters.  Last summer his sisters received the Maxi Micro scooters and he has been nicking them since and bugging me for a new one.  Then when his own scooter was stolen recently Micro Scooters came to the rescue and made my little boy very happy.

JJ is now the proud owner for the Micro Scooters Silver Speed V2 scooter, as seen below.

From the very first day it arrived, he unpacked it himself and set it up (which took no time at all once we knew what we were up to - see my short video at the bottom of this post) and headed out the front to have a scoot round the block.

I'll tell you what JJ likes about this scooter -

• It has a big footplate and this is important to a 9 year old with size 6.5 feet!
• The handles are really comfy to hold onto for long periods
• The footplate can spin 360 degrees
• It is a really smooth ride (it has a built in shock absorber system - clever, hey?)
• It goes super fast but not too fast that he feels out of control
• The break is very good and stops him even when going fast
• It looks really smart and all his friends want one too!
• It has a small stand, so it can remain upright rater than being slung on the floor and getting all scratched

In addition to the above I like -

• It folds down nice and small for transporting in the back of the car when we have a ton of luggage
• It is a really sturdy scooter which means I don't feel worried that my clumsy boy will break it!
• It even takes my weight (just look at the picture of Nanny riding it below)
• The handle goes nice and high so this scooter will last JJ a long time
• The delivery from Micro Scooters was out of this world. I was emailed and advised it had been shipped and then advised when it would be delivered and I literally got given a 1 hour time slot, it made life so easy.

Any considerations?

• We did find the scooter hard to open at first but once I knew how it is super easy, check out the video below. I think the instructions need to be improved.
• It is quite a heavy scooter, which I see as a plus but if you were carrying for long periods then a strap would probably be necessary.
• It's not the cheapest scooter on the market at £99.95 but it is built to last and having been the owner of mini micros for about 4 years I know they last well and I was able to give them to a friend who needed a couple of scooters.

The Silver Speed V2 retails for £99.95 and it is advertised as being suitable for 7 - 12 year olds.

JJ and I are really happy to recommend this scooter, it gets a 10/10 from us


Disclosure:  We received this scooter free of charge for the purposes of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!

Have you heard of Scooter Aid?

I received an email from my contact at Micro Scooters a couple of days ago and she said she had news about something that would be 'right up my street' and she was so right.

We love Micro Scooters in this house, the girls were bought their first ones when they were 2 years old and those lasted until they were 5 and got too tall for them.  Those scooters have now gone to two little lads who need them and my girls have their beautiful Union Jack Maxi Micro scooters.  I now find that if I had not been passing on the scooters for another couple of kids to enjoy I could have sent them back to Micro for them to be tested and refurbished and sent off to an orphanage in Kenya so that some underprivileged kids could enjoy them.

I love that, like really love that.  Yes I am still very much in the moment, having only just returned from Ethiopia a week ago but this literally made me cry. It is so important in my opinion that when people do well in business they give something back. Until today I did not realise Micro Scooters were going this, as well as this new Scooter Aid initiative they also donate scooters to children in hospital and have fundraisers at schools allowing the school to keep 10% of funds raised.  Brilliant!

Before I gave our old Mini Micro scooters to the boys I was pondering what I would do with them and I had decided I would pass them to school.  Well used Mini Micro scooters seem to go for about £10 on ebay and whilst extra cash is always nice, that amount is not going to change the world so I prefer to pass them on so they can continue to be enjoyed. I have to admit that had I known about this scheme first I would have sent the 2 scooters off and given my friend another couple of non-brand scooters that we have.

Giving a scooter to Scooter Aid is really easy -

1. Talk to your children about why you are donating their old scooter, write a letter with them to be sent to the children at the orphanage along with their old scooter
2. Package up the Micro scooter (if must be their brand not just any one) in a box or suitable wrapping
3. Print off a pre-paid postage label from the Micro Scooters website
4. Take the package to the post office
5. Micro will check over the scooter and fix/ refurbish it if necessary
6. Then Christmas 2012 they aim to deliver 60 scooters to the Tumaini Children's Home in Kenya and each child will then have a scooter each, as well as their first ever Christmas Party

But they cannot achieve that objective without us - the average person who has an old Micro scooter sitting out in the back garden.  Go on take the 1/2 hour it will require and box it up and send it back, so some good can come of it. Just look at these little ones below as they tried out a scooter for the first time earlier this year.

The founders of Micro Scooter UK, Anna Gibson and Philippa Gogarry said "As Mums ourselves, we know how invaluable scooters have been for our children. We hope that Scooter Aid will help less fortunate children rediscover their childhood through play - a gift no child should be without".  It was a pleasure to read that if this pilot works well they hope to spread the initiative to other children's home in other developing countries as well.

