20 Months Has Past...

Leo has spent the last 20 months growing. 

He has grown from a tiny newborn baby into a big bouncing boy. 

A toddler who knows no limit, who runs, leaps and bounds his way through everything life puts in his way.

I love comparing how far he has come against where he was ‘this time last year’ because although you can see that it is clearly Leo in the photographs, the difference in him is incredible.

Month by month he has learnt something new, a new milestone has been achieved and mastered.

Even in those early days when he was just starting to be more wakeful in the day to that magical moment he took those very first steps.

Leo is now turning 20 months old. 
87 weeks or 611 days.

The baby days are far, far behind us and everything now is his toddler hood. 

I guess this is one of the reasons I love to reminisce, to catch glimpses of those magical moments all over again. 

To watch my boy grow up, again and again.

These photos capture every stage of my little man, 

week by week. Month by month.

Those fleeting moments that mean the world, but are gone in the blink of an eye.

Memories that are forever imprinted upon your heart, a familiar whisper in your ear.

This is 20 months together with my beautiful boy. 

Room on the Broom

Leo’s just about to turn 20 months old and we are getting to an age now where he is beginning to appreciate films and animation. He already has favourite shows that he loves to watch and favourite characters!

It’s a sure sign that my little man is growing his own tastes and preferences. A sure sign he is growing up into a little boy.

We are big lovers of Julia Donaldson, the author of one of our favourite books The Gruffalo, so when I was asked if Leo and I would like to view the new animation Room on the Broom in the lead up to it’s DVD release on the 18th March, I was very happy to oblige.

Room on the Broom has been adapted from the popular book and brought to life on screen. It is a magical story of a friendly, but very clumsy witch who picks up a great array of different friends that she meets along the way. 

The clumsy witch keeps dropping her belonging’s as she fly’s through the sky, her hairband holding in her long plait, her magic wand and even her very tall hat!

As the witch plummets quickly to the ground on her magical broom in haste to find her missing belongings she comes across each of her new companions, and very soon it is not just the witch and her trusty cat anymore, much to the cat’s dismay! 

As the room on the broom begins to disappear, and the weight begins to pile up it is not long before the broom breaks in two, and the sorry crew discover that they have a ferocious Dragon on their tails!

It is a lovely animation for young children, Leo particularly loved the cat and began meowing at the screen. The run time of 25 minutes is perfect for little ones who are just starting to show an interest and can’t sit through a full feature just yet. 

The animations by Axel Scheffler are fantastic and really add depth and detail to this beautiful story. If you loved the Gruffalo then you and your little one are sure to enjoy this new addition just as much.

Room on the Broom is released on the 18th March and you can pre-order your copy now at Amazon for just £7.49.

You can get more news from the Official Room on the Broom website. 

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of Room on the Broom for the purpose of this review, however all views and opinions are completely honest and my own. 

My Favourite Time of The Day...

As soon as the clock shows 16:59 I begin to shut down my computer. It signals the end of the working day.

It’s the start of my favourite time of the day. 

Special time with Leo.

I pick him up from Granny’s and make sure we have blankie in our midst, as there will be no peace without it.

We cook up some food and eat our dinner with Daddy, and then it is bath time before getting ready for bed.

This is the time I love, the time I crave all day every day.

Hair freshly washed all tussled back in a towel dried hair ball. The baby smell rising from his now clean locks, looking almost angelic. But then I realise that the next mission, the biggest of all is upon us. Getting one wriggly, fidgety, arm flailing, leg kicking monster into his nappy and ready for bed.

Suddenly this angelic little boy looks cheeky, and I notice the halo upon his head beginning to slip. He begins to run, he knows Mummy’s plan and he will not be going into the nappy without a fight. 

I lay him down, the nappy already open and I’m ready to work quickly. But he is just too fast, with one swift roll to the left he is up and on his feet. I catch him and try again but this time he rolls to the right, laughing at me as he runs away. I retrieve him and try again only this time he pulls himself forward giving me a loving embrace. He seems to have relented, and allows me to lay him back on the floor. The new found co-operation gives me the time to get him into his pajamas and ready for bed.

With the mission completed and Leo’s halo restored to full brilliance I get his bottle of milk ready, and sit myself down on the sofa. Finally.

Leo lets me know that he want’s blankie, he always has it with his bottle of milk. 

Blankie in one hand and milk in the other.

He snuggles in and gets into his special nook that he always does during this special time together. He lies still and contented as we quieten down for bedtime. 

After the mayhem of working, preparing dinner and finally getting Leo ready for bed, we have our time. Our special time.

