Monday 31 March 2014

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Essential Baby Care Guide DVD

 
The Essential Baby Care Guide from The Essential Baby Company was launched in Tesco back in February. There are six individual DVD's Introduced and narrated by Professor Robert Winston , Breastfeeding, Formula Feeding, Introducing Solids, First Aid,  Your Baby's First Month and Sleeping (RRP £3.99 each). The full DVD covering all of the above is also available (RRP £19.99). All are available from Tesco and the full DVD is also available from Amazon.

I was recently sent the First Aid DVD to review. I'll be honest and say I had no idea about baby resuscitation and the recovery position for baby's. The DVD shows you how to administer to babies under one. I suppose they are both things that hope I will never have to do. But none of us know what is round the corner, within family, friends or events we may encounter out in public. I am so glad that I now have more knowledge about strategies to implement should I experience an emergency!


The DVD has several sections...
  • Baby recovery position
  • Baby resuscitation
  • Baby choking
  • Bee Stings
  • Epi Pens/Auto injections
  • Burns and Scalds
  • Baby Sprains
  • Baby Wounds
  • Baby Poisoning
Each and every section offers invaluable  advice. Advice in many of the sections that could save lives!

'All topics are explained clearly by experts in the field including, midwives, teachers, doctors & consultants, first aid trainers and nurses from organisations such as The Royal College of Paediatrics, St Johns Ambulance and UNICEF'
 
What I particularly found useful in the First Aid DVD was the clear explanations and demonstrations of how to carry out the first aid required.  A recap of key points at the end of each section is great too. It is helpful to hear other parents share some of their experiences.
 
This is perfect for all expectant parents/parents of babies. The majority of us do not have the time to book on a first aid course and this is a informative solution that can be done in your own time at home. It is advised in the DVD that you do take a first aid course but in the meantime this gives you vital information.
 
You cannot put a price on life or health, this is fantastic resource to inform your first aid knowledge. I highly recommend adding this to your DVD collection!
 
I am pleased to be able to offer one lucky reader the chance to not just win one of the guides, BUT the entire collection, all on one DVD! All you need to do is enter via the Rafflecopter below.
Each entry will be verified and the DVD will be sent to the winner by the company, not myself.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* The first aid DVD was sent to me I return for this review. All views and opinion are entirely my own.

Sunday 30 March 2014

The Ordinary Moments #9 Emotional & Baby Brain

First of all apologies for the not so great photo! I took it whilst checking on Eliot asleep. This week I have been feeling emotional and my 'baby brain' is well and truly frazzled!

On Wednesday I had a meeting at work with the other teachers I will be working with/taking over from when returning to work next Friday. I took Eliot along as it was an informal get together.
On route I became slightly overwhelmed with emotion. I was thinking about a few things, going back to work and being with out him, the workload and how I haven't taught since last June. That familiar lump began to rise in my throat and I actually shed a few tears but pulled myself together before I got to school. After all returning to work after maternity leave is an ordinary moment for many mums.

There have been many significant changes at work since I went on maternity leave and as I listened to some of the new things my brain began to frazzle. I was/am worried about how I will juggle it all but I feel somewhat reassured that it's only for three days a week.

On Thursday I experienced more joyful emotions when I met my friends new baby boy. We got on to the topic of baby brain. I've decided baby brain is a 'real' problem that affects mothers. I have a 'to do' list as long as my arm but always miss bits. I walk into a room to get/do something but forget why I went in there in the first place. If I manage to get myself more organised I'm hoping it will help the 'baby brain'!

Today I am excited to be celebrating my first mothers day, so on that note I wish you all a very happy mothers day whether it's your first or one of many!

mummy daddy me

Happy Mothers Day!!!

As we all know today is Mothers Day. It is my first time celebrating this special day and I have been looking back over the past nine months since I became a mum.
 
