Sunday, 30 June 2013
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Kiddy Heartbeat Carrier Review
As I am sure you are aware by now, I am an avid fan of babywearing, infact you can find my review of the Calin Bleu wrap here. So I immediately said yes when Kiddy asked if I would like to review their new baby carrier.
Kiddy is a German company that is best known for being manafacturers of children's car seats, they pride themselves on maximum safety, superb comfort and innovative designs. Now producing pushchairs and baby carriers as well, Kiddy continue to wow us with the ideas that they come up with.
The Kiddy Heartbeat is a 2 in 1 baby carrier, this means that you are able to carry your baby on your front or on your back. It is available in four different colours : denim, racing black, sand and riders club (brown) and in two different sizes, small and large. I received the racing black version in size small, as I am only a tiny 5ft 1.
What I loved straight away is that they really think of everyone, there are two instruction booklets purely because they have tried to translate the instructions into as many different languages as possible.
This carrier unlike some, can be used from birth when you use it with the newborn insert, which I am happy to say comes included, no need to buy any extras. It is suggested that it can be used right up until your child weighs around 14kgs, this means that you will only need the one carrier, rather than having to purchase another ones as you little one grows bigger.
There are so many features on the Heartbeat that really make it stand out from other baby carriers.
* padded shoulder, waist and back straps : this means that you as a parent are kept comfortable whilst carrying your little one, the strap that goes down the back (or front when carrying on the back), really supports your body and holds you so your posture is correct, I love this, no straining yourself, even if your child is on the heavy side.
* padded head rest : this is comfort at it's best, your child remains nice and snug, but the nice thing is, is that there are zips on the front which you can undo and fold the head rest down if your child no longer wants it there.
*reflectors : this means that even when out at night or in poor weather, you will be visible to everyone.
* newborn insert : giving newborn babies that added support, but also holding them in the correct ergonomic positioning, this insert really is invaluable, wrapping around your little one, keeping them snug as a bug.
* intergrated rain cape : hands down the best feature!! I think one of the main worries when babywearing is what to do when it rains, you don't always carry an umbrella, well worry no more, this cover is cleverly hidden away in a pocket at the front and when clipped in, covers the whole of your child, offering protection from rain, wind and even snow.
The picture to the left shows you the rain cape in use. Your child can have their legs out of the rain cape if they wish as shown.
This is the front carrying position. Easily achieved by placing the carrier over your head and shoulders. Adjusting the buckle straps before placing your child in and then sitting them in their seat. I did struggle with adjusting the straps at first, I think they were stiff from little use but this isn't such a bad thing as you don't want them sliding up and down freely.
Your child is kept close to you but because it is a separate seat, they have their own space as such.
I love how wide the carrier is, keeping Layla in the correct "m" seated position, she was very happy to be in there.
The picture to the right shows me carrying Layla on my back.
Before now I have never been a big fan of buckle carriers when it comes to back carrys as I always found it hard to get baby on my back and correctly positioned.
I found this revolutionary. Made a lot easy because you place your little one in their seat before you put the carrier on. You do it whilst your child is sat on somewhere like a sofa. Once baby is safely strapped in, you sit in front of them and put the straps over your head and shoulders. You then do up the wais belt and adjust.
The size and style of the carrier meant that both Layla and I were both comfortable and supported, I had her in there for over 3 hours and was left with no discomfort at all and because of how tall the carrier is, when Layla fell asleep, her head didn't roll backwards.
With a RRP of £99.99 I don't think you can go wrong with this carrier. In line with the rest of their products, it really is innovative but not only that, it offers both parent and child the upmost comfort whilst remaining stylish, as you would want any accessory to be. With it's breathable material, it is suitable for use all year round and with the added newborn insert and adjustable straps, the carrier really does adapt as your child grows and it is always nice to keep your children close to you as it won't be long before they decided that having cuddles with mummy is just not cool anymore!!
I struggle to find anything negative to say about the Heartbeat, the only thing I don't understand is why it is available in two sizes? It is much better to have a one size fits all because I wouldn't want to be buying one carrier for me and one carrier for Daddy Hazelden.
Overall I would highly recommend the Kiddy Hearbeat 2 in 1 carrier. It is definitely one to consider, especially if you have never used a carrier before because it is so simple to use.
To keep up with all the latest news from Kiddy why not look at their Facebook and Twitter pages.
xxxx
Disclaimer : This carrier was sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes, hoever all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Kiddy is a German company that is best known for being manafacturers of children's car seats, they pride themselves on maximum safety, superb comfort and innovative designs. Now producing pushchairs and baby carriers as well, Kiddy continue to wow us with the ideas that they come up with.
The Kiddy Heartbeat is a 2 in 1 baby carrier, this means that you are able to carry your baby on your front or on your back. It is available in four different colours : denim, racing black, sand and riders club (brown) and in two different sizes, small and large. I received the racing black version in size small, as I am only a tiny 5ft 1.
What I loved straight away is that they really think of everyone, there are two instruction booklets purely because they have tried to translate the instructions into as many different languages as possible.
This carrier unlike some, can be used from birth when you use it with the newborn insert, which I am happy to say comes included, no need to buy any extras. It is suggested that it can be used right up until your child weighs around 14kgs, this means that you will only need the one carrier, rather than having to purchase another ones as you little one grows bigger.
There are so many features on the Heartbeat that really make it stand out from other baby carriers.
* padded shoulder, waist and back straps : this means that you as a parent are kept comfortable whilst carrying your little one, the strap that goes down the back (or front when carrying on the back), really supports your body and holds you so your posture is correct, I love this, no straining yourself, even if your child is on the heavy side.
* padded head rest : this is comfort at it's best, your child remains nice and snug, but the nice thing is, is that there are zips on the front which you can undo and fold the head rest down if your child no longer wants it there.
*reflectors : this means that even when out at night or in poor weather, you will be visible to everyone.
