Sunday 31 March 2013

Disney's Shake It Up Love To Dance Review



My younger sister absolutely adores Disney’s Shake It Up and I think I happened to make her day when I told her that she was to be my little helper in reviewing the new Shake It Up: I <3 Dance album!

I vaguely recollect lots of jumping up and down and a very excited little sister.

So what does Alice think of this new album? I think it is around about now I should hand you over to my 11 year old sister who knows far more about it than I do!

‘My name is Alice and I really love Disney’s Shake it Up, I have been an avid viewer since the series started back in 2010. When Laura told me that I was going to be getting a copy of the new CD I was very happy!

I already knew quite a few of the songs from the television show so this made being able to sing along straightaway easy.

I have really loved this new album!’

Alice has quite obviously enjoyed the new music album, both her and Leo have enjoyed dancing along to the tunes.

Each of the 17 tunes on the CD are upbeat and incredibly catchy, you don't have to be listening too long to find your foot tapping along in time.

Disney's Shake it Up: I <3 Dance is released in the UK on Monday 25th March 2013.

You can pick up your copy from Amazon for £10.61.


Disclaimer: I was sent the Shake It Up <3 To Dance CD for the purpose of this review, however all views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Goodbye Luscious Locks


Leo has always been the boy with luscious long locks and big glassy blue eyes.

Not to forget incredibly handsome. 

To me even with all of his beautiful features he was quite obviously a boy, but to passers by Leo was often mistaken for a little girl. 

His handsome looks often being mistaken for a little girls beauty. His chubby little face and those beautiful eyes framed with his lovely long surfer dude hair.

I have lost count of how many times people have stopped me and told me just how beautiful my little girl is, only to have to correct them and tell them that Leo is a boy, a beautiful little boy.

Sometimes though there is no telling anyone, and you can tell them until you are blue in the face, but they will still call him a girl. 

It didn't bother me, but I know it wound Luke up no end, and I think that is how Leo ended up in the seat of a barbers shop on Saturday 2nd March 2013 to get all of his long luscious locks chopped off like Rapunzel. 

I wasn't sure how I would feel, but I knew I would miss those lovely long strands. 

It was hard to envision my little man with short hair, but realistically it would be more beneficial to us all. Leo's long hair was starting to get knotty despite brushing it daily, but with Leo's resistance building up against the hair brush it was now or never. 

So snip by snip, strand by strand, the hair that had framed Leo's beautiful features fell to the floor. 

And we were left with our little boy looking much more like a big grown up boy. 

The same beautiful features still there underneath all of that hair. Only his eyes seemed bluer than ever before.

My big boy's second but first proper hair cut.

Leo was so well behaved, and he just sat there letting the barber do what he had to do. 




Kissing Frogs - A me&i Review


You never fail to see Leo coming at you in his bright attire. His bright shirts and his funky tights, he is full of pattern and character.

I love to see him looking smart and colourful, which means I am always on the look out for fitting clothes to add a splash of colour to this abysmal winter scene that we seem to be stuck in.

me&i are a company I have told you all about before, and they have just recently released their Spring/Summer 2013 collection. 

I am pleased to report that it is as bright and desirable as ever.

Leo has been sent a really funky t-shirt for when the sunshine decides to come out and play, and of course when this cold weather decides to give into the throws of Spring...It can't be much longer... Can it?

Leo's new t-shirt is Green and dotted with very dashing frog princes, fittingly named 'Kissing Frogs'. Over all it is a very cheeky top for a very cheeky chappy. 

What I adore about me&i is the feel of their clothes, they are soft and stretchy giving lots of growing room for kids. 

This current t-shirt that Leo is modeling is in a size 2-3 and he is not even 2 until June. So this means that it will see him throughout the entirety of the summer months, and the 95% cotton and 5% elastane materials will aid the shirt to grow with him.

When the sunshine does come out to play Leo is going to be looking super smart in his t-shirt and shorts, but for now we are pairing it with trendy jeans and his winter shoes! It will go with anything and really liven up an outfit choice with the playful patterns that are carried throughout the design.


I think the frogs are charming, but I have to admit I am already eyeing up the rest of the range. There is a fabulous Dinosaurs t-shirt in the new collection in the most fantastic vibrant blue. I will certainly be adding this to Leo's summer wardrobe this year, as he will look absolutely super duper in it. 

I am so confident in putting my money in me&i as I know exactly what to expect from them. The clothes are to the highest quality providing comfort for Leo and the bright unique designs are so fantastic. 

