Wednesday 27 July 2016

Tips for packing Hand luggage with a four year old





As our flight is only 2 1/2 hours long and Bodhi has done it for the last 3 years i thought that i could trust him to pack his own hand luggage , I think that he did pretty well i did have to take out a few bits and bobs and I've also popped in some spare clothes ( Just in case ) 


Top tips for packing hand luggage with a child. 


* In the run up to your holiday go shopping once without your child and once with 

* When your alone have a look at options and ideas so once you take your child with you , you can guide them into picking the items you would have picked while shopping solo ( This tip also works with Husbands!! ) 

* Let them pick out a magazine before hand , the more free gifts the better! The "summer" themed magazines all seem to be around the £3.99/£4.99 mark and i was pretty shocked by this when other months the same magazines are £2.75/£3 so tip for myself for next year is to buy a few magazines before summer season hits

* pack snacks ( you know what your child likes ) I have taken a few items out of multi packs and the rest have gone into the suitcase these are also great for days out as some places abroad doesn't really sell snacks that your child is used to in the UK ( We have packed from the Kiddylicious range ) 

* Like i said pack spare clothes either to change into once you land or in case of any accidents 

* pads of paper/stickers/felt tips are all great ways to pass the time while in flight

* If all else fails let you child play on your phone / iPad / tablet ( It isn't the best but if it keeps them happy and stops them moaning who really cares??? ) 


So we are off ! no uploads while i am away , I will make up for it once i am home. 


Bye guys 

Sunday 24 July 2016

Perfect summer picnic check list


No better way to spend a day in the summer holidays then by having a picnic, We often pack one for days out to keep costs down on a day out as a family, The whole event of a picnic should be something to celebrate and lets face it we don't get much of a summer so lets make the most of it ! 

Doesn't matter if its a picnic in your garden at home or in some lovely woodlands , As long as your with the right people and know what to pack you'll have a great time. 

Picnic check list 

Potty ( not all picnic locations will have toilets near by ) 
Picnic basket or cool box
Disposable plates & cups
Baby wipes ( not just for babies! ) 
Rubbish bags 
Blankets 
Drinks ( take a flask with hot water for teas/coffees ) 
Picnic food ! ( A given really no? ) 
Ice packs ( no one wants a hot pork pie come lunch time ) 
Sun cream & hats
Umbrella ( incase of rain but also good for shade on hot days ) 
Money for the ice cream van ( doesn't matter that treats you pack for pudding the kids will ALL want a 99 from the ice cream van, And so will you ) 

We have a whole host of local places we plan to visit over the summer holidays places such as our local zoo, woodlands, splash park , flying kites up over the downs, play dates with friends at the park and lots more just in the garden. I hope you all have a lovely summer and get to enjoy a few picnics yourself. 

                                

Saturday 23 July 2016

colour mixing with twinkl

I often hear parents/teachers and other bloggers talking about Twinkl and i have to admit i had no clue what it was they were going on about ! so i do what anyone does now and i googled them. I was so pleased i did as i have uncovered a HUGE source of primary resources this will be such a game changer for over the summer holidays it has everything from projects/maths/English/the arts pretty much anything you can think of they will have a resource on it.

for my 1st twinkl project i wanted to start small as to not overwhelm 4 year old Bodhi so we went off the theme of the weeks homework from nursery ( yes my son gets homework once a week from school ) This week it was all about colour mixing. All i did was log on to my free twinkl account ( you can also pay for a higher level of account and i will be looking to do this after holiday ) I typed in colouring mixing and lots of ideas with work sheets popped up.

The 1st ones i printed was the colour mixing record sheets and also the colour mixing display posters. Bodhi really enjoyed working out what colours he would need to put together to make a different colour he told me it was a little bit like arty maths!

                     

Once he understood the rules of colour mixing and how it all worked we next printed off the paper towel colour mixing , Awe & wonder science activity. Bodhi is a huge lover of science so i knew this would keep him interested in the project. The sheet was simple to follow and very clear. We worked together and soon had it all set up and watched the colours meet on the towel and change colours.