* newborn insert : giving newborn babies that added support, but also holding them in the correct ergonomic positioning, this insert really is invaluable, wrapping around your little one, keeping them snug as a bug.
* intergrated rain cape : hands down the best feature!! I think one of the main worries when babywearing is what to do when it rains, you don't always carry an umbrella, well worry no more, this cover is cleverly hidden away in a pocket at the front and when clipped in, covers the whole of your child, offering protection from rain, wind and even snow.
This is the front carrying position. Easily achieved by placing the carrier over your head and shoulders. Adjusting the buckle straps before placing your child in and then sitting them in their seat. I did struggle with adjusting the straps at first, I think they were stiff from little use but this isn't such a bad thing as you don't want them sliding up and down freely.
Your child is kept close to you but because it is a separate seat, they have their own space as such.
I love how wide the carrier is, keeping Layla in the correct "m" seated position, she was very happy to be in there.
Before now I have never been a big fan of buckle carriers when it comes to back carrys as I always found it hard to get baby on my back and correctly positioned.
I found this revolutionary. Made a lot easy because you place your little one in their seat before you put the carrier on. You do it whilst your child is sat on somewhere like a sofa. Once baby is safely strapped in, you sit in front of them and put the straps over your head and shoulders. You then do up the wais belt and adjust.
The size and style of the carrier meant that both Layla and I were both comfortable and supported, I had her in there for over 3 hours and was left with no discomfort at all and because of how tall the carrier is, when Layla fell asleep, her head didn't roll backwards.
With a RRP of £99.99 I don't think you can go wrong with this carrier. In line with the rest of their products, it really is innovative but not only that, it offers both parent and child the upmost comfort whilst remaining stylish, as you would want any accessory to be. With it's breathable material, it is suitable for use all year round and with the added newborn insert and adjustable straps, the carrier really does adapt as your child grows and it is always nice to keep your children close to you as it won't be long before they decided that having cuddles with mummy is just not cool anymore!!
I struggle to find anything negative to say about the Heartbeat, the only thing I don't understand is why it is available in two sizes? It is much better to have a one size fits all because I wouldn't want to be buying one carrier for me and one carrier for Daddy Hazelden.
Overall I would highly recommend the Kiddy Hearbeat 2 in 1 carrier. It is definitely one to consider, especially if you have never used a carrier before because it is so simple to use.
To keep up with all the latest news from Kiddy why not look at their Facebook and Twitter pages.
xxxx
Disclaimer : This carrier was sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes, hoever all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Friday, 28 June 2013
Bananagrams Review - Rainbow Toy Testing
A while ago I was picked to be a Rainbow Toy Tester. I've been waiting patiently ever since to see what toy we would be sent. I was finally put out of my misery a couple of weeks ago when we were sent a set of Jumbo Banagrams to test and play with.
This game is similar to scrabble in the sense that you have to make words out of the tiles however this is where the similarities end. You don't take it in turns to make the words, oh no, this is a race to the end, making as many words as you can and in the end you get left with what looks like a giant crossword.
This game is similar to scrabble in the sense that you have to make words out of the tiles however this is where the similarities end. You don't take it in turns to make the words, oh no, this is a race to the end, making as many words as you can and in the end you get left with what looks like a giant crossword.
The tiles are made are made from a water resistant material making them suitable for both indoor and outdoor play, great for when the sun makes an appearance as you can play it out on the grass and they can easily be wiped clean after if they get dirty at all.
There are that many tiles, 144 to be precise, that you can have up to 6 players playing the game, however I did find that the tiles were extremely heavy when all put in the banana carry bag together so although it is a brilliant idea that you can transport them anywhere, I would suggest that only the parent carries them as we wouldn't want any injuries!!!
The thing that really stands out for me is that it isn't just a game for fun, it enables you to teach your child how to spell certain words, so they are learning as well as playing and I am a huge fan of educational games. I will mention that all the letters are printed on the tiles in capitals, this I would change, I would like to see them all in lower case as this is how children are taught in school.
As you can see from the above picture, my children found other ways to use the tiles instead of just sticking to the normal game play. I found this message from my eldest daughter to my youngest daughter very cute.
My kids and I really loved this game, great fun for both children and adults and because there are no boards, pencils etc required, you don't have to worry about losing any pieces. It is great at getting friends and family socialising and having fun whilst helping your kids to gain knowledge at the same time. Definitely one to have in the games cupboard.
Disclaimer : we were sent this game free of charge to be part of the rainbow toy testing program however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Family day out with my Lin & Leo BabyBag
If you haven't heard the news, I was one of five bloggers that was chosen by Lin & Leo to review their gorgeous BabyBag.
To review the BabyBag, Lin & Leo are setting us four challenges to showcase just how good their bag really is. Challenge one was set last Friday, the challenge was to take the BabyBag on a family day out, challenge accepted!!!!
Unfortunately I had to wait a few days to actually take part in the challenge because typical British weather (you know rain, rain and more rain) meant that we were trapped indoors.
However Tuesday brought much needed sunshine and it was also my eldest twos Sports Day, this meant an afternoon out watching and joining in with races, this also meant I needed to pack up the BabyBag.
As you can see from the photo on the left, I had to take a fair amount with me :
* drinks for all the children
* snacks
* picnic blanket
* nappy wallet filled with nappies, wipes and nappy sacks
* changing mat
* change of clothes for Layla
* hats for all four children
* toys for Layla
* suncream
* phone
* purse
* keys
The bag looks quite small but looks can be deceiving. The photo on the right shows just how I managed to get all the items mentioned above to fit into the bag with ease.
I think the many pockets on the BabyBag really helped because it meant that I could fit plenty on the outside as well as in the inside of it. The bottles of drink, the sun cream, the snacks and my phone and keys were placed in the outside pockets, the only zip I couldn't close was the back one because the drinks bottles were taller than the pocket itself.