The Kissing Frog's t-shirt retails from £15.00 to £17.00 and while being a little pricier than your average t-shirt you really can feel the difference in the material, and of course the flamboyant prints!




Disclaimer: I was sent the Kissing Frogs t-shirt for the purpose of this review. However all views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

The Adventures of The Easywalker June


Since October last year I have been taking many more off-roading adventures with Leo.


You see we have been using the Easywalker June, a pushchair that knows no bounds, and has given me the inspiration to see where else we can venture to with the June, where other pushchairs can only dream about going.

Not even snow seems to get in the June’s way, I am yet to find a terrain that can stop those big chucky wheels in it’s path!

Where ever are adventures have taken us, the June has always been close by, giving us the ability to plough across the bumpiest field with ease.

Together we have tackled public transport and found the whole experience easy, especially when kind members of the public have offered their assistance in helping us on and off the train. 

A really handy aspect of the June is being able to navigate the cosy train aisles. I managed to push Leo in the June all the way down the train aisle to get to the other end. This is something that made my life so much easier, and also stopped me missing the train!

There have been occasions where I have had to collapse the June in a hurry, and juggle Leo at the same time. Something I have succeeded in doing without causing too much of a scene or ruffling to many feathers. 

I have managed to store the June away safely in taxi car boots and in the baggage storage of a train, with the added security of the transport lock that keeps the June locked down and together in one piece.


When the snow came down over the colder months and I refused to pull the car out of our road, the only way I would go anywhere was by foot. There was no question in my mind as to which pushchair would tackle the icy conditions best. 

The June of course was the pushchair of my choosing and it did not fail me or Leo once. We ploughed through the snowy paths, over snow covered grass and up to Granny’s house. I only had to look down at Leo to see how cosy he was in the June Footmuff, and he was none the wiser to just how bitterly cold it really was.

Oh how I longed to be the one pushed around in the June over those few days!

Long may our adventures continue, I have more plans to test the June on further terrains. 

For the moment I am looking forward to brighter skies and sunny days, so I can finally fit in that trip to the beach. I have been longing to test the June on the sand for some time now, but when all depends on when Spring decides to grace us with it’s presence.




























Leo's First Car



Leo has always loved anything with wheels.
Pushchairs, cars, steering wheels. 

Anything really that he can roll through his fingers. He has even been known to tip his pushchair on it’s side just so he can roll the wheels round.

As Leo has got older and come into his own, we have discovered Leo’s love for cars.

Big cars, little cars, toy cars, sit and ride cars…Just cars in general really. 

While we are out and about he points at each and every car we see.

He tells me that it’s a ‘car’.
He even makes a ‘brum, brum’ noise to accompany his statement. 

Cars are Leo’s favourite thing in this big wide world full of new things.

Trips to our local Tesco can end in disaster if he spy’s the Little Tikes car that is distractingly fitted to one trolley. 

If Leo so much as sees another child riding in HIS car trolley then he will shout ‘car’ at them until he is blue in the face. He looks at me with his big glass eyes like the world has committed the biggest injustice against him. 

They have stolen his car.

I have to admit that I avoid this trolley at all costs. It is heavy to push even without the stacks of shopping I need to fill it with. So more often than not I have to distract Leo while loading him into a ‘normal’ trolley so that we can get away before he see’s it.

Of course even if we get past the trolley bay and into the super market, the chances are we will come face to face with another child in Leo’s favourite trolley. 

Then the trouble begins…

That is what gave me the idea to get Leo his very own Cosy Coupe. And that is why Leo pushed aside his morning cuddles with Mummy in order to go and sit in his shiny new police car.

That is why after Leo’s bath he wouldn’t let me dry him off….and instead went and sat butt naked in his very own car.

I suddenly had visions to the future of Leo passing his driving test. I just hope that he manages to get dressed through all of his excitement before he goes out driving, otherwise he really will be in a world of trouble!

So this is Leo’s very first car. 


A car that he spends all day getting in and out of, banging the door shut each and every time. It’s where he spins the steering wheel round and toots the horn while waving bye to his Mummy as Daddy pushes him away quickly. 

I have a feeling he is going to continue to love his cars, and this is probably the first of MANY more cars….

Monday 25 March 2013

Keeping your head above water


My little family are in for a very busy summer, what with the two holidays we are booked to go on and everything else that we want to squeeze into those warm sunny day's while we have them. We are going to have to be looking into creative ways to save money and of course fund our days out and about.