 

We then also added some white carnation flowers into cups of yellow / blue & red dyed water and after a few days the white flowers had turned into the colours from the water . I would love to try this again with white roses with the steams cut and placed into two colours to see if we could get them to mix like the paper towels did.


We had a lovely time doing our ' homework ' and Bodhi was so happy telling his teachers all about what he had learnt, I have lots more ideas booked in for over the 6 weeks holidays now thanks to twinkl. Happy learning everyone.

Naturelly Jelly Juice - short listed Love By Parents awards


We Love Naturelly , they were one of the 1st brands that Bodhi & i worked with they are a lovely bunch of people that have made a great product!


Its Juice & jelly mixed into one lovely little pouch they come in a range of flavours and are stocked in most boots stores and online.

You can find out more about them by visiting the website http://www.naturelly.co.uk

The have been short listed by Love by Parents Awards 2016/17 for both best child snack and best baby & toddler snack. They have got my vote! It would be lovely if some of you guys would also vote for them in the awards!   voting for them here



Martina The sea turtle - club petz ( Review & Give away IMC )





The lovely people at IMC toys sent us our very own Martina turtle to play with and review, The toy is for 18 months plus ( I would say this is down to the moving parts & batteries ) Martina The Little Turtle is from  the Club Petz range of animals. Martina is the shy one of the club petz gang,  It's important to talk to her gently or she'll get scared and start making strange noises! ( as you can see in the video )  


Bodhi is 4 1/2 and he really enjoyed playing with Martina and talking to her softly and watching her walk around the living room , The only downside from my point of view is that she has no volume setting and her song will get stuck in your head. 


I love the idea of teaching your child about using a quiet voice when around animals to not scare them so lets face it sometimes child can be a little bit on the loud side. Bodhi has a pet tortoise and he couldn't wait for the two of them to meet, ( I did turn Martina off while Tuc was out as he really doesn't like load noises ) it was lovely to see Bodhi playing so nicely with his pet & new toy 



You can also use Martina on 'Try me' mode in this mode she will not react to sound but will walk and sing if you push the button on her shell. once set to on she will sign a happy sound and sign when you are clam and quiet with her and a scared and upset song if you are to loud she also walks in this mode. 


when in the on mode once she is set off to be either happy or sad she will walk and sing for 30 secodons in this time she will not react to anything. You can push the button on her shell in this time to make her stop singing and walking. 


You can buy Martina and other members of the club petz range online or in stores such as toys r us , argos and others her RRP is £39.99 I feel this is a fair price for the toy itself it would be nice if she had an accessory or a food item. 



I also have Martina turtle for one of my lovely readers 


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Friday 22 July 2016

Surf jewellery ( Make Surf style jewellery ) interplay ** Review **

When Interplay was asking for reviews on the my style craft range i knew it would be prefect to test out with myself Bodhi and my niece & nephews between the 4 of them the age range is 4 1/2 - 13 we had a family BBQ planned so i took along the kit with me, it all fits in a small box and the only add on you need is scissors.

We all got stuck in The kit has coloured cords/ charms / shells / metal beads and sequins more then enough for the 12 projects plus more , All of the children did need help with the knots and treading the smaller beads onto the cord. The step by step guide is really clear and easy to follow only problem we found as doing this as a group was we had to keep passing the leaflet around. 


After around an hour of making ( and snacking & playing ) all of the children had made at least one item of jewellery , the kit recommends that you start at the beginning and work through the projects. We didn't do this as all of the children had a grown up helper but i do this would be best if it was a solo use. The kit is for ages 8+ i would say this is around the right age marking if the child was to be making alone but Bodhi who is 4 1/2 and he really enjoyed the kit and could do maybe 75% of the tasks ? 


I was worried that the older boys wouldn't want to make anything as i feared they might have seen it as a girl thing to do but they seemed to enjoy it more then the 14 year old girl ! Bodhi even made a matching shell bracelet to give to his little girl friend at school. 



Over all we found the kit easy to use and a lovely way to spend the afternoon out in the sunshine, you can buy the kits and many others from interplay.co.uk direct, amazon , toys r us and many more online and in stores the RRP is £9.99 ad seeing as your get everything you need in the kit and could easily make 15-20 items i think this is a great products, and prefect for the older harder to buy for child. Thank you to interplay for sending us the kit to review.