I am still in awe and wonder that I was half the jigsaw who created my beautiful son. Pregnancy is such a magical time but I spent many occasions worrying that he wasn't going to arrive safely. I am so thankful that he did and I feel so incredibly lucky to have become a mother.
 
It is certainly a full time job but I wouldn't dream of having it any other way. I cherish the moments we have already spent together and I look forward to the times ahead!
 
 
Happy Mothers Day to all the mummies!
 
xxx

Friday 28 March 2014

REVIEW-My Little Big Town Books

 This review is a bit overdue and has a slightly embarrassing story behind it! When My Little Big Town were asking bloggers if they'd like to review book on Twitter, I tweeted them and said I would like to. I sent my details via DM and that was that. A week or so passed and I started to see reviews from other bloggers. Mail has occasionally gone astray on route to our letter box so I sent a DM to My Little Big Town (or so I thought). I didn't hear back so just put it down to them being snowed under with emails, DM's etc. A couple of weeks later I realised I hadn't sent the DM to My little big town but another publisher, oopsie. I was embarrassed and left it at that. A few weeks later, a package arrived and I was surprised to find the books.
We were sent The Monster Book Of Colours and The Monster Book Of Numbers by Calvin Innes. The books themselves are a perfect size for small hands to hold and look at. I would say they are probably better for older toddlers who have an understanding that books need to be handled with care. As they are paperback they are obviously open to easy rips.
I and Eliot enjoyed the bright colours and bold words and numbers throughout both books. I think they are appealing.
There are other books in the range available, The Monster Book Of Shapes, The Monster Book Of ABC's, The Monster Book Of Textures. You can find more info at http://www.themonsterbookof.com/
The RRP is £4.99

*The books were sent in return for this review. All opinions are entirely my own.

Baby OOTD #4

It's been a while since I've done a OOTD post and I couldn't resist sharing the outfit Eliot was wearing today from Junior J at Debenhams. It was actually bought in 'newborn' size by one of the parents at school before I went on maternity leave. Eliot was way over the 7lb 'something' size guide on the hanger when he was born (9.5lbs), so the OH swapped it for a much larger 9-12months. I love it and think it looks very rugby-ish with the polo neck and stripes.
by Jasper Conran

Not keen on photos earlier!
As you can see it fits perfectly now so I'm not sure how many times he'll get to wear it!

 
Has your baby got any Junior J items in the wardrobe?

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Eliot Jude You're 9 Months Old


General/milestones
Eliot you have now been out in the world as long as you were growing in my tummy! It seems crazy that nine months ago today you had just entered the big wide world!
This month I don't think we've seen many big changes.
You continue to enjoy getting your own way (who doesn't?!) and you are more crafty in your little ways. When we say 'no' to you about something you shouldn't be doing you smile and carry on doing it, naturally! When I'm holding you and you wish to get down you arch your back and to try and slide out of my grasp...today you very nearly fell on the floor when we were out having lunch!
You have almost outgrown your car seat so we have bought you a new one, all ready to go in. I hope you prefer it as you dislike getting in your old one and try to push yourself out.
You're not crawling yet but you did push yourself backwards across the kitchen floor tonight. What you prefer is to be on your feet and you will take steps with us supporting you and holding your hands. I think you may skip the crawling altogether! I won't really mind as I won't be able to take my eyes off you when you are on the move! When you are in your walker you leave a trail of destruction behind and in front of you. You roll onto your front quite a lot know and can push yourself up off the floor when we hold your hands.
I've heard 'mum', 'mumma' a few more times now, good boy keep it up!
Last week we went away with Nana J to Nottinghamshire which you enjoyed but you didn't sleep very well while we were there.
Feeding
A couple of weeks ago you were off your food for a while, you were under the weather but I'm not sure if it was your teeth or something else. Other than that you still eat like a machine and mummy's work friends said you had a good appetite when we had lunch with them today. You are crafty with your food, if you really like something you won't eat what else you have on your tray so we give you the bits you will turn down first!
Nothing much has changed with your bottles, I am still giving you a 7oz when you wake up and before you go to bed. Sometimes you don't finish them but you do love your first and last bottle. You have been having one or two 4oz bottles during the day but often you aren't fussed about them.
 