I have to admit the bag was quite weighty once I had filled it but the soft leather strap made it comfortable to carry, it didn't dig into my shoulders at all.
I admit after a little while I decided to hang the BabyBag on the pushchair rather than carry it.
Thankfully the long strap allowed me to do this.
The photo on the left showcases the bag hanging onmy Graco Evo Mini.
The strap was long enough to hang over with ease and it didn't get in the way when I needed to recline the pushchair as Layla fell asleep, all that sitting tired her out!! ;)
I forgot to get another photo but I also managed to squeeze the full to the brim bag in the basket, although I did need a tiny bit of help to get the bag back out after.
To review the BabyBag, Lin & Leo are setting us four challenges to showcase just how good their bag really is. Challenge one was set last Friday, the challenge was to take the BabyBag on a family day out, challenge accepted!!!!
Unfortunately I had to wait a few days to actually take part in the challenge because typical British weather (you know rain, rain and more rain) meant that we were trapped indoors.
However Tuesday brought much needed sunshine and it was also my eldest twos Sports Day, this meant an afternoon out watching and joining in with races, this also meant I needed to pack up the BabyBag.
* drinks for all the children
* snacks
* picnic blanket
* nappy wallet filled with nappies, wipes and nappy sacks
* changing mat
* change of clothes for Layla
* hats for all four children
* toys for Layla
* suncream
* phone
* purse
* keys
The bag looks quite small but looks can be deceiving. The photo on the right shows just how I managed to get all the items mentioned above to fit into the bag with ease.
I think the many pockets on the BabyBag really helped because it meant that I could fit plenty on the outside as well as in the inside of it. The bottles of drink, the sun cream, the snacks and my phone and keys were placed in the outside pockets, the only zip I couldn't close was the back one because the drinks bottles were taller than the pocket itself.
I have to admit the bag was quite weighty once I had filled it but the soft leather strap made it comfortable to carry, it didn't dig into my shoulders at all.
Thankfully the long strap allowed me to do this.
The photo on the left showcases the bag hanging onmy Graco Evo Mini.
The strap was long enough to hang over with ease and it didn't get in the way when I needed to recline the pushchair as Layla fell asleep, all that sitting tired her out!! ;)
I forgot to get another photo but I also managed to squeeze the full to the brim bag in the basket, although I did need a tiny bit of help to get the bag back out after.
And let's not forget this was a family day out, I managed to get a photo of my 5 year old Freya mid run. This was her first sports day and she made me a proud mummy when she came third in her individual race, as did her older sister Elise.
So the Lin & Leo BabyBag has been introduced to the family and enjoyed it's first family day out, I think we completed that challenge, I'm excited to hear what challenge two will be.
Disclaimer : this bag has been sent to us free of charge for recviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
My Claim To Fame
Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, well I think we would all really love longer than that if given the choice, however for most of us this all remains a dream.
I was really proud when I got told that my step mum had written a book and not only that, she was getting it published and if that wasn't good enough, she had already been contracted to write a second book in the series before the first one had even been released.
So yesterday I found myself shmoozing with the best of them at the book launch for Never Forget. This is a crime fiction. My step mum is actually is a police officer herself, so although fiction, she has made sure to keep everything as true to life as possible.
I was really proud when I got told that my step mum had written a book and not only that, she was getting it published and if that wasn't good enough, she had already been contracted to write a second book in the series before the first one had even been released.
So yesterday I found myself shmoozing with the best of them at the book launch for Never Forget. This is a crime fiction. My step mum is actually is a police officer herself, so although fiction, she has made sure to keep everything as true to life as possible.
Lisa did really well, I'm sure she was extremely nervous but I got to listen to her read an excerpt from the book, not many people will be able to say they have done that. The free wine and pizza was an added bonus, if you know what I mean :) Although someone dropping their glass whilst Lisa was mid speech made me think we should have left the drinking til after the festivities were over.
I even got my copy signed. And yes you read it right, I am a fantastic step daughter!! Although I wasn't impressed that I had to wait in a queue to get it signed, you would have thought that me being so fantastic would have meant that I got fast tracked to the front of the line, luckily I had my trusty wine to keep me entertained whilst I waited.
Not only is Lisa my claim to fame, she is also the first "famous" person I've met. I am now waiting for her to hit the big time so that she can pay for my family and I to go to Disney World Florida, a girl can keep dreaming right??!!
Incase you were interested, this book is available to pre order on Amazon and will be released on 11th of July 2013.
xxxx
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Super times with Cuddledry
I was so pleased last week when the lovely people at Cuddledry picked me to one of their Super Bloggers.
For those of you that haven't heard of Cuddledry, this is company set up by Helen and Polly who knew all too well about the stresses of having children, so wanted to ease the stress by creating baby bath products that allow your baby to be kept safe as well as extremely comfy.
Being a Super Blogger means that I will get to share with all my lovely readers all of the latest news and offers that Cuddledry have up their sleeves.
While we're waiting, I thought I would share with all of you what my top three favourite products on the Cuddledry website are :
1 : The Original Cuddledry baby bath towel
Now of course the pink one was a must in my house, what with all the girls I keep having :)
2 : The Cuddlemoo towel
I want one of these dress up towels for me.....mmmmmooooooo
3 : The Cuddlemat
This clever bath mat changes colour when you step on it, leaving a trail of little foot prints.
For those of you that haven't heard of Cuddledry, this is company set up by Helen and Polly who knew all too well about the stresses of having children, so wanted to ease the stress by creating baby bath products that allow your baby to be kept safe as well as extremely comfy.
Being a Super Blogger means that I will get to share with all my lovely readers all of the latest news and offers that Cuddledry have up their sleeves.