Fun With Fruit ( A-Z cooking with kids summer 16 )



A-Z Cooking With Kids



We are join in with A-Z cooking with kids ( summer 16 ) with our blogging and mummy friend becky from 3princessesand1dude I picked the letter F as i knew i wanted to do something with fruit. Bodhi known in our family as a fruit bat he would eat it until it comes out of his ears at the moment one of his favouite fruits are grapes, I also love just how easy and mess free they are for snacks on the go. With this idea tho things can get a little messy and i should also add that Bodhi is nearly 5 and he understands that he needs to chew them before he swallows ( I used to cut them in half for him until only a few months ago ) 

For this you will need 

grapes ( any colour you like and as many or few as you feel your family will eat these will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge in a air tight box) 
chocalote ( again the choice is yours we found milk & white works best tho ) 
nuts ( none salted and once again any you and your family like, we used a mixed bag ) 
cocktail sticks 



Steps 

1) Wash your hands! ( 1st rule of cooking )

2) pop a hand full of nuts into a sandwich bag and with a rolling pin let your child give it a good bashing until the nuts are crushed ( But not dust )


3) melt chocolate ( i find the easiest way to do this is in 30 second blasts in the micovwave ) 

4) place your ingreadions in a little line ( Grapes/ Melted chocolate/ Nuts ) 


5) stabb a grape with a cocktail stick pop into the melted chocolate then into the nut then place it onto a plate covered in grease proof paper ) 




6) once finished place the whole plate into the fridge for around and hour for the chocolate to set 





7) ENJOY 







Thursday 21 July 2016

Forest feast Perfect picnic foods * Review *

Summer Holidays are just days away and i for one can not wait! Lazy days and no school runs, Getting to spend time together with Bodhi before he starts big school in September. We was very kindly sent a bag full of yummy snacks and treats from forest feast.



They stock a huge range of nuts/seeds/fruits and street foods, I couldn't wait to try them out and with my mums birthday coming up i planned to take her for a picnic with the snacks. We packed the wonder berries / sour cherries and coconut flakes along with the coated peas.



We had a lovely picnic and we all enjoyed the forest feast items, My dad ate most of the peas but i did get to try some of the BBQ flavours and they were very tasty and just slightly on the spicy side. A perfect change from other snacks . Bodhi enjoyed them and asked for them the next day with his lunch.

    







The dried fruit was also a huge hit, I have always struggled with dried fruit as Bodhi can't have raisins and most mixed fruits (Always) have raisins in them but i was pleased to find the wonder berry mix was packed full of yummy berries we mixed these with the sour cherries and coconut and we all tucked in and enjoyed. I have future plans to make flapjacks with this mix of fruit for more summer picnics and days out. The Wonder berry mix is also one of your 5 a day per 25G 



To make the most of the summer we have lots of days out planed that i will be taking snacks along with me to keep costs down. 

* day at the beach 
* zoo 
* soft play 
* play dates at the park 
* family visits
* summer holiday to Spain 
* picnics ( At home or out and about ) 

Hope you all have a lovely summer Holidays and i would definitely recommend them check out the summer snacks that forest feast stock you can buy online from amazon and also online via Ocado. 

















Sports day ( 1st time around )


When you are pregnant you can find so much information, from bump to birth and then on to toddler age you can find countless books, guides and helpful information. I have found that once your child gets to nursery age this help and information drys up! As a 1st time mum to a now 4 1/2 year old who will be starting full time school in September i thought i would share my views/tips on all the things you will face 1st time !

Today its sports day , Bodhi is only in morning nursery and last year when he was in afternoon's we was upset that they didn't take part in sports day, Knowing this year he would be taking part he was so excited ! Who could blame him they had been practising for the week leading up to sports day and on the Monday we was told that they would need to be in sports / P.E kit for the big event i asked Bodhi what he wanted to wear ( knowing full well what he would say ) So i popped into sainsburys to pick up P.E kit it was really good value with x2 pairs of shorts for £3 and x3 white t-shorts for £2.50 these will be perfect for his real P.E kit come September.