Weight
Mummy finally took you to get weighed yesterday and you are 22lbs 4oz. A big healthy boy! The health visitor said your weight was fine.
                                                                          
Clothes
You are in 9-12 months clothes and I think we need to check some of the 12-18 month bits in your wardrobe, especially trousers as you have long legs!
 
Sleeping

You are still pretty good and sleep through the majority of nights. When we were away you woke up and I had to put you into bed with me to get you back to go back sleep.

Trying out your stroller
Your Likes/Dislikes
  • You adore whizzing round in your walker and causing mayhem!
  • You love getting hold of the oven glove, tea towels, plastic bags, paper and pretty much anything you can wave around whilst in your walker.
  • You like copying daddy and sweeping the floor.
  • You still like the simple things in life, cardboard boxes, menus, tins to bash on and/or wave around.
  • You continue to have a love/hate relationship with the washing machine.
  • The cats still highly amuse you.
  • You like rough play with daddy.
  • Not much has changed with tummy time.
  • You dislike your car seat until the car moves!

Until your 10 month update!
xxxx

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Mr Nutcase Review

When Mr Nutcase were offering the opportunity for bloggers to review their personalised phone case service I got in touch.
The website was easy to use and it didn't take long at all! First of all you choose the manufacturer, your device and which type of phone case you would like. There are three different styles to choose from
  • Ultra Light Weight Slimline £14.95
  • Executive Flip Leather Style £19.95
  • Full Wrap Around Premium Edition £19.95
I chose the 'Executive Flip Leather Style' case as I liked the idea of the screen being covered by more than just a screen protector! Having experienced a cracked screen on my phone in the past I thought it would offer that extra protection!

Once I'd chosen my option, I had several layout options to choose from. You can choose from one single photo to several. I chose a layout that displayed eight photos.

Next I uploaded the photos I wanted on the case. There are options to rotate and zoom in and out of your photo depending on how you want it. You are also able to add text and clipart at this stage if you wish, as well as changing the background colour.
I went down the sentimental route and added Eliot's name and date of birth.

Finally you get to preview your case before adding to your cart and clicking on checkout once you have edited any changes you wish to make. If you like Mr Nutcase's Facebook page you also get a free screen protector and on top of that Mr Nutcase offer free worldwide delivery! I think that's pretty darn good as delivery always seems to something you get ripped off with when ordering online.

Two days after I placed my order the case arrived.
Picture Side

Phone fits securely inside

White cover on the other side
 
 
I am really happy with the personalised case I received and was extremely impressed with how simple it was to order and the speed of delivery.
I definitely recommend using Mr Nutcase
 
 
* I was sent the case for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions are entirely my own.



First Vlog! Baby Clothes Haul

Welcome to my first attempt at vlogging, and lets just say it took a while and lots of faffing!
 One of my favourite types of vlog is a haul so I thought it would be a good one to start with after picking up quite a few bits for Eliot when away last week.

Most of you will probably think I'm mad for not slapping on a bit of make up but like I say in the video I wanted to 'keep it real'. I don't wear make up when we are just at home and I want my vlogs to reflect me/us honestly. I also didn't have a lot of time! Also excuse the babbling and odd expressions!

Hope you enjoy and would love you to subscribe!

Sunday 23 March 2014

Sherwood Forest Break

A few weeks ago my mum asked if I fancied going on a short break before I go back to work. Of course I was keen and on Monday we headed north to Sherwood Castle Holiday Forest Lodge Park.
I booked the break through Hoseasons via the Teletext website, it was a bargain at £116 for 4 nights! We arrived about 5pm on Monday and I headed to reception to check us in. The medieval styled reception was used at the end of the movie Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves where Robin Hood escaped the Sheriff of Nottingham. 
I got our key and we drove down to our lodge. The lodges have a parking bay beside them, ideal for loading/unloading luggage and boy do you have lots of stuff when you go away with a baby!
The lodge had a lovely rustic feel and we had the view of the trees in front of us.