We still have to find the money for all 3 of us to fly to Cyprus, and of course then there is the spending money that we will be needing while we are away for food and necessities, not to forget everything that we really want to do while we are there. Rumour has it that there may even be a possibility to swim with Dolphins, which is a life long dream of mine!

Now I have got this far in my life without having to rely on credit and have never actually had a credit card. This has worked pretty well for me so far, but I am now thinking that it may be a really helpful means to help us fund certain elements that we need to purchase over the next couple of months.

Using interest free credit cards will instantly start helping me to build up my credit rating further, and could benefit me at a later stage of my life like when I am in a position to take on a mortgage. So even if I am not a regular splurger, in the long run simply having it may help me out. 

It is not something that I would be wreck-less with and spending on willy nilly, but I do like the security net that it would provide should we really need it. Sometimes having the car tax creep up on me can be a bit of a burden, and just having the finance to pay it straight off and then pay off quickly would be really beneficial. 

Luke and I are currently saving hard for everything that we want and need to be doing, but needs must and we have to fit it all into our living budget. Even if we put a reasonable limit on the card of say £500 it really would just keep our heads that little further above water than without it.

I am seriously considering just taking out a credit card with a sensible limit for scenarios just like this, sometimes you just need that little bit extra to get you through the month.


Brought to you by Lloyds Bank


Sunday 24 March 2013

Finding a bargain



I love to have a browse around Groupon, I even have a handy little app these days so I can browse at my leisure. 

Groupon is a deal of the day service that has everything from gift certificates for hotel stays to PlayStation 3’s, all at a very generous (discounted rate). The deals change regularly so if something catches your eye it really is worth getting it while you can…Before someone else does! 

The beauty of this site is that it really is a treasure trove, you can go in looking for nothing, or thinking they couldn’t possibly have it and then you find exactly what you had in mind. 

My most recent purchase has been a set of 4 BT house phones. It was something that we desperately needed, there really isn’t much point having a land line if you have no phone…but I didn’t expect to find them on Groupon at such a bargain price of under £50.00! 

I had actually been having a look around the hotel deals that they had on offer, but when I came across the phones I decided that we didn’t need a hotel stay (even though I was kicking myself for thinking so…) but we did need to get our home phone number up and running finally.

Groupon really is great to browse and if you have a smart phone I would advise downloading the app, as it makes it so easy to flick through the current promotions, and even purchasing on there is a doddle.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a voucher to spend on Groupon in order to write this feature. However all views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

The Personalised Gifts Boutique - Giveaway!


Personalised Gifts Boutique are a husband and wife team who have put their heads together to design and create Personalised Gifts. They have taken inspiration from their personal family life journey to make their gifts extra special.

They have a lovely selection of personalised poster prints for the whole family, whether you are looking for a print for your baby boy's bedroom or one to hang pride of place on the kitchen wall. 
There is so much choice to be had, from a blue bunting to Slugs and Snails or even a pretty ballet shoe, personalised with your little ones date and time of birth, weight and location printed upon it.  



I am sure you will find the perfect print for your family home and I am pleased to be able to offer one reader the chance to win a print worth £25.00.
You can have a look through each of the collections below and choose your favourite in order to be in with a chance of winning it!
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is to follow the Rafflecopter form below.
Guidelines: 
Please only enter if you are a resident of the United Kingdom. Winners will be drawn at random and contacted via email. If no reply has been received within 48 hours another winner will be picked at random and the previous entry will be void.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!
ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

The Musical Baby Jake Review and Giveaway!


Baby Jake graces our television screens on a daily basis, Leo quite matter of factly loves him. 

Baby Jake has been jumping all over our household screens since Leo was a baby himself, and his love for the show has simply grown as he has got older.

I have never really looked into the Baby Jake toys though as I didn’t think that Leo would recognise him as ‘Baby Jake’. I am sure many people will agree with me when I say that the Baby Jake toys often don’t offer a canny resemblance to the character himself, and I think this is what has put me off.

Leo has recently been sent a Musical Baby Jake to play with and he is very impressed, he definitely knows that it is Baby Jake thanks to the familiar Yacki Yacki Yoggi sing along that plays once you press his tummy. 

My personal first impression was that Baby Jake was quite a lot smaller than I was expecting him to be, in reality he fits in the palm of my hand and I can’t help thinking that he should be a little bit bigger. Saying that though he is the perfect size for a toddler to play with and his soft body makes him easier for them to handle, so in that respect I can understand and justify the size of him.