While we're waiting, I thought I would share with all of you what my top three favourite products on the Cuddledry website are :
1 : The Original Cuddledry baby bath towel
Now of course the pink one was a must in my house, what with all the girls I keep having :)
2 : The Cuddlemoo towel
I want one of these dress up towels for me.....mmmmmooooooo
3 : The Cuddlemat
This clever bath mat changes colour when you step on it, leaving a trail of little foot prints.
Have you purchased anything from Cuddledry before, if so what was it?? If you haven't bought anything from them yet what do you like the look of??
xxxx
Monday, 24 June 2013
Little Us Doll Giveaway
Another week has begun and I have another competition for all of you lovely readers.
I have one Little Us Doll to giveaway to one lucky reader, let me just tell you about these lovely new toys.
Little Us is a brand new range of enchanting dolls, each one with her own unique personality. Which one is most like your daughter? Maybe it will be Chloe who likes everything pink, or Amelia who loves animals and reading, or perhaps it will be Ruby who’s just a little bit cheeky, or finally Millie, the tomboy of the group! I love that each doll has it's own personality, I can match even them to one of my daughter's, Chloe would my Gracie, Amelia would be my Elise, Ruby would be my Layla and Millie woud be my Freya.
You can read the Little Us stories and follow their adventures on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/LittleUsdolls
If you would like to have a chance of winning one, just fill out the rafflecopter form below. The competition is open to UK residents only and will be finish at 11.59pm on the 7th of July 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck everyone
xxxx
ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions
I have one Little Us Doll to giveaway to one lucky reader, let me just tell you about these lovely new toys.
Little Us is a brand new range of enchanting dolls, each one with her own unique personality. Which one is most like your daughter? Maybe it will be Chloe who likes everything pink, or Amelia who loves animals and reading, or perhaps it will be Ruby who’s just a little bit cheeky, or finally Millie, the tomboy of the group! I love that each doll has it's own personality, I can match even them to one of my daughter's, Chloe would my Gracie, Amelia would be my Elise, Ruby would be my Layla and Millie woud be my Freya.
You can read the Little Us stories and follow their adventures on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/LittleUsdolls
If you would like to have a chance of winning one, just fill out the rafflecopter form below. The competition is open to UK residents only and will be finish at 11.59pm on the 7th of July 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck everyone
xxxx
ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Friday, 21 June 2013
Getting Green Fingers #KidsGrowWild Challenge
I have to admit I am not not very green fingered, I tend to leave the gardening up to Daddy Hazelden. However my children have always been very keen to plant flowers in the garden, they have grown sunflowers and watercress previously at school.
So when the opportunity arose to take part in the #KidsGrowWild challenge with MoneySupermarket and BritMums, I jumped at the chance.
In the post we received a really lovely gardening kit, this contained everything we would need to get us started. The kit included a fork, a trowel, a pair of gardening gloves, a watering can, 3 packets of different seeds and labels to help you indentify the plants once they had been planted. All of this came presented in a beautiful bag, which my girls have now placed in their dressing up box.
The gardening kit arrived at a perfect time because the children were on half term and it just happened to be a gorgeous sunny day.
We found a little corner of the garden that seemed to have the most sunshine on it and proceeded to dig. As we began to do this, the children discovered all of the bugs and worms that lived in the earth, we also found a lot of ants. My 3 year old, Gracie wasn't too sure what to make of all the insects.
The girls took in turns to dig and after a little while we had managed to get rid of any weeds and make a nice patch to put the seeds in. We decided to use two of the packets of seeds and leave the sunflowers for another day because we needed to buy a pot to put these in. I helped by opening the packets and pouring the seeds into their hands, they then sprinkled the seeds everywhere and then covered them back up with the mud that we had dug up.
So when the opportunity arose to take part in the #KidsGrowWild challenge with MoneySupermarket and BritMums, I jumped at the chance.
In the post we received a really lovely gardening kit, this contained everything we would need to get us started. The kit included a fork, a trowel, a pair of gardening gloves, a watering can, 3 packets of different seeds and labels to help you indentify the plants once they had been planted. All of this came presented in a beautiful bag, which my girls have now placed in their dressing up box.
The gardening kit arrived at a perfect time because the children were on half term and it just happened to be a gorgeous sunny day.
We found a little corner of the garden that seemed to have the most sunshine on it and proceeded to dig. As we began to do this, the children discovered all of the bugs and worms that lived in the earth, we also found a lot of ants. My 3 year old, Gracie wasn't too sure what to make of all the insects.
The girls took in turns to dig and after a little while we had managed to get rid of any weeds and make a nice patch to put the seeds in. We decided to use two of the packets of seeds and leave the sunflowers for another day because we needed to buy a pot to put these in. I helped by opening the packets and pouring the seeds into their hands, they then sprinkled the seeds everywhere and then covered them back up with the mud that we had dug up.
Their favourite part of the process was watering the seeds. Again they each took it in turns and they have been watering the seeds every couple of days, just waiting for them to start growing. I am surprised at just how patient they have been. As you can see from the picture below, the kids obviously did a good job because we have little plants sprouting from the ground, I think I am just as excited as them to see the flowers growing, it will be nice to have a good splash of colour in the garden!!
The kit we were sent was an ideal size for all the children. It allowed them all to get involved, and get out in the fresh air, much better than being indoors and watching the television. It was also nice being able to explain the whole process of plants needing sunlight, water etc to be able to grow, although my 7 year old did seem to have a better knowledge of this than me!! The kids are looking forward to planting the sunflowers, as soon as mummy finally remembers to go and buy that pot!!!
*This post is an entry for BritMums #KidsGrowWild Challenge*
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Baking Fun With Magic Belles
Let me introduce you to the Magic Belles. Six tiny fairies who live in a special place called Bellevue. Meet Cupcake Belle, Rainbow Belle, Flower Belle, Butterfly Belle, Love Belle and Star Belle. In this magical place they fly around sprinkling magic dust, creating lots of super fun for your little girls.