It had everything you needed, two bedrooms, kitchen and living area with TV and DVD player. Kitchen with fridge, microwave and dishwasher and a bathroom with a spa bath, lovely!!!
My mum isn't the type of person to go away and cook so we had breakfast in our lodge and ate out the rest of the time. On the first night we went to a pub up the road called The Rose Cottage. Which also happens to be round the corner from Center Parcs Sherwood Forest and well worth a visit. The menu offers a range of cusine, British, American and Mexican. We both ordered a pie which was
served piping hot with a generous amount of veg and chips. There was nothing we could fault about this place.

The next day we popped into the local Tesco in Ollerton, where I picked up some bargains in the F+F sale, which I will do a separate post or first vlog about.
Next we drove over to the nearest big-ish town. Mansfield and had a mosey round the shops. We went for dinner at an Italian restaurant called BB's, which accepts the Tastecard.

The restaurant was based upstairs but the staff were very helpful and assisted us with taking the buggy up. They bought over a highchair and made a fuss of Eliot. To start we had 'Tomato and Garlic bread' which was very tasty. For mains I had penne 'arriabiata' (one of my faves) and my mum had spaghetti dolcelatte. Both dishes were very nice and Eliot enjoyed his share of spaghetti dolcelatte.

On Wednesday we ventured to Newark to have a short nose before driving over to Nottingham.

I didn't take any pictures there but Nottingham is a huge place. I've been once before on a boozy night out when a friend was at uni but never saw the centre during the day. There are some pretty buildings there and I bought a lovely outfit for E in the huge Next.

That evening we went to The Big Fish for dinner which was near where we were staying. My mum ordered homemade fishcakes and I ordered 'Yorkshire' fishcakes. I should have asked what they were as I had no idea. When they came up it was fish in batter between to large potato slices and deep fried. I tried a mouthful of one and a bit of one of my mums fishcakes. I ate most of my chips but my mum barely touched hers, she was pretty certain they were frozen and was convinced the oil was old. None of the staff came to see how the meal was which wasn't good. My mum complained when they eventually came to take the plates. After waiting some more time, a more senior waitress came over and my mum explained again. The waitress told us the fat had just been changed and that they use beef dripping to fry the food. So if you're looking for a heart attack on a plate, this is a good place to visit but it wasn't for us.


The following morning we headed down to 'Animal Corner' at the holiday park which was great to have on site and wonderful for kids. There were sheep, chickens, pygmy goats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Eliot enjoyed watching the sheep in particular!

We then drove to the village of Bakewell, home of the Bakewell slice after Emma from Frugally Peachy recommended a visit. It was over an hour away but such a pretty drive through the countryside. Living in London it's hard to believe there is so much green space in the UK, I always fully appreciate it when I get to experience it! It's such a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of city living.

The first thing we did was head to a coffee shop to sample some bakewell! I wasn't overly keen on the traditional version I tried, I preferred my mums coconut and jam slice.
 Unfortunately it was a rainy afternoon but we braved the showers and had a wander around.
There was a village apothecary called 'Elliot Rose' so of course Eliot had his picture taken underneath 'Elliott' even if it was a different spelling!
We stumbled across a greengrocer which I had to take a snap of as not many exist today. At work
there was a story which featured a greengrocers that I often came across with the children but none of them knew what it was so I'm sure I'll be able to use the photo in work too.
I loved it, Bakewell is worth a visit if you're holidaying in the area!