In terms of how Baby Jake looks facially, he looks exactly as I expected. He has the usual look about him and I have been told by other family members that he looks a bit strange. I can see their points, but I then take into consideration how they are modelling the plastic doll on a real baby’s face, and they are never going to be able to make him look exact, but the resemblance is there. 

Baby Jake just looks like a real cheeky little chappy.

Leo has enjoyed trying to feed Baby Jake his bottle of milk, and even tried to share his Orange with him. There has even been some dance bopping when we press Baby Jake’s tummy for some more Yacki Yacki Yogie! So I am thinking that Baby Jake has been a hit with Leo and at the end of the day that is what it comes down to. As long as Leo is happy and enjoying his play time experience, it doesn’t matter if Baby Jake doesn’t look identical to what he does on the television.

Musical Baby Jake retails at £9.99 and is suitable for toddlers aged 18+ months.

I have noticed that although Baby Jake requires batteries, it does specify in small print on his tag that they are non-replaceable batteries, this means once they have run out, that it is. I can’t say yet how long these batteries will last as he is still going strong, but I would like to think that there will be lots of fun left to have with this doll to make him worthy of his price tag.


Over all Leo loves this doll and is certainly getting lot’s of play value out of it. I do think that the volume of the doll should be louder as it does play very quietly and if there is lots going on in the background, it can be harder to hear.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

I am now able to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a Musical Baby Jake Doll of their own and also a Baby Jake Push Along Digger!

To enter all you need to do is follow the Rafflecopter Form below!

Guidelines: 
Please only enter if you are a resident of the United Kingdom. Winners will be drawn at random and contacted via email. If no reply has been received within 48 hours another winner will be picked at random and the previous entry will be void.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

Disclaimer: I was sent the Musical Baby Jake for the purpose of this review, however all views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Monday 18 March 2013

Toddler Play


Playtime has become more fun than ever in our house.

From the tickles to the games of chase, Leo is one active little chap.

Peek a boo through the letter box is one of the ways he spends his days, spying all the cars that shoot past our front door. Leo never seems to grow tired of pointing out each and every car we see, even in the car park where there is of course ample amounts of car.

In fact Leo's love of cars is why we decided to invest in a little car of his very own. I just knew it was going to be the biggest hit since sliced cake. You see Leo adores the one at our local Tesco supermarket. Each shopping trip brings with it the Green eyed monster when he see's another child has hopped in it first. Leo doesn't hold back in trying to get me to head over and steal the car for him...



So he now has his very own. It is currently going backwards and forwards from Granny's house and home again.

Playtime takes on the form of baking with Mummy, and hiding Daddy's PlayStation controller in his play kitchen... 

Play time is becoming more energetic and exciting with each passing day.


Sonia at Mummy Constant has just started up a lovely linky that involves taking photos of your children enjoying their toys. I love to snap shots of Leo enjoying himself and I will be taking part over the coming months. 

So if like me you can get a little snap happy and want to share your photos...Link up to Foto Funtime






Slugs and Snails, and Puppy Dog's Tails


Slugs and Snails, and Puppy Dog's Tails.

That's what little boy's are made of!



Leo was 5 months old when we first slipped on his very first pair of Slugs and Snails. 

Slugs and Snails are tights specifically designed for boys. They are bright, bold and above all else, completely individual. 

In the 15 months that I have been putting Leo in these tights I have had the pleasure of getting to know Kat Redmond, the amazing lady behind these tights. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing this woman is and how much time and effort she puts into making Slugs and Snails all that they are today, and all that they will be tomorrow.

I have never come across another child wearing Slugs, although we always get so many compliments on Leo’s tights and I am always happy to share where I got them and give them the website details. If I am honest I am always happy to share everything about this amazing company, as I quite honestly love them.

Last year as Autumn was setting in I was taking Leo to a local farm park to see all the animals, and I remember seeing a little boy crying. He was crying because he couldn’t tuck his jeans into his pair of wellington boots. I stood there watching his Mum trying to tuck them in, and then he would cry some more because she couldn’t get it right. 

I couldn’t help thinking that he should be wearing a pair of Slugs as then he wouldn’t be having that problem…. I am always pairing Slugs with Leo’s wellies and he never ever has this problem.


If you take a look around the high street shops you will be met with a disappointing selection of jeans, joggers and more jeans. There isn’t much colour splashed about in the boys section and this makes me feel sad. 