On sports day i dropped him off as normal and then popped home to meet my mum and dad , parents and family were welcomed to come and watch. It was only nursery taking part this morning but it was lovely to see a few of the other classes out on the field to watch. We sat down just as the 1st race was about to start. Now Bodhi isn't the fastest or best at sports but he did his best and had a smile on his face the whole time , They only did a few little races and then a relay. This was more then enough for them tho and after they had finished they all sat down so we could give them all a big clap.



He then lined up and got his trophy he was so happy ( As you can see from the photos ) they then all had a drink of water and the parents got a chance to take photos and tell them how well they all did, I really liked how they didn't have any winner and everyone got a trophy. We then went home and they had the rest of the day of nursery as normal. 























Top tips for your 1st sports day

* take tissues ( you can always blame your tears on hay fever )
* cheer all of the children on not only yours as some won't have anyone in the crowd
* put suntan cream on before the go into school ( School will not do this for them )
* try not to use the word winner/loser


Tuesday 19 July 2016

school trip ( 1st time around )


When you are pregnant you can find so much information, from bump to birth and then on to toddler age you can find countless books, guides and helpful information. I have found that once your child gets to nursery age this help and information drys up! As a 1st time mum to a now 4 1/2 year old who will be starting full time school in September i thought i would share my views/tips on all the things you will face 1st time !

So today its school trips!! Argh ! As a mum to a very active and full on child i was in two minds about the trip 1st thing that popped into my head was that id have a WHOLE day to myself and i was thinking of all of the jobs i could get done. Then on the 2nd thing was oh I'd have the WHOLE day to myself ..... a whole day of wondering what he was doing and if he was okay. The trip was to a local petting farm only 20mins away from the school and they would be going via a coach and coming home at 3:30


The school did also want parent helpers , I didn't go for more then one reason but my main reason was that i thought Bodhi would have a better time without me as i know for a fact he is different when i am around other reasons,

* I wanted 6 hours to myself
* I wanted him to enjoy his day without Mum hanging about
* The school didn't need me it was extra help
* I had lots of stuff to be getting on with

So in the week leading up to the trip i had lots of questions

* could they snack in the day or was it only eating at lunch time?
* would they need money for the shop ?
* would they be going around as one big groups or lots of small groups
* suntan cream ?!

The day before the trip we got told to pack the pack lunches into a bag that they could Carry and to label everything I.E hats/bags/shoes and to pack as many drinks that we felt they would drink and that they could stop for drinks as much as they wanted.

drop off was the same as normal and i got home just before 9 and at 9:20 i saw the coach drive past and i spotted a little blond head sitting by the window. I had huge mum guilt that i didn't go along, this soon passed once i got stuck into my job list . I got a lot done in 6 hours but i was glad when at 3:15 i got a text from school saying that they were back and ready to be picked up.

Bodhi had a wonderful day and ate all of his lunch and was 100% worn out, He told me all about what they did and the next day in school i saw the photos and it looks like they did all have a great time.


Top tips for 1st school trip 

* pay asap you will forget and you don't want your child to miss out
* ask the questions that your thinking
* if you can go and you feel your child will enjoy you going then go !
* send them with an extra drink to what you think they will want
* ask them what they want in their lunch
* don't sit and worry all day, go out, do jobs keep busy
* don't ask 1000 question once you've picked your child up


I hope this is helpful if your child is off on a trip for the end of term! More 1st time around posts to come.













Thursday 14 July 2016

White Glo - Professional Choice whitening toothpaste ( Trial & review )


So, we ALL know someone who is selling toothpastes and mud masks right? Well when i first heard of White Glo i nearly passed up on the chance to try it out. I googled them and was pleased to find only positives and good reviews so i thought why not? Ive always loved my teeth they are little and square and straight and I've always been given stickers by my densits ( Yes even now at the age of 29 ) but i have lately been unhappy with the colour of my teeth, now don't get me wrong they could be a lot worse! but in your own head and mind things always seem worse so once my White Glo turned up i jumped straight in to testing it out. 