On the site you will find plenty of activities from music, games, colouring and stories but if that wasn't enough, you can even join their special Flutterbud Fan Club and receive lots of lovely goodies through the post!!
I was extremely lucky to be picked along with a few other bloggers to receive an extra special treat from the one and only Cupcake Belle. We got not one but two parcels in the post, these contained the instructions and the utensils to make some scrummy cupcake cookies, an apron and hat, icing to go on top of the cookies, a stand to put the finished product on, as well as the money to go and buy all the other much needed ingredients.
On the site you will find plenty of activities from music, games, colouring and stories but if that wasn't enough, you can even join their special Flutterbud Fan Club and receive lots of lovely goodies through the post!!
I was extremely lucky to be picked along with a few other bloggers to receive an extra special treat from the one and only Cupcake Belle. We got not one but two parcels in the post, these contained the instructions and the utensils to make some scrummy cupcake cookies, an apron and hat, icing to go on top of the cookies, a stand to put the finished product on, as well as the money to go and buy all the other much needed ingredients.
So whilst my eldest two were at school, Gracie, Layla and I toddled off to buy all of the ingredients, we needed :
* 125g unsalted butter
* 125g castor sugar
* 250g plain flour
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
We decided that Saturday would be the day to make the cookies as this is when we all had the time to do things as a family together. First things first, preparation. Now there was only one apron and hat, so my girls each took a turn in wearing it, each looking equally cute, I'm not biased, honest. We placed baking sheets onto the trays and put together the stand to put the cookies on once they were baked.
Here is how to make the cookies :
* mix the sugar and butter together
* add the egg and vanilla extract and mix
* sieve in half the flour, mix and then sieve in the remaining half and mix
* cover in clingfilm and put in the fridge for an hour (longest hour ever!!)
The girls each took it in turns to mix the ingredients together, the floor got a good covering of flour in the process.
Once the dough was taken out of the fridge, we had to roll it out and cut out the cookies. I admit the recipe said to use the largest cookie cutter however my girls had other ideas and we ended up doing a few of each size. The cookies were placed on the trays and put in the oven to bake for around 15 minutes, until they were a nice golden brown colour. These were then placed on a wire rack to cool for a little while.
Then the fun really started because we had to decorate the cookies with the icing. Mummy helped knead the icing to soften it up. The girls then rolled it out and used their cookie cutters again to make the perfect shapes to put on the cookies. The icing was stuck on by brushing on a little water, this acted like glue. They had the most fun rolling up the little balls of icing to act as the cherries on top of the cakes.
You can see what they created above. I was so impressed. Yes mummy had to help a little but because it was a simple recipe, they did the majority of the work themselves. It allowed them to learn to work together but to also do things independently. Mummy was even happier that they volunteered to help her wash up after as well.
Let's not forget the best part......... eating them!!! The cookies lasted all of three days because they were just too scrummy to leave alone.
We would like to thank Cupcake Belle and everyone else at Magic Belle for allowing us to participate in this task. You can find more news from the Magic Belles on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
xxxx
Disclaimer : We were provided with all the tools and ingredients to make these scrummy cookies however all thoughts and opinions are mine and my daughters.
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Penwizard Personalised Book Review
One thing that I have always encouraged with my children is reading books. Infact before my eldest was even born, I had bought 3 different sets of books for her.
I find books are great way to encourage your child to learn, letting their imaginations run wild, it is also a great way to spend time with your little ones.
I was asked by Penwizard to review one of their personalised books. The question was, who was I going to get the book for? I decided my lovely Gracie would probably get the most enjoyment out of this kind of book so off I went to order her book.
There are so many themes. You can choose from well known characters like Peppa Pig or Fifi the Flowertot or stories about wizards or princesses. I picked a book about a medieval princess as princesses are definitely the "in" thing in our house at the moment.
The process of ordering the book is extremely simple. You type in your child's first and last name, decide on hairstyle, colour and skin tone and you can give two adults names and two other names, perhaps friends or family, I opted for Gracie's older sister's names as I thought this would really get her engaged in the story. That's all you have to do, Penwizard do the rest of the work, all you have to do is wait for your order.
The book arrived extremely quickly and I couldn't have been more pleased when I saw it. Gracie's name was right there on the front cover and the picture really did resemble her. The cover had a shiny gloss finish and really draws you in.
I find books are great way to encourage your child to learn, letting their imaginations run wild, it is also a great way to spend time with your little ones.
I was asked by Penwizard to review one of their personalised books. The question was, who was I going to get the book for? I decided my lovely Gracie would probably get the most enjoyment out of this kind of book so off I went to order her book.
There are so many themes. You can choose from well known characters like Peppa Pig or Fifi the Flowertot or stories about wizards or princesses. I picked a book about a medieval princess as princesses are definitely the "in" thing in our house at the moment.
The process of ordering the book is extremely simple. You type in your child's first and last name, decide on hairstyle, colour and skin tone and you can give two adults names and two other names, perhaps friends or family, I opted for Gracie's older sister's names as I thought this would really get her engaged in the story. That's all you have to do, Penwizard do the rest of the work, all you have to do is wait for your order.
The book arrived extremely quickly and I couldn't have been more pleased when I saw it. Gracie's name was right there on the front cover and the picture really did resemble her. The cover had a shiny gloss finish and really draws you in.
The book itself is a paperback and is 24 pages long, all in colour print. It is a lovely size, all the pictures and words are nice and clear and make it ideal whether you are reading together or when your child decides to have a read of it by themselves. You can see in the picture below that it fit on Gracie's lap perfectly. Now Gracie is only 3 years old, so can't read a lot of the words herself yet but she can recognise her own name, so when I showed her the new book, her face lit up!!