When I look at Leo he is full of bright colours. He looks super and that is all down to the amazing selection of Slugs and Snails he has in his wardrobe. Kat is always developing new and exciting designs to keep the kid’s bright and warm, and she has even re-designed a pair of my favourites (Spooked) with additional colours!

There are currently 9 different styles available in the Slugs and Snails range and I know that there are more in the design process. It has been amazing to see how Kat has grown Slugs and Snails since 2011, from 4 designs to 9! Kat was just launching Slugs and Snails just as I was beginning my blogging journey and she happened to be one of the very first people I tweeted with on Twitter!

Kat truly has come such a long way and even fought off criticism about Slugs and Snails tights making little boy’s gay! This of course is complete and utter madness. A child is going to be whoever they were born to be, a pair of tights is not going to make a blind scrap of difference and the insinuation is just laughable. 

These tights have given Leo the flexibility to move, they have seen him through rolling over, crawling and walking. He runs around in his tights and little suede boots like a rock star. He is the most daring and adventurous little boy that I know and I love that Slugs and Snails have given him this freedom.


Please check out Slugs and Snails for yourselves and make sure you read Kat’s story, as this Mum has put her heart and soul into making these tights for the little men (and girlies) in our lives, and you will see this from the quality of the tights.



Disclaimer: I have been sent tights for Leo, but I was not asked to write this feature. Everything I have written is based on my personal experience of Slugs and Snails and my love for the company. I have written this because I wanted to tell you all about Slugs and Snails and just how fantastic they are.






Wednesday 13 March 2013

The Kiddy City'n Move Stroller Review


Kiddy is one of the best known manufacturers of children’s car seats in Germany with over 30 years experience in the industry and now all of us here in the UK are getting to see their unique products too!

Kiddy currently have their incredible car seat selection available to us here in sunny England but a little bird has told me that very soon they will be introducing more of their exciting range, and that of course means pushchairs and strollers. 

My favourite type of baby and toddler transportation. 

I have been putting the Kiddy City 'n Move Stoller through it's paces over the last couple of months, and it is a stroller that I am looking forward to telling you all about. It is a stroller that both Leo and I have enjoyed using, and not to mention it is the very first pushchair that I have had a cup holder on!

Assembly & What Is In The Box?

- Chassis
- Hood
- Rain Cover
- Travel Adapters 

Putting the City'n Move together for the first time was so simple. Popping on the wheels and the hood was no problem what so ever and very quickly I had a complete stroller ready to hit the roads.

Putting the stroller up and down is simplicity at it's best, by pushing up the lever situated on the back of the stroller at the same time as pushing down on the lever on the right hand side of the stroller, and pushing forward you can very quickly collapse the umbrella fold stroller to store away or pack back into your car. As for putting the stroller back up again, by removing the travel lock and adding tension to the fame with your foot, the stroller is up and ready to go!

We have the City ‘n Move Stroller in the very lovely Hawaiian Blue against a jet Black frame, and this makes it all stand out and look the part. I have to admit that I think a stroller looks extra special with a Black frame as it makes it really smart.


Now I love the idea of a light weight stroller, especially with a growing toddler who is now beginning to make pushing him around feel a little more like hard work… The stroller is an overall light weight stroller but is exceptionally sturdy, especially over some light weight strollers I have used.

The City ‘n Move does not feel like it is going to topple over if you dare add one or two shopping bags on the bag, it does not feel like it is going to fall apart on you. It really is a quality stroller. 

It is nice to know that you can dare hang the odd shopping bag on the very inviting handles (I know we shouldn’t but I know we all will!) but I haven’t even told you about the spacious shopping basket hiding under the stroller yet! 

The basket is a good size, not massive but enough to keep your rain cover in and and other bits and pieces. The only down side to this shopping basket is that the cross bar frame cuts right through it, so to actually get to the basket you have to dip in through the frame which can become a little annoying when you are trying to get everything into the basket in a hurry.


Now the seat unit of any pushchair is always a big selling point before you purchase, after all you want to know that your baby is going to be comfortable in their new ride. The City ‘n Move seat unit is lovely and spacious, it is nicely padded and is completed with 3D netting so that air can get in and out to your child, perfect for a hot day. 

The seat unit features a 5 point harness system with padded shoulder belts to keep the belts from irritating the child. The belt height can be positioned over 3 height settings, and with Leo getting so big, he is now on the third setting. I like how the safety harness sits on Leo as he looks comfortable and the belt is a good fit.