On the way back to the lodge we stopped for dinner at a Chinese restaurant called China Fong. It had a choice of menus to order from, we opted for the three course menu for £7.50. We shared satay chicken and prawn toasts for starters. There was very little prawn on the prawn toast but the satay
 chicken was pretty tasty. Eliot tried his first prawn cracker and loved it that much he was crying for more!
For main course I had beef with mushrooms and my mum had chicken curry. We shared rice and noodles to accompany the dishes. They were both very nice.
The dessert included on the menu was Black Forest Gateaux with ice cream, which was ok but I was  feeling full for pudding at this point anyway.

When we arrived back at the lodge it was bath and bedtime for Eliot before packing some bits ready to leave in the morning.

On route home we stopped off in Melton Mowbray for lunch in a little café called 'The Elms'. The staff we so friendly and made such a fuss over Eliot. The food was freshly cooked to order, they serve everything from breakfasts to afternoon tea. If you're passing through this would be a great pit stop!

Overall it was a lovely break and so refreshing to escape hectic London for a few days. I would definitely head back to the area we stayed in as there's so much more to see and I recommend the holiday park we stayed in for a base.

Now looking forward to our first family hol at the beginning of April!

Binky Linky

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Organix Cereal Review

We were sent a box of Organix cereal from their new range of baby cereals to try out. There are five new organic cereals catered for different ages and stages and all their cereals have their new pack design with the new logo.
Stage 1 from 4+ months includes baby rice, strawberry and banana porridge and banana and mango porridge. All with smooth textures for those early tastes.

Stage 2 from 7+ months includes banana and plum porridge and what we have been trying, multigrain mini puffs. These have a thicker consistency for when you and baby are ready to try out.

Stage 3 from 10+ months includes banana, peach and apple muesli. Aimed at babies ready for a more challenging texture.

All offer the Organix 'No Junk Promise' which means there are no added sugars, no colourings or artificial flavourings.

The multigrain puffs come in a small ball shape and cluster together when you add the milk, making it easy to feed your baby the amount you wish.
Eliot seemed to enjoy exploring the new texture on his first taste of these and has enjoyed them for his breakfast with warm milk. You can serve them with warm or cold milk, whichever suits your little one's preference.

You can buy these from Asda, Ocado and Sainsburys RRP £2.49

 
Have tried any of the new Organix range?

* I was sent the product in exchange for a review.  All views are entirely my own


Monday 17 March 2014

My Tips For Labour

40 weeks on my due date 24/6/13
Unfortunately labour is one of the things in life which women have absolutely no control over. It can start at anytime and can progress very slowly or quickly. It can go as smoothly as labour possibly can or it can take a turn in the wrong direction.
I was lucky my labour went as smoothly as it possibly could and I'm so thankful I it did. I know it's not the case for everyone.

I thought I would share some tips that I believed helped me during labour. Things that you can do prior to or during the big event.

Pregnancy Yoga
I would highly recommend participating in pregnancy yoga classes. I found it so relaxing and the advice given by my instructor who was also a doula (and pregnant herself) was incredibly helpful. I have no doubts it helped me 'mentally' prepare for labour.  A lot of my tips will stem from the advice I was given from the instructor. We were shown  positions to use ourselves during pregnancy and that could help us cope with labour.
I think it's suitable once you are over 12 weeks.

Birth Plan
I'm sure everybody does one, it's unlikely it'll go exactly how you've written it but do one! From who your birth partner is, to music you want, to pain relief. Include everything! The midwife who delivered Eliot was fantastic and thoroughly read through mine so was fully aware of our wishes. I was lucky that only one thing that didn't go to plan with mine.
Just don't set your heart on it.

Stay Calm
With your first baby you have no idea what to expect and that in itself freaked me out! But I quickly realised there was no point in stressing about it and the advice at yoga definitely helped. Remaining calm during labour also helps with natural pain relief. Stress releases adrenaline which will make the pain worse. I like to think I remained as calm as possible during labour but subconsciously who knows!