The story is beautifully written, not too long. There is a good mix of pictures and writing and the font is a fab size and style. Gracie got very excited when I mentioned her sister's names whilst I read to her, her sister's were just as excited when they saw what was in the book. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if I could have chosen hair style colour etc for Elise and Freya too. Elise, my eldest daughter is a "book worm" and instantly took it upon herself to read it to her sister's. It was really funny listening to her putting on different voices for the different characters.
The way the story ended was cleverly done because it left it open for Gracie to think of what happened next, many possibilities there which could easily make the story last longer. Her sister's even started to act out what had happened in the book.
Priced at £14.99, this kind of book makes a great gift for any child, something slightly different to the normal books available, it really allows your child get involved in the story and keeps them interested right up until the final page!! I think being personalised makes it a great keepsake too.
You can keep up to date with all the latest news by checking out Penwizards Facebook and Twitter pages.
Now tell me who would you buy one of these books for and what book would you choose??
xxxx
Disclaimer : This book was sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Crawlerz Giveaway
People will always tell you when you have a baby that the time will fly, they won't be babies for long. Having had four children, I can definitely confirm that this is certainly true.
One thing that this means is that before long your little ones won't be sitting still, staying in one place, oh no they will be on the move, this is when you need eyes in the back of your head.
Crawlerz is a great company that provides safety rompers for your babies. These are unique because they have a patented anti-slip safety grip design down the legs and feet of the rompers, great for those little ones who are constantly on the go as they not only provide comfort, they provide protection too.
I am pleased to tell you that Crawlerz are allowing me to giveaway a set of 7 crawlerz in either boy or girl designs, so that is one romper for every day of the week!!!
To have a chance of winning, just fill out the rafflecopter form below, this giveaway is open to UK residents only and last day for entries is the 7th of July.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck everyone
xxxx
ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions
One thing that this means is that before long your little ones won't be sitting still, staying in one place, oh no they will be on the move, this is when you need eyes in the back of your head.
Crawlerz is a great company that provides safety rompers for your babies. These are unique because they have a patented anti-slip safety grip design down the legs and feet of the rompers, great for those little ones who are constantly on the go as they not only provide comfort, they provide protection too.
I am pleased to tell you that Crawlerz are allowing me to giveaway a set of 7 crawlerz in either boy or girl designs, so that is one romper for every day of the week!!!
To have a chance of winning, just fill out the rafflecopter form below, this giveaway is open to UK residents only and last day for entries is the 7th of July.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck everyone
xxxx
ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Learning Resources Pretend & Play Post Office Review
As a parent I am keen for my children to learn new things and I find one way they begin to pick things up is through playing. By learning through play, the kids are having fun and a lot of the time don't even realise that they are being taught things because they are busy enjoying themselves.
Learning Resources are a company that produce a wide range of learning aids and toys for children aging from two right up to twelve. Catering for children, parents and schools, they manafacture many award winning toys that help build your child's skills through exploration, imagination and most of all fun.
I would recommend this set to any parent who has children who enjoy pretend play. The only thing I would like to see, is separate packs of letters, stamps etc to buy because my children went through these quite quickly. Overall this is lovely set that provides hours of fun, slightly different every time you play depending on what role you choose!!!
xxxx
Disclaimer : I was sent this play set free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Learning Resources are a company that produce a wide range of learning aids and toys for children aging from two right up to twelve. Catering for children, parents and schools, they manafacture many award winning toys that help build your child's skills through exploration, imagination and most of all fun.
This lovely company sent me their Pretend & Play Post Office set to review, of course my lovely children would be the ones doing all the testing.
This set costs £35.95, you may look at that price and think slightly expensive but I guarantee once you've read all of my review you will change your mind. I was surprised at how small the box was considering that inside there was over 150 pieces that help your children learn different skills, see what I mean, already you get a lot for what you pay!!
Included is an open and close sign, pen, lots of parcel boxes to make up, letters, envelopes and stamps, tax discs, postcards and money. It is like stepping into a real life post office, postman pat eat your heart out.
This set lets your child's imagination run wild whilst you fill their heads with knowledge. Your children can learn to add and subtract by paying for sending letters and parcels etc. You can help them with their writing as they can write letters and postcards, they can even write the date on the open and close sign. There is a clock so that you can encourage them to learn how to tell the time. As well as all of this your children can learn to play together, teaching them to share. The possibilities with this set are endless.
I love how once they have finished playing with it, all of the pieces fit into the "post office supplies" velcro pocket and it all folds in. There is a carry handle so that is easily transported too.
I can't give you a true idea of this set without showing you my kids playing with it, so please take a look at the video below, it is only 5 minutes out of the hours they have played with it, however I think it shows just how lovely this set is.
I would recommend this set to any parent who has children who enjoy pretend play. The only thing I would like to see, is separate packs of letters, stamps etc to buy because my children went through these quite quickly. Overall this is lovely set that provides hours of fun, slightly different every time you play depending on what role you choose!!!
xxxx
Disclaimer : I was sent this play set free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Friday, 14 June 2013
Making Mummy Feel Guilty
I think as a mum, I was very lucky with my two eldest kids, they always slept through the night, they will eat anything you give to them. Even when it came to going to playschool and school, I didn't even get a goodbye, they just ran off and started making friends.
So when Gracie arrived I thought I knew what to expect, how wrong I was. She was like the polar opposite of her sisters. Up until she was a year old, I was the only one that could calm her down, she refused to go to anyone else, if she did she would just cry and cry some more. When it came to feed times, it was a daily battle to get her to take her milk, I thought things would get better when she started on solids but even now she eats like a sparrow and changes her mind on a daily basis on what she likes to eat.
The one thing she did was sleep through the night, this managed to keep me sane!
When she turned two she started to go to playschool with her older sister Freya, she was happy, went in like her sister without complaint. Playschool were always commenting on what a happy little thing she was, a far cry from what she used to be like as a baby. Even when her sister left and went to big school, she remained content, making friends and drawing lots of things to put on my fridge.