There is a bumper bar that you can keep attached even when removing the child from the stroller, I find these great as you can wrap toys around them to keep little one entertained, or I could before Leo realised he could pull them off…

The leg rest is long enough to give your kid’s growing room, and it is so easy to adjust. The recline feature can be adjusted on the back of the stroller by simply lifting up the catch and pushing the seat unit back, perfect when they fall asleep and you want to quickly make them more comfortable. 

The recline does not go completely flat but that is not an issue for me, as it is perfect for what Leo needs and I think you will agree. You will see from the video exactly how flat it goes and the slight incline I don’t think is an issue, not even for a younger baby. 

The hood offers great protection from the elements and I think it is a really good size. You can tighten the hood by tensioning the clips on either side, this makes it more sturdy and great for the windy conditions we have been experiencing lately. 

For the parents pushing the stroller you will be pleased to know that the handles are lovely and soft, both Luke and I have enjoyed pushing this stroller. There is even a cup holder for that iced coffee you are struggling to hold and push the buggy at the same time with… It is the little things like a cup holder that can be the final selling point. Out of all the strollers and pushchairs I have used, this is the first and only one that has ever come with a cup holder! Sufficed to say that I was a little over the moon to know that my iced coffee now had a place of it’s own.

The Kiddy comes with car seat adaptors as standard, this means that it can be used as a travel system with your baby from birth. The adapters mean that you can just pop on the Kiddy Infant Seat and go about your business, for a parent on a budget this is fantastic as you will only ever need to buy the one stroller that can be used all the way through to the point where they will no longer need a pushchair anymore! 

The Kiddy is priced at £160.00 and is fantastic value for money, from the quality of the stroller and the added extras which mean you can use this from day one with your child. It really is a bargain. 

I highly recommend the Kiddy City ‘n Move and I think Leo agrees with me!

Please excuse my muddy boots and my toddler stained leggings...It is all part and parcel of spending the day with Leo! Forgive me... Oh and for Leo's camera sabotage also! 



Disclaimer: I was sent the Kiddy City ‘n Move for the purpose of this review, however all views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own. 




Aptaclub Prepare You For Birth


Aptaclub have recently launched their new free iPhone app that you can download from the App Store.

The new app supports mums-to-be in their third trimester of pregnancy, and helps them to prepare for labour and their impending baby’s arrival!

The app features:

6 editable checklists to help stay organised, all of which can be shared (e.g. what to include within your hospital bag, shopping lists)
- Tips and practical advice to prepare for labour and birth
- An easy-to-use contraction timer-
- A personalised birth announcer with a range of templates 

I have downloaded this app and had a little play around with it (of course I had to make up a due date!) but I found it very easy to navigate and I liked the easy to navigate layout.

I highly recommend giving this app a try as it has some great information, and if you are anything like I was when I was pregnant... You can never have enough pregnancy apps!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post


Tuesday 12 March 2013

'Yeah' Is the Word!


Leo has always been particularly good at saying 'no'

He could shake his head to tell us he didn't want what we had to offer before he even said his first word.

He has never been particulary good at saying 'yes' for anything. 

Except chocolate of course! 

These days I can ask Leo any number of questions...

'Are you Mummy's friend'?
'Is Daddy Silly'?
'Do you love Mummy'?

And Leo will say 'Yeah'

Clear as day.

He just melts my heart as he is such a scrummy little human!

Of course there are a few questions that still get the usual 'no' and shake of a head...

'Have you done a poo'? always gets the usual head bob. He very rarely owns up to the fact that he actually has. 

I asked Leo this afternoon during my lunch break whether I should go back to work or not, and he suddenly shook his head and gave me the biggest cuddle. When it came to me telling him it was time for me to leave, he started to cry a little and nuzzled his head further into my lap, just like he does when I tell him it is time to go to bed. 

Leo stood in the doorway with Granny while I climbed into my car and wound down the window, and as I shouted 'Bye baba!', Leo shouted 'Bye Baba' right back at me. Before he replaced that with 'Mama'. 

Leo really is coming on, and just yesterday I got a fab little video of Leo 'Quack Quaking' and saying 'Oh Sugar!' 

I just had to share!




Monday 11 March 2013

Where The Monster Sleeps – Cosatto Moon Unit Review.


I have never looked at a travel cot and said ‘Wow’ I mean why would you? A travel cot is just a bland, usually neutral coloured place for your baby to sleep on occasion. Right!?

Wrong!

