Planning a 2nd Birthday

I have been in the midst of deciding what we will be doing on little man's 2nd Birthday.

I have an idea in my mind’s eye of how I want the day to go, I want to spend the day out in the garden with family and friends, amongst his birthday presents, balloons and giant bubbles.

Luke will be tasked with the job of putting together Leo’s main birthday gift the night before while I keep little man with me at home. You see Leo’s birthday present off us this year is something that won’t fit in our garden at home without taking up the majority of the lawn…

He is getting his very own wooden playhouse, that is going to be set up in his Grandparent’s garden ready for those days he is with Granny!

A house that comes kitted with a slide right off the side of the house, and it is a house that we will be putting Leo’s very own mark on over the next few months. Luke is being tasked with wall papering the interior, I can only imagine that Baa and Macca Pacca will feature! He is in charge of finding some carpet that will fit snuggly inside to make it a perfect little space for Leo to enjoy.

We will be kitting it out with a sofa and other items favoured by Leo that will keep him entertained as he plays house in his little wooden home.

I am wishing for sunshine and warding away any Grey clouds and rain for Leo’s big day. I want to invite some of his little friends around for a play and to help celebrate Leo’s Second birthday in style!

I have spent many a evening dreaming up Leo's birthday cake and deciding whether I have the ability to cook something amazing up. Regardless of capability I will be giving it a shot! I have spent hours in the kitchen on test runs...Some have worked and others...Just haven't.  

Now I know exactly what I will be doing. 

Leo is having a Timmy Sheep cake that I know he is going to love, and I have just worked out how to make the cake work. By molding Rice Krispie treats I have managed to create Timmy's face, arms and legs out of nothing more than Rice Krispies, Marshmallows and Butter. So now all I need to do is apply this to the final cake and fill in Timmy's middle with the birthday cake!

The full 'How to make a Timmy Sheep Cake' will be coming soon...

And to in-keep with the theme of the Timmy cake, I have decided that Timmy will feature throughout the entire day! Expect Timmy balloons and Happy Birthday Banners! 

We have booked in a family photo shoot on Leo's actual birthday, The last one we had done was just after Leo turned 1 and started walking. I think that it would be amazing to have some professional photos taken once a year around this time as Leo is growing up.

Now I have an idea of how the day is going to go (Sunshine permitting) I am getting rather excited about Leo turning the big 2!

But I still find it hard to comprehend just how quickly the last 2 years have gone. How is it that next year he will be turning 3? 

Time is quite simply running away with me.

The Garden Games Croquet Set Review

Looking outside at the Grey clouds and the people walking by in winter coats, it is hard to believe that we are now in the glorious month of May. Normally at this time of year we are in our Summer dresses and enjoying the BBQ's at every available opportunity. In fact by this time last year, we had more BBQ's than I can ever remember having so early on in the Spring...This year leaves a lot to be desired...

However Leo and I have been sent a lovely Croquet Set from Garden Games that we could not wait to try out. Looking out of the window we were met with the same dismal Grey cloud, that we have now become accustomed to....Then we looked down at this family Croquet game that we just had to try out. By we I of course mean my younger Brother and Sister, and Luke. Leo is just a little bit too small for such a game at this moment in time, but it wont be long before he is playing with the best of us.

What is in the box?

- 4 x Croquet Mallets

- 4 x 180g/6.5oz Croquet Balls 

- Winning Post

- 6 x Croquet Hoops

- Carry Bag

- Instructions

The set we have been using is a great introductory Lawn Croquet set, it comes with 4 brightly coloured wooden mallets and balls, each sized perfectly for children of around 6 years plus. The set includes 6 metal hoops to layout the course, which means you can make the game different each time. Maybe a little more challenging or a little easier for the younger children. You also receive a wooden winning post and the rules of how to play, which was great for us as believe it or not...We have never played Croquet before! All of the equipment I have just described comes packed in a zip fastening bag, which makes it very handy to take with you on your travels, you could take it to a family picnic by the river or even on holiday.

Our family will be visiting Brittany later this month and I am going to be bringing the Croquet set along with us to provide us with a fun activity, for everyone to participate in. 

The Garden Games Lawn Croquet set is perfectly designed to get young children into the game and learn on a set designed for their height and age, my younger brother and sister really benefited from this as the mallets were not to heavy for them to use.

I had a quick read of the instructions and proceeded outside to set up our first ever game of Croquet. I was soon followed by everyone, as they were keen to get a game going, and moments later the game was in full swing.

I found the set a great way to get the family enjoying a activity together and very easy to get set up and play. It would be a great addition to a family BBQ to get everyone up on their feet and having a good time. 

The Croquet Set retails at a very reasonable £49.99 and even comes with a 1 year warranty, just for added piece of mind.

Garden Games offer great customer communication and let you know where your parcel is every step of the way, from ordering to dispatch. I find this added reassurance brilliant, and they are always very quick in getting your parcel to you.

If you are looking for a family game to keep everyone entertained when Summer really does decide to make an appearance, then why not give Croquet a try?

Laura

xx

Garden Games - Replacement Trampoline Pads

I am a big trampoline fan, and I imagine next summer when Leo has found his feet…he will be loving the bouncing forgiving ways of the trampoline for himself!

I have been thinking about the current state of our trampoline for a while, and obviously if I intend to let Leo use it next year, then I need to make sure that is up to scratch and of course safe!

Keeping safety in mind, with the trampoline in it’s current state I would not be happy to let Leo on it. There are a few things I need to improve on the safety front first, one of which being safety pads.

Leo and I have been sent a set of Deluxe Replacement Trampoline Pads to review from Etoyszone - Garden Games. These pads are absolutely brilliant and fit any round trampoline out there, they also come in a variety of sizes too.

We have the 14ft specification to fit our trampoline soundly. The new pads are so much thicker than the originals that came as standard with the trampoline from new. This results in a softer landing if by chance a fall was to occur, and as a added bonus you cannot feel the springs through the pads.

This does provide me with reassurance that the pads really do their job effectively, this means there is a significantly less chance of bumps and bruises for my lovely Leo, and also myself of course.

The material the pads are made out of is really effective and that is because they are constructed from shock absorbing closed cell memory foam. They are encased in a very hard wearing canvas material which is UV resistant and waterproof, and for all of us that live in the UK I am sure we can all appreciate the crazy weather we often experience, but with these pads they will with stand the elements and not crack when exposed to frost or sunlight!

I have to say I am so very happy with these trampoline pads, as safety is paramount to me and my family. I feel that they are amazing value for money and they really exceed expectations, with a 2 year warranty added to the deal then you can’t go wrong!

So For all of you eager bouncers out there, you can pick up a Deluxe Trampoline Pad for yourself from £37.80 for an 8ft up to £64.99 for a 14ft set. Head over to Garden Games and check out their site for yourself, they have a whole range of outdoor fun and games to be enjoyed and for the really adventurous bunch of you…why not treat your kiddies to a Trampoline Tent! The big kid in me is loving the idea, when Leo is older I think I am going to end up spending a small fortune on exciting out door play.

Leo may be to small to experience the trampoline this year, but come next summer when he is up on his feet, we will enjoy his first trampoline experience together, in a safe and fun way!