Within the box you get a 150g/100ml tube of the extra strength whitening toothpaste , A new white Glo X-Action toothbrush and a pack of white Glo dental flosser Toothpicks.  RRP is £3.99 and can be found on amazon , Boots, Tescos, ASDA, Morrisons and superdrug. 
on my 1st use i was unsure on what to expect , I have never used a whiting toothpaste before. I was pleased to find that While Glo toothpaste tastes and feels just like normal everyday toothpaste. I had it in my mind that for some reason it would feel gritty but this wasn't the case, after the 1st use my teeth felt clean and they stayed feeling clean for the rest of the day. 
I hadn't told anyone i was swapping my toothpaste for White Glo but after a few days of use friends / family and Co-workers had commented that my teeth looked whiter. After my 1st week of using the White Glo toothpaste & brush combo i was very pleased with my out come. The photos i have taken really don't show just how good the results are. My teeth feel clean all day and i no longer have that horrid fuzzy feeling on them come midday. 










I feel a lot more confident about my teeth and smile now thanks to the use of White Glo ! 
( product sent for review but ALL opinions are my own ) 



Thursday 7 July 2016

froggy match it ( review & give away )





Froggy Match-it is a fun, educational game for children who have just started to read.  Typically, it is aimed at 5 to 6 year- olds who have learnt a lot of the sounds that single letters make and are starting to work out how to read short words. Body loves phonics and is always reading and learning, Its refreshing to have a game for him to play on the iPad that isn't just mindless and pointless.
As you can see from my video he is starting to spell the words out and sound out the letters, If left alone he does like a cheat a little but he does enjoy the game and i don't have any 'mum guilt' by letting him play it. 
the website is full of information and have free resources that you can download and print out to use as you like. the game as three different levels of play , the first is the one you've seen Bodhi playing were the child has to over lay the word over the matching image the first few rounds keeps it simple by only have one of each letter per picture but as the child progresses the words get harder Bodhi really enjoys this tho as he gets bored of simple games. The second game is using the key pad to type the word out this is something Bodhi likes to do on the iPad anyways and in this day and age typing is a core life skill no ? and the third game is dragging the letters into place to spell out the word.

froggy match is a fun learning game and the great thing about having it as the full version for £3.99 is that no pop ups this is one thing that really really bugs me on some games that Bodhi plays on my iPad he is a smart cookie and can now get into the app store and if he knew my password I'm sure id have a huge iTunes bill !

Bodhi's play enjoyment will only grow as he learns more, i personally feel that this game is really helping with his Phonics and spelling its a joy to see his mind working and to hear him learning. 

file:///Users/GueThe first level of Froggy Match-it is also available as a separate app, free of charge.  

Froggy Match-it is £3.99 in the UK for the download. This and the FREE version are available from the App Store and Google Play now.
I have a code for one of your lovely lot to get the full game of froggy match it for free! enter below and good luck. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let your baby snack (Kiddylicious)





PARENTS URGED TO GIVE MORE TIME TO FINGER FOOD SNACKS

When i was contacted by Kiddylicious about sharing the idea of giving children more snacks and letting your baby play with food i was all for sharing the info. When Bodhi was around six months old we started to baby led ween him and i tried to give him as long s he wanted when eating, no one likes to be rushed while they are eating.

The nation’s parents are advised to give babies more time to play with finger food snacks, as research reveals many do not understand the developmental benefits


* Almost half (49%) of British parents with babies’ view snacking as a negative eating habit
* Over one third (36%) of British parents who admit to snacking throughout the day, do not allow their baby to eat finger foods in between meals


According to new research by infant food company, Kiddylicious, almost half of parents (49%) with babies and toddlers view snacking as a negative food habit, despite it being vital in the early stages of sensory and physiological development of babies. Adding to the confusion, over one third (36%) of the nation’s parents who admit to enjoying snacks in between meals themselves, do not allow for their baby or toddler to do so.