Breathe
During yoga we were taught breathing techniques to help relax and advised to use these to breathe through contractions. Deep breaths in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. I would say keep these up for as long as you can, you go into your own zone and I certainly didn't keep this up but it helps in the early stages.

Stay active
Advice that stuck in my mind from pregnancy yoga was not to lay on my back.  It tends to slow labour down and gravity can't do it's job as well. Being as mobile as possible, walking, bouncing on a birthing ball are good for helping things progress naturally. Obviously how active you can be depends on how your labour progresses.

Pain relief
Think carefully about the pain relief you want. The thought of a needle in my spine totally freaked me out so from the outset I knew if I could cope I did not want an epidural.
From early on in my pregnancy I wanted my labour to be as natural as possible. In the early stages I used a TENs machine and once I was in established labour I used gas and air.
Get all the information, pros and cons of the different types of pain relief available so you can choose the best option/s for you.

Give gas and air a chance
This didn't happen to me but I've heard gas and air can make you feel very sick on the first couple of go's so you don't use it. A midwife told me if you keep going you get past this and can use the benefits of gas and air.
I recommend using it if you require stitches after giving birth too, the local anaesthetic alone didn't  cut it for me!

My two must haves for labour next time would be
  •  A birthing ball. I didn't have one at home but would definitely get one.
  • Gas and air, it got me through contractions
What are your tips for labour?

Sunday 16 March 2014

The Ordinary Moments #8 Which gender?

Being photo bombed by Mimi

This week has been one of those 'meh' weeks, I've had a cold and sore throat, Eliot has not been 100%. He's been off his food and had a few unsettled nights, I suspect teething has been the problem but I'm not completely sure.

On Friday we met Eliot's prospective childminder, a big moment. She was lovely and I feel happy about  Eliot being cared for by her.

Afterwards we went for a late lunch where Eliot caught the eye of another lady who made a fuss of him. He liked it as he kept turning round in his highchair to look at her. Then came a question we've never encountered since Eliot was born. 'Is it a girl or a boy?' I told her he was a boy and she commented on what a 'pretty boy' he was. The OH and I were just surprised as this has never been asked, I would've expected it months ago but not when E is pushing 9 months! To us he looks very much like a boy. I thought maybe it was the bib he was wearing that might of made the lady question his gender.

Later we were leaving a supermarket and were in the lift with two other women. One asked 'Is it a boy or a girl?', 'A boy' I replied. What was it about Eliot that day that made two people question his gender? Not that I was bothered, it was just expected many months ago as I think it's a very ordinary moment that parents usually experience, just earlier on.

As usual I'm linking up with Katie from  Mummy Daddy Me Makes Three

                                                    

mummy daddy me

Friday 14 March 2014

A letter to Eliot Jude

Dear Eliot,

I thought I'd write a quick letter before I forget some things that happened today.

Today was a day we went to meet your prospective childminder when I go back to work part time in  a few weeks.
Before we left home we were sat on the living room rug  and I blew bubbles. Mimi cat came to investigate as she usually likes swotting the bubbles. You love Mimi and we're watching her intently, wanting to get closer you pushed yourself up on my leg and tried to reach her. A milestone! You pushed yourself up and we're holding yourself, daddy and I are proud!

We went to meet Natalie the childminder. I was worried you would be upset as you don't always take well to new faces these days. Turns out you were fine, you gave her smiles when she spoke to you and you were happy enough when she picked you up and played.
This was a relief and made me feel happier about it all.

After we went for a late lunch in Nandos. You've been off your food the past few days, I think that's down to your teeth. Whilst we were there you were getting lots of attention from a lady on another table, you were happy with her to talk to you too. But something happened for the first time! She asked us if you were a girl or a boy. I was surprised as we've not encountered this before and I put it down to the bib you were wearing.

Next we went to get a 'big boy' car seat fitted in the car., it won't be long before you're in your new maxi cosi seat! We also nipped in to sainsburys. On the way out another lady asked if you were a girl or boy. I thought it was always the other way round where girls got mistaken for boys!