3 weeks ago this all changed and she has started breaking my heart on a daily basis. I don't know what happened, when we are walking to playschool she is all smiles, even as she is walking through the door, the smile remains, as soon as I go to leave, the bottom lip comes out. She has started to cling to me, the teachers have to pry her off of me and I have to listen to her scream as I walk out of the door. I hate leaving her like it but after 10 minutes or so she is fine and when I pick her up she is back to being her chirpy self. Myself and the teachers have tried to get to the bottom of the problem but all we get is that she doesn't want me to leave, I might be able to understand if she had always done this but it has come out of the blue and I feel extremely guilty leaving her upset.
I'm not quite sure how to go about rectifying the situation, it is something I've never dealt with before, seeing your children sad is a very difficult part of parenting, I really wish I had a magic wand sometimes!!
I'm hoping some of you lovely readers can offer some words of advice, perhaps you've dealt with a similar situation, or maybe you are going through the same thing as me now?? Would really love to hear from you.
xxxx
So when Gracie arrived I thought I knew what to expect, how wrong I was. She was like the polar opposite of her sisters. Up until she was a year old, I was the only one that could calm her down, she refused to go to anyone else, if she did she would just cry and cry some more. When it came to feed times, it was a daily battle to get her to take her milk, I thought things would get better when she started on solids but even now she eats like a sparrow and changes her mind on a daily basis on what she likes to eat.
The one thing she did was sleep through the night, this managed to keep me sane!
When she turned two she started to go to playschool with her older sister Freya, she was happy, went in like her sister without complaint. Playschool were always commenting on what a happy little thing she was, a far cry from what she used to be like as a baby. Even when her sister left and went to big school, she remained content, making friends and drawing lots of things to put on my fridge.
3 weeks ago this all changed and she has started breaking my heart on a daily basis. I don't know what happened, when we are walking to playschool she is all smiles, even as she is walking through the door, the smile remains, as soon as I go to leave, the bottom lip comes out. She has started to cling to me, the teachers have to pry her off of me and I have to listen to her scream as I walk out of the door. I hate leaving her like it but after 10 minutes or so she is fine and when I pick her up she is back to being her chirpy self. Myself and the teachers have tried to get to the bottom of the problem but all we get is that she doesn't want me to leave, I might be able to understand if she had always done this but it has come out of the blue and I feel extremely guilty leaving her upset.
I'm not quite sure how to go about rectifying the situation, it is something I've never dealt with before, seeing your children sad is a very difficult part of parenting, I really wish I had a magic wand sometimes!!
I'm hoping some of you lovely readers can offer some words of advice, perhaps you've dealt with a similar situation, or maybe you are going through the same thing as me now?? Would really love to hear from you.
xxxx
Thursday, 13 June 2013
Munchkin UK Disney Feeding range Review
Munchkin was founded in 1991. Their aim, to rid the world of mundane and tired products. I think they can safely say that they have achieved this. Producing products that are exciting for children and make parenting a lot easier. With their range including items for bath time, feeding time, on the go time and much much more, this company has gone from strength to strength.
The Disney characters help engage the children and make meal times fun, this would really help parents with little ones who maybe aren't too keen at sitting nicely whilst eating meals. All the range is dishwasher safe too. With prices for the range starting at just £4.50 you really can't go wrong and their is a Disney character to suit any child, you can choose from Minnie, Mickey, Pooh bear or Monsters inc, all the designs are bold, bright and colourful and keep in line with the rest of Munchkin's innovative products.
You can find Munchkin on both facebook and twitter to keep up to date with all their latest products.
Now tell me, which Disney character would you choose??
xxxx
Disclaimer : I was sent this item free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own
So imagine my extreme excitement when I was sent some of their new Disney feeding range to review. I am the biggest kid when it comes to Disney!!! Even better the character that we were sent was Minnie, this was very apt because our little Layla's nickname is mini!!!
We received the dining set which incudes a bowl, plate, fork and spoon and we also received one of their Click Lock spill proof cups.
We started testing the cup immediately. The cup comes in four pieces, the main cup, the lid, the part which you suck through and a lid to pop over the top. This cup was a new concept to Layla because the cup she normally drinks from not only has handles but it is free flowing. This cup is a non spill cup, meaning Layla had to learn to suck a bit harder to get her water out, she is a faster learner though and was soon drinking away happily. The no spill element meant that my lovely baby couldn't drown her clothes in water when she got bored of drinking it!!
I love the click lock feature. You can feel and hear as the lid clicks into place, no leaks at all!! This really is great, especially when putting the cup into the changing bag, no worrying about any spillages.
The only problem we had with the cup was how heavy it was when you filled it up to the top. Layla struggled to hold it up properly, so we then started filling it to the half way point making it much easier for her to manage.
Next up to the testing block was the dining set. I decided that Layla was slightly too young to properly test this set, so my little Gracie decided to take up the challenge. Both the bowl and the plate have a non slip feature on the bottom which really helps when little ones are becoming more independent and trying to feed themselves. The fork and spoon are an ideal size, lovely for small hands to hold on to.
The bowl is different from most because it is square shaped rather than the traditional rounded shape. I think this actually made it easier for Gracie to scoop her cereal out. My favourite part of the set was the plate, this is divided into three sections. Great if you want to separate things like meat and vegetables, or as you can see from the picture below, separating lunch items, I was able to say which bits I would like her to eat first and she could see clearly what I was talking about.
You can find Munchkin on both facebook and twitter to keep up to date with all their latest products.
Now tell me, which Disney character would you choose??
xxxx
Disclaimer : I was sent this item free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Father's Day Card Making
Father's day is fast approaching. I always find it hard to know what to get Daddy Hazelden on this day because is birthday happens to fall only a couple of days after this!!
This year we have a distinct lack of money, which I am sure is the same for a lot of you, so we have decided to not bother with the presents (especially because poor old mum didn't get anything on Mother's day!!).