A time where it is just Leo and I, where we have nothing to do but sit in the glow of each other and snuggle tight. That is our only job at this time of night.

It is this time I look forward to each and everyday, not because it signals bedtime but because of the quality time we spend together, that he cuddles in unlike any other time of the day.

When bedtime comes at 7pm, he goes off to bed closing his eyes tightly knowing how much he is loved and dreams soundly.

The Chicco Liteway Review & Giveaway

Back in November I was invited along to the Chicco 2013 launch where the extensive new product range was being unveiled. 

This season Chicco have added lots of colour to their ranges from their baby swings and toys through to their pushchair collection. 

There is a pushchair to suit every budget from modest to the more flamboyant, which opens Chicco up to many parent's and parent's to be. 

Following on from the Chicco Launch I have been sent the Liteway Stroller to trial out with Leo. Leo is at an age where he still needs stroller as although he is a pro at walking, he can’t keep up with me, he gets tired and there is also the issue of him running off whenever he gets the chance.

The Liteway is a clever play on words, a light and easy to manouever stroller that gets baby around comfortably and safely. I have been sent the Liteway in Passion Red, a very visually pleasing colour that makes it look really smart.

What’s in the box?

In the box you will find:

- Chassis

- Rain Cover

- Foot Muff

- Hood

Putting the Liteway together is a walk in the park, it is such a simple assembly process and took mere minutes. All that you need to do with this stroller is add the wheels by clicking them into place, attach the hood to the frame with the appropriate grips and viola, a complete Chicco Liteway is ready to go!

My first impressions are just how light the stroller is, it’s easy to navigate and that makes all the difference while nipping to the shops. Especially with my pushchair driving ability. Even now after almost 20 months experience pushing Leo around, I am informed that I need ‘L’ plates…

We have been testing the Liteway out over the past few months now and it is incredibly handy to just pull out as and when you need it. When folded it takes up minimal space so even if you don't have much room to store it, you will be able to sneak it away somewhere or even just leave it in the boot of your car. 

Having a growing toddler in the driving seat it is important to me to find a pushchair that is easy to navigate with this additional weight, and I have found pushing this stroller just that. Easy. It steers well and is great at going up and down curbs.

The brakes are easy to kick on and off with your foot and have been great when I have taken Leo to feed the ducks, obviously I don't want him to spontaneously take a splash! 

Being a light weight stroller it is not the most sturdy pushchair I have ever come across, but to keep it light certain aspects do need to be taken into consideration and allowances need to be made in account for this. So if you are going to be wanting to pile bags of shopping onto the handle bars, you will most likely tip the stroller...But on a brighter note there is a reasonably sized basket that will allow you to pick up bits and pieces on your travels. 

There is a very simple recline feature on the back of the stroller tucked away behind the hood cape, it reclines nice and flat giving your little one the chance for a proper cat nap. The mechanism that induces the recline and incline is a lever that you grip and push either backwards or forwards into the position you desire.

The seat chassis has a foot rest that you can alter with two buttons on either side, should you want more of a seat for an older child or a more flat surface for a younger baby. 

The Liteway comes with it's very own footmuff which is always a bonus, I love it when a company thinks of everything and provides it in the one package. Buying a bundle saves you money in the long run and saves you the time and effort hunting down the correct accessories. 

The footmuff is fleecy on the inside and covered in a outer waterproof layer. With the cold weather we have been making use of the footmuff and honestly I have struggled with it. I have to take into account that Leo is a growing boy, he is not the little baby that he once was, but he does not fit inside the footmuff. The zip will only come up so far and does not do up enough for me to keep him out of the cold. 

I think for a younger child then the footmuff will be great, it is thick and cosy and if Leo was that little bit smaller then I would be able to tuck him up.

The rain cover is great to store away in the basket of this stroller and just whip out at the first sign of rain. Which of course happens rather a lot here in the sunny UK! 

Over all I think this is a handy little stroller for the money and the accessories that come included are a real bonus. It would make a great pushchair for a holiday abroad or even an extra to keep at Nanny's house, but as I have already said, it is perfect to keep in the boot of your car for when you are running about the town. 

The Liteway retails at £139.94 currently at Tesco.

COMPETITION TIME!

Now who would like to win this Chicco Liteway!?

It has only been used for the purpose of this review and is in perfect condition, Leo and I like to look after our test subjects!

Who ever wins this stroller, I will be personally sending this Chicco Liteway in Passion Red out to with absolutely everything that comes with it! Exactly as it is described above. The only thing I no longer have is the box it came in, so I will be getting another box suitable for shipment!