I have very recently said ‘Wow’ to my very first travel cot. A big open mouthed, jaw dropping ‘WOW’! But what is this travel cot I speak of? It’s the Cosatto Moon Unit of course!

As with all things Cosatto, it is bright, funky and full of personality. 

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The Moon Unit is embellished with the very popular Little Monster motif, just like on the Moova Car Seat that I told you about last year. The very bright lime Green makes a come back as you would expect with any Little Monster product and is set against a charcoal Grey. The padded cot bar is White with further Little Monster motif’s and cheeky wording ‘on the rampage’ dotted around. 

As we haven’t really been away recently and been able to trial this very funky cot over night I decided that the best form of action was to set it up in Leo’s room at Granny’s house. Leo is there 3 days a week and has recently spent a few nights there while I was away in Germany last month.

Up until this monstrous cot landed, Leo was making use of a very old travel cot that Granny had used throughout many years of child-minding, so it was great that we could now get rid of the cot that had certainly seen better days, and replace it with this cheeky bright one! 

The overall weight of the travel cot is 13.8kg and you can certainly feel it, but once the cot is erect you can feel just how sturdy it is, and I can gurantee that my little monster couldn’t escape the compounds of this cot. It is a great size in both height and length, so there is plenty of room and no nagging worries that Leo may escape and be able to cause all kinds of trouble…

The Moon Unit comes all folded in a very convenient travel bag and contains everything that you need to get started. There is no real assembly per say as all you need to do is open it out and put the mattress in, before it is then ready to rock ‘n’ roll in true monster style.


There is a great attachable changing unit that you can have over the cot, perfect if there is no-where suitable to change them while you are away. It comes with a detachable bar with monstrous monsters to keep little one entertained during the dreaded nappy change operation. There is nothing worse than a wriggly squirmy monster child when you are trying to clean up their nappy explosion! 

The changing unit is great for Granny as she has arthritis and there is no way she can change Leo on the floor. And it keeps him restrained to a certain extent as there is no where he can run…

Another fab feature is the bassinet which you can attach into the cot for a small baby, it brings the baby up to a higher height so you can reach in easily to cater for the needs of a younger baby who will most likely want a feed in the middle of the night. Obviously once the little one begins rolling/pulling themselves up then the bassinet will need to be removed to eliminate any risk of the baby falling out.

I did find it a bit tricky to attach the bassinet, but once it was on and secured you can feel just how securely they are attached. When using something like a bassinet or over cot changer, you really do rest assured knowing that your pride and joy is safe in everything they do.

Granny has had to purchase a second travel cot as Leo’s little cousin will be sharing his room at Granny’s with him from July time, and will need his very own place to nap during the day. I can honestly say that this other cot is nowhere near as bright and full of life as the Moon Unit. Somehow this other cot dwindles way into the distance until you cannot really see it any more…But the Cosatto Moon Unit is there huffing and puffing, breathing ferociously and can be seen glowing for miles around.


The Moon Unit is an all-round travel cot and suitable for all ages, it is very apparent that Cosatto have done their homework to share with us the cheekiest cot on the market and also how they have catered the cot to each age range. 

This cot has the ability to see your newborn baby into the ripe old age of toddlerhood, which to me justifies the £160.00 RRP price tag that is on this cheeky cot. However... you can currently get a bargain at Amazon for £135.00!

This is just one more product that I have fallen in love with out of the Cosatto range. I love how cheeky and colourful everything is that comes out of Cosatto Towers, and above all else the high quality and standard that they adhere to in the expansion of new lines.

Back in the Summer I brought you my very first Cosatto review on the very bright, almost luminous Pear Drop and that was the start of my Brand Buddy status.

Over the past 6 months I have told you all about:

Being a Cosatto Brand Buddy has given me the opportunity to try some fantastic products and being able to share our very colourful adventure with you has been amazing. I hope that these reviews have given you an insight into this fabulous baby brand and maybe even helped you pick out some cheeky purchases for your little one.



Disclaimer: I was sent the Cosatto Moon Unit for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own. I absolutely adore Cosatto and love being able to share our experience of their products with you.

Dancing On The Edge Giveaway


Dancing On The Edge is a story of love, music and ambition, a story set to a sensational sound tack that has been brought to our screens by ITV Studios Global Entertainment. 

There is a fantastic cast line up including Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Godman, Jacqueline Bisset and Jane Montgomery to name but a few! 