Instead we are made a nice card and the girls will be helping me to make his favourite dinner (paella) on the day.
Now we didn't want any old card, I find it is always nice to have something a bit personal, means more I think. By chance I happened to find the lovely Bella-Doodle on facebook. She makes beautiful handmade crayons and chalks and when I found her she was selling small pots of her crayons along with different Father's day cards that your children could colur in using said crayons.
It must have been fate because Daddy Hazelden is carpenter and she was selling a set with a card that had carpenters tools on, I had to buy it right??
This year we have a distinct lack of money, which I am sure is the same for a lot of you, so we have decided to not bother with the presents (especially because poor old mum didn't get anything on Mother's day!!).
Instead we are made a nice card and the girls will be helping me to make his favourite dinner (paella) on the day.
Now we didn't want any old card, I find it is always nice to have something a bit personal, means more I think. By chance I happened to find the lovely Bella-Doodle on facebook. She makes beautiful handmade crayons and chalks and when I found her she was selling small pots of her crayons along with different Father's day cards that your children could colur in using said crayons.
It must have been fate because Daddy Hazelden is carpenter and she was selling a set with a card that had carpenters tools on, I had to buy it right??
When they arrived, I was really pleased. We had a mixture of shapes and colours, including hello kitty, stars, peppa pig, lego and a cupcake. So the kids set to work on colouring in the card. They each chose a different tool and letter to colour, taking it in turns, for once there was no arguments!!
That was until the time to write in the card came. Both Elise and Freya can write their own names and their sister's names, so both wanted to do it, neither one could agree on who wrote what, that's when the tantrums started (joys of being a mum). After a good 20 minutes we finally had the card written and sealed. It is now in hiding somewhere, I don't know where, let's hope the girls can still find it when Sunday arrives.
What are you doing for Father's day??
xxxx
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Brothermax Bunny Light Review
Brothermax is a company with a vision, they want to make tasks for parents and little ones simpler and less time consuming by providing them with easy to use, high quality and well designed products.
To achieve this they use three words :
simple - by making their products ergonomically designed, they have made them easy to use.
clever - because they are designed for parents by parents.
ideas - they are always on the look out for challenges which children and parents face in their daily lives, giving them ideas for new innovitive products.
Their range of products includes items to help with feeding time, bath time and bed time. I was lucky enough to be sent their new Bunny Carry and Hang Nightlight to review.
Priced at £29.99, I would go as far to say that it is a bargain!! It gives your child that little bit of independence, whilst remaining something that is fun. Working for both younger and older children, it fits in well with family life. I think my children are looking forward to the nights when it gets darker that little bit earlier so that they can use it more often!!
You can find out more about Brothermax by looking at their Facebook and Twitter pages, so why not pop by and say hello!!
Do you have little book worms, which one would you buy the bunny or the bear?? Would love to know.
xxxx
Disclaimer : I was sent this item free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own
simple - by making their products ergonomically designed, they have made them easy to use.
clever - because they are designed for parents by parents.
ideas - they are always on the look out for challenges which children and parents face in their daily lives, giving them ideas for new innovitive products.
Their range of products includes items to help with feeding time, bath time and bed time. I was lucky enough to be sent their new Bunny Carry and Hang Nightlight to review.
It comes in a box with a clear plastic window, showing you exactly what you are getting. This pink bunny was perfect for my daughters but if you think this is perhaps a bit girly, there is also yellow bear version available. It comes complete with charging stand, plug and instruction manual.
Once out of the box, I couldn't believe how light it was, I was expecting it to be quite heavy but is literally "as light as feather", perfect for even the smallest child to carry. You have to charge the light for 8 hours before you can use it but seen as you don't need it til night time, this was not a bad thing.
As a parent one of the appealing things to me, is that it is rechargeable. No need to buy endless supplies of batteries. It can be used whilst it is still charging too, so you don't ever need to worry about the battery running out. The life of the battery is good too, illuminating for approximately 12 hours, we managed to have it running for almost a week, for roughly 2 hours a night before needing to recharge it for the first time.
The light is a really nice size, measuring roughly 9 inches by 4.5 inches, it is a great size for little hands. Being portable you can literally place the light wherever you want it. We tried it all around the bedroom. Being so lightweight, it can hang nicely on a door handle, ideal if you don't have a lot of space. You can place it on a shelf somewhere, we put it on the girl's bookshelf. Or you can even let your child have it right next to them in bed because the light itself stays cool to the touch. My eldest two used it in this way as their bunkbed isn't near a shelf and it meant that they didn't disturb their little sister when they wanted to stay awake reading whilst she slept!!
It also comes in handy for those times when your little one decides that they need to go to toilet during the night, they can carry the light with them, no more tripping over things that they've "forgotten" to put away.
The light has different modes. You can have it turned on normally, this you need to switch off when you've finished with it. There is also night mode, another clever feature. This mode allows the light to stay on for half an hour and it switches off automatically after this time, I love this, it means that I can say to my eldest once the light switches off, it's time to put the book down and go to sleep! The only problem with this mode is that if light comes in the room then the bunny will switch off and the bunny will come back on and the half hour time will start again once the room goes dark again, so if your child is clever they can try and cheat to get a longer time reading.
There are different light sequences too, it has single or multiple light options, so that you can have it staying on just one colour or it can go through a sequence of colours. The video below shows you the full light sequence.
Priced at £29.99, I would go as far to say that it is a bargain!! It gives your child that little bit of independence, whilst remaining something that is fun. Working for both younger and older children, it fits in well with family life. I think my children are looking forward to the nights when it gets darker that little bit earlier so that they can use it more often!!
You can find out more about Brothermax by looking at their Facebook and Twitter pages, so why not pop by and say hello!!
Do you have little book worms, which one would you buy the bunny or the bear?? Would love to know.
xxxx
Disclaimer : I was sent this item free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own
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