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this stroller is to follow the Rafflecopter form below.

Terms & Conditions:
The giveaway is only open to residents of the United Kingdom. Once the giveaway has ended a winner will be chosen at random and contacted directly. If no response has been provided within 48 hours another winner will be chosen at random and the previous winner will be void.

Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions Free to enter competitions and giveaways in the UK. Win great prizes and freebies.

Who Said Being a Mummy Isn't Glamorous!?

Who said being a Mummy wasn't glamorous? 

I often find myself neck deep in pooey nappies and on the receiving end of an explosive sneeze.

There are 3 set meals each day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

3 separate occasions for Leo to get food EVERYWHERE. 

That's 3 potential opportunities for a wardrobe change, for both of us. 

That's one big washing mountain.

When toddler's get sick it's messy. Duvets, pillows, absolutely everything needs to go in the wash.

The cuddles the toddler needs during his sickness means that I too have needed a good scrub, not to mention the bathroom floor.

Just the other night as I was cleaning up after another sickness explosion, I pushed the glamorous Mummy act to a whole new level. You could say that I completely waved goodbye to any hold on it at all...

There I was cleaning away, double checking to make sure I had sourced every last bit until I could get the mop upstairs the next day. I was satisfied that I had successfully removed any evidence of the massacre that had taken place and decided to head back downstairs. 

As I was leaving, placing one foot in front of another. I slipped. 

Yes I slipped in the sick that I had completely and utterly missed. 

My feet going from under me, my arms flailing above my head as I took the tumble to the floor, I landed in the sick that I had SOMEHOW missed.

A pile that seemed to be lying in wait for me to slip. 

Waiting for me to think sickness duty was over.

Waiting to get me.

I  quite honestly don't know what hurt more, my pride or my bum.

I sat there with a little black rain cloud dripping on my head, before I somehow saw the humor in what had happened.

It is times like these that you need Irwin Mitchell on your side...

The moral of this sorry tale? 

Always double, double, triple check. 

You never know, it could have been you!

 Who said being a Mummy is not glamorous?

Disclaimer: This is a Sponsored Post

Pez for Red Nose Day

Do you remember Pez as a child? You know those characterised sweet dispensers and those yummy powder tablets that would come out of the characters mouth when you pushed the head back?

I sure do! As a child I loved them and I managed to get up quite a collection of the many different characters available back in the day. And up until the other week I thought that they had been discontinued as I had not seen them in the shops for some time. However I now know that they are still alive and kicking as on a very recent trip to Germany I came across Pez in one of the departure shops!

In honour of Red Nose Day and this year being very special because we are celebrating 25 years of good work! Pez have released special editions of the classic sweet dispenser, with…you guessed 3 quirky red nose designs!

Now I took great pleasure in introducing my 11 year old sister to the wonders of Pez, as she has never ever seen one, let alone tried one! She was very impressed and of course enjoyed the powdered tablet treat that presented it’s self when she pushed the red nose back.

The limited edition designs are based on the new Red Nose Day Pre-hysteric Dinosesaurs who have been fittingly named Dinomite, Triceytops and T-Spex. 

The dispensers will be on sale with a range of UK retailers on the run up to Red Nose Day, Sainsburys, Topshop and B&M and each Pez dispenser bought will pledge a 5pence donation to Comic Relief and their worthy cause.

However Pez have a secret, they have not only teamed up with Red Nose Day to bring you these 3 cheeky dispensers… They also have some very TOP SECRET, one of a kind sweet dispensers to auction off in aid of Red Nose Day 2013. These Pez heads are so highly classified in the secrecy ranking that they won’t even give us a hint as to what they are. Although with the big day almost a month away I don’t think we will have to wait long to find out!

The new additions to the Pez range are sure to be a big hit with the long-time collectors, so if you have your eye on one of these or even just want to introduce them to your children for this worthy cause, now is your chance!

Disclaimer: I received one of the fab new Pez designs to have a look and feature in this post, however all views and opinions are completely honest and my own.

Chitter Chatter

Leo is a real little character. 

Although he is not yet talking in full sentences and only say's things when he feels like it, he has an understanding. Even if he does sound like he's chatting away in another language half of the time.

This is a little clip I took of him the other evening while we were waiting for Daddy to come home from work. Leo is head over heels in love with his Daddy, and if Daddy isn't here he is one of the only things that we talk about. Constantly and very persistently on Leo's part...

I have to admit, I do love this video clip of him. 

Beautiful x