With this in mind, baby food producer Kiddylicious has joined forces with child expert Dr. Jacqueline Harding, to examine what is actually going on #insidebabysbrain at this important stage of baby development. And, in a bid to shift the negative stigma attached to finger food play in babies, have produced a downloadable educational guide and a feature film to show parents how snacks play a significant role in achieving some of the sensory and physiological developmental milestones around 6-8 months of age. As showcased in the educational guide, this can include:

* Improved head and neck control – this can help babies to safely swallow foods
* Improved tongue control – this can help babies learn how to chew, swallow and move foods from side to side in their mouth
* Jaw movement – enabling babies to suck, bite and munch on foods, even without teeth
* Taste-bud development – allowing them to recognise which flavours they like and dislike (essential for exploration and food acceptance)
* Hand-eye co-ordination – helping them to learn how to self-feed
* Practice using all the mouth, lip and jaw muscles – helps oral development and speech


Many people do not realise that the nutrition your baby receives during the first 1,000 days of life (from conception to two years of age) can have a significant impact on their health and wellbeing throughout their life. Introducing finger food snacks can play an essential role in this developmental milestone for babies.

 Kiddylicious website:  www.kiddylicious.com where you can find out loads more information via the snack stepping stones and find out the huge range of snacks that Kiddylicious stock the smoothie melts are by far Bodhi's favs

Friday 1 July 2016

The mummy tag

I was tagged for this mummy tag by Lauren over at blogger mummy lauren I've never taken part in a blogging tag before so i thought this would be a perfect one for my first !

Are you a stay-at-home or working mum ?

I work part time, 2 evenings and Sundays in my local sainsburys , i was full time as a team leader before having Bodhi.  

Would you have it any other way? 

I would love to not work work , but i know that won't happen unless Hubby takes on more and that just isn't fair on him. Its the Sunday really as i feel like I'm always missing out on family fun stuff.

Do you co-sleep? 

No, Bodhi is now 4 1/2 he will sometimes get into bed with us if he has a bad dream or isn't feeling well but he never starts off in our bed. i personally feel co-sleeping past the age of breast feeding is making it harder in the long run.

Newborn must have? 

A place for the baby to sleep upstairs and downstairs !

How many kids do you plan on having? 

one and done, and i am really getting sick of people asking when I'm having another child

Date night - how often ? 

Date night is most often a trip to the movies and this suits me fine , a chance to sit down and eat snacks, we don't have set date nights maybe once a month sometimes less

Whats your child's favourite TV show ? 

Bodhi loves watching anything and everything. He is getting into things on netflix and these seem to be mostly cartoon based rubbish, but if it keeps him happy

What's one thing you bought for your newborn and never used? 

Breast pump, i breast fed for the 1st six months but couldn't get the hang of using the pump so i would express by hand and god... it took ages!

Kids favourite food? 

Bodhi will eat pasta every day if i let him , he is a pretty good eater tho all round but he has gone off a few things in the last few months such as potatoes this is making meal times harder then i like

How many cars does your family have ? 

Chris and i have a car each

Weight gain - before , during and after pregnancy ? 

I put on around a stone 1/2 in pregnancy but it was all baby and didn't put weight on only the bump, and lucky after having him i pretty much went back to my normal size and weight.

Whats your dream family holiday ? 

Disney ! I've never been and i really want to take the boys.

Whats your dream holiday without the kids? 

I'm not sure if id want to go away with out Bodhi, But if i had to maybe a little beach hut tiny island type holiday.

Hows has life changed since having kids? 

I have a whole new group of friends, social life, work life, sleep pattern, everything really has changed I've had to become a grown up aswel as a mum

Finish the sentence - It makes my heart melt when .... 

I see Bodhi happy

Where do i shop for my kids? 

All over the place, mostly supermarkets and primark as my son grows like a weed ! he is 4 1/2 but in 5-6 clothes and size 11 shoes

Whats your favourite make up and skincare? 

I really don't have time for make up and as for skin care, i wash my face after i brush my teeth with clean & clear that's as good as its going to get

Huggies or Pampers? 

When i used nappies i always shopped around and brought what was on offer if not id buy supermarkets own brands.

Have you always wanted kids? 

No, not until 2010 when my sister had her youngest i had been married for two years by this point and it just felt like the right next step.

Best thing about being a mum ? 

Having a best friend and getting to teach him things that he doesn't know, playing silly games and cuddling up to read a book or watch a DVD just life is pretty good with my little triangle family.

i'm tagging : 

Emilie Curry - not just cake

Laura Costello - two mums and our fair princess

Becky Wilkinson - 3princessesand1dude