Dancing On The Edge is set in a time of immense change, just after the Second World War. It tells the story of a black jazz group, the Louis Lester Band, as they rise to fame, entertaining guests at exclusive high society gatherings in 1930's London.  While many recoil at the presence of black musicians in polite society, the capital's more progressive socialites, including younger members of the Royal Family, take the band under their wing


This is a five-part series with a 90-minute opening episode which is being released onto DVD March 11th 2013. The DVD includes extra features such as commentary on episodes 1 through 5, behind the scenes footage and the stills gallery.

I am bringing 3 readers the chance to win a copy of the Dancing On The Edge DVD and also a copy of the soundtrack

To enter all you need to do is follow the Rafflecopter Enty Form below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Friday 8 March 2013

A Toddler's Love

Just this evening we were sat as a family of 3.
A family of 3 snuggled up on the sofa.

Mummy, Daddy and Leo snuggled up in the middle.
A position he chose so that he could be in the center.

Daddy's arm was draped around us both and comfortably resting on my shoulder.
All was perfect until Leo saw Daddy being way to close to his Mummy. 

He chose this moment to push Daddy's arm off my shoulder and shouted protectively at him.

Daddy kept his hands to himself after Leo's sudden outburst but Leo kept glancing up to make sure that Daddy had learnt his lesson.

It was then that Leo did the most un-expected, and most loving thing.
He lifted his arm and draped it over my shoulder. 

He snuggled me just like I snuggle him.
All the while he snuggled me, he looked up at his Daddy as if to tell him that I was his.

A toddler's love truly is the most beautiful thing.


Thursday 7 March 2013

Is A Water Birth For You?


When you think about labor and your birth plan it can lead you to a fork in the road. This fork has the potential to lead you down two routes, natural or medical.

For me I loved the idea of a natural birth, I didn’t want the epidural if I could help it and I really didn’t want to be drugged to the nines when my baby entered the world.  

With a natural birth emblazoned in my mind I set my sights on alternative pain relief. Water births started popping up on my Google searches, and the more I read about them the more that I craved one.

I loved the idea of floating around the pool and being able to change into the positions with ease, I read about people not tearing or tearing as badly during birth and these points were big selling points for me in making my decision.

For me a water birth was the very best choice, it allowed me to keep control and gave me my own little space away from prodding hands and internal examinations. 

It provided me with the space that I needed in a time that I needed it.

Being in the water can slow down labor and I was warned when I got into the pool that the contractions may slow down or could even stop altogether. This luckily didn't happen and I was able to labor in the pool before delivering my baby boy into the water. 

I then stayed in the pool in our own little space while we waited for the placenta to deliver. They even allowed Leo to stay attached to the placenta until it had been delivered. 

The whole water birth experience is a beautiful option to be able to have, it gives you space, comfort and for me security. Of course it won’t be for everybody and so many people will have experienced a completely different scenario to me, but for me personally it made the whole experience unforgettable. 

But what are the advantages to water birth and do I agree?

- The water alone can provide excellent pain relief without additional measures such as gas and air. 

- Getting into the pool really did offer a sense of relief, the water cushions you and takes away the edge. The heat of the water is comforting and relaxing, being deep enough to encase your entire bump. The water itself is a pain relief factor but admittedly I did huff and puff relentlessly at times on the gas and air. 

- You can still use gas and air (enthanox) should you wish.

- Some research has suggested that a water birth is less likely to lead to medical intervention such as forceps, ventouse  delivery, episiotomy, or tearing.

My whole water birth experience was amazing. I was left to my own devices, and told go with what my body was telling me. Every so often the midwife would ask me to raise my bump out of the water so that she could monitor the fetal heartbeat just to keep a check on how baby was doing. When I began pushing, within 10/15 minutes I had a baby on my chest. I had a small tear but nothing that required stitches and I felt that I got away so lightly because of the water. 

A water birth will be on my birthing plan for any additional babies I go on to have, not only is it a fantastic way to labor and give birth to a baby but I found those first moments with Leo magical.


Of course there are possible downsides to a water birth that you have to take into consideration when writing your birth plan or considering your options:

- Not every hospital or maternity unit has the facilities to offer a water birth.
- If you need medical intervention you won’t be able to continue in the pool and it can take time to get you into a situation where you can be better attended to.
- No TENS machine.
- In some cases it can slow down labor.
- No Pethidine or epidurals can be used in the pool.
- Water births are not advised if your baby is breech, being induced, have preeclampsia or are overdue/pre-term (there are other medical reasons that can prevent you having a water birth)

Do you have an experience of water birth that you would like to share?