I can hand on heart say that this is a super scheme that I'll be proud to support when my girls finally outgrow their next Micro scooters.

Disclosure: Earlier this year my girls were sent a scooter each to review. We were not instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Brilliant fun with Maxi Micro Scooters

The other day I was filling in a survey and it asked me what my 5 favourite top/ preferred/ best brands were and to state the reason why. There was no restriction on what type of brand I might choose. I have to say I found it fairly easy to do the top 3 - John Lewis, M&S and Micro Scooters. These 3 instantly came to mind, they are brands that I trust, they do not let me down and I know the quality will be great time and time again.

For the last 3 years my little ladies have been using Mini Micro Scooters, riding them at the park, to school, taking them on holiday and generally enjoying them wherever we go. They are not the cheapest of scooters it has to be said but value for money is top notch. In the time the girls have had their Mini Micros, JJ has had 3 non-branded metal scooters and each one of his has broken or had a fault in some way. The girls still work perfectly, not a bit of rust in sight. Yes the footplate has discoloured and so has the back break but then we are not a family who lovingly stores them away in the shed every day. It is to be expected, yes they have been left outside in the rain, snow and sun.

As dh and I seem to breed tall children I have been thinking for a while that it is time for the girls to move up to the next level of scooter and for me their was only one model in mind that I wanted them to have, a Maxi Micro scooter. It has just been their birthday and they were thinking of spending their money on the scooters when luckily Micro offered the girls a beautiful limited edition Union Jack Maxi Micro each to review. They had the pick of red, blue or white footplate and were both able to get their first choice. Sensibly they chose different colours so we need never have arguments again over which belongs to who!

Within 1/2 hour of the parcel arriving at our house, dh had built the scooters. Well, built is a bit of an overstatement, they are so easy to put together it is unreal. All you have to do is clip the handlebar into the footplate and you are there, ready to scoot. The attachment clip to put any accessories onto the scooter was already attached and we received another in the box, I assume in case we wanted to add more or if we broke/ lost the existing one.

The Maxi Micro is recommended for 6-12 year olds and takes up to 50kg in weight.  Our girls are only just 5 but as I mentioned pretty tall. We changed the handlebar height to suit the girls height and this was very easy, you can use the provided alum key to tighten it if you require. Our limited edition Union Jack Maxi Micro scooters came with a neoprene union jack bottle holder. The girls love this quirky addition and the first thing I was asked was if I could fill up their water bottles please. The bottle holder detaches really easily from the accessory clip and has a drawstring handle so you can carry it anytime.

Miss E with her old Mini Micro and shiny new Maxi Micro Scooters.The Maxi is just right for those who have learnt to ride a Mini Micro and when you see them together you know it is the perfect progression. My girls both jumped on the Maxi scooter and rode straight off, no need to get to know it.

The thing I really like about the Mini and Maxi Micro scooters is the sturdy double front swivel wheels, these mean the kids can manoeuvre so easily with just a slight touch of the handlebar. My friends kids have got the same scooter but instead of a traditional handlebar, her kids have joysticks, which I thought looked bizarre at first but them seem to be all the rage at school.

I am not sure if it is because the wheels are more durable but the Maxi scooter really can move across most surfaces very easily.  Grass does not present any problem at all, which has pleased my little ladies.

I was pleased to read on the Micro Scooters website that these scooters have a really good safety record and they state their ingenious Swiss design company who made them (Micro Mobility Systems) as the reason why.

I can honestly tell you that every day since we received these scooters my girls have wanted to ride them. I know my girls are now looking forward to September and being able to show off their new scooters on the school run.  I just have one issue, JJ is in a bit of a strop and wants to know why he has not got a maxi micro, 'oh Mum, they are so awesome.  Too cool for the girls!'. Not long until October and his birthday I suppose.

The limited edition Union Jack Maxi Micro Scooters retails for £105 including the bottle holder.  Then if you have younger kids the Union Jack Mini Micro Scooter retails for £70 including a stunning Union Jack bag. I also noticed there is free delivery when you order a Union Jack Micro scooter at the moment.

So, the big question - would I have bought these scooters at £105 each now I have seen them in action?  100% yes.  They are fantastic.

Design and styling                10/10
Ease of ride and stability      10/10
Choice of colours                  9/10
Accessories available            9/10

A fantastic product, I am happy to endorse.

I'll leave you with a little clip of my girls riding their scooters and telling me what they like about them.



Disclosure:  We received 2 Maxi Micro Scooters for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.