Lots of 'firsts' happened today,

Lots of Love,

Mummy xxx

Word Of The Week - Excited


Today I'm linking up again with the 'Word Of The Week' linky over on  The Reading Residence.

This week has been pretty uneventful, a week catching up on things that needed doing around the house and making sure household bills have been paid.

But I'm excited this week as on Monday my mum, Eliot and I are going on a little break. Although we will miss daddy, I won't miss the usual household chores, it will be nice to get away from it for a few days.

 I'm excited to explore a new area and stay in a lodge...I hope it's as nice as it looks in the photos!

The other day I bought Eliot a new stroller for the purpose of this trip and also our first family holiday in April. I'm excited to try that out too. I do hope it meets it's purpose of taking up less space in the boot to fit other necessities in.
I hope the weather is as nice as it's been here this week!


The Reading Residence

Review & Giveaway (CLOSED) 10th Anniversery Edition 'How To Catch A Star' by Oliver Jeffers

I was thrilled to be able to review this special 10th Anniversary edition of  'How To Catch A Star' by Oliver Jeffers. As a teacher it's a book I've enjoyed sharing with children. As a mummy I look forward to the times Eliot and I will read it together.
When it arrived I was like a child on Christmas day opening a present! Excited mumma! In the Pack I received some lovely goodies including resources that will keep the kids busy, such as dot-to-dot and even making a mobile! I also have a second copy of the book to giveaway to one of you!

If you're not familiar with the story, it's definitely one for the home library. It is a beautiful children's book. The illustrations are unique, and alone draw in the reader. The story itself is adorable and highlights the magic of a child's imagination. I won't say anymore, as I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't read it! If you haven't, you must! 'A modern classic' it certainly is!
This 10th Anniversary Edition is in hardback, perfect for the wear and tear of reading years to come! It begins with a letter from the author himself, Oliver Jeffers. He explains how his debut story came about, from a 'single drawing' inspired by his surroundings.

'I was sitting on the pier of a fish market eating cheap shrimp and counting the starfish around the poles. I caught the reflection of an early evening star in the water below'.

It's an inspiring note for any budding authors, writing and illustrating was not always what Oliver
Jeffers planned on doing but 'it found' him. After a year of working on the book he sent it off to various publishers and the very next day he received a call from Harper Collins saying they would
 like to publish it...amazing!
Eliot read the book with daddy. He was keen to get his hands on it and help turning the pages. I can't wait to share it with him as he grows and understands a bit more.

I'm hoping I will be able to plan a unit of English work using the book when I return to work. If I can't then I'll most certainly be reading the story and sharing the resources in the class!

This special 10th Anniversary edition is available from 27th March click here to order!

I'm excited to be able to host a competition for this special 10th Anniversary edition. Simply enter via the Rafflecopter. UK entries only. All entries will be verified

Family Fever
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday 13 March 2014

OXO Tot Sippy Cup Set Review

I've been lucky enough to try out another fab OXO tot product, the Sippy Cup Set in Aqua. I've previously reviewed and loved the 'on the go spoon' and 'divided plate' which you can read about here.

 The sippy cup set is suitable from 6 months and has a total of four pieces to help your little one transition from a sippy cup to a cup without handles. It has many great features including being free from BPA, phthalate and PVC. It has a leak proof valve to help prevent any spills and also releases pressure for comfortable sipping. And one of my faves, it can be placed in the top rack of a dishwasher.

As you can see in the photos you get a lid with a spout and a training lid which has a removable insert.
The handles are easily removed for cleaning and when you're tot is ready for the next stage.

You can see how the cup can be used in different ways to move towards an easy transition.
Eliot has been a bit of a pickle (lazy) when using a cup for water, he preferred one of us to assist when requiring a drink. Lately he has been more enthusiastic to do it himself and I thank the chunky handles on the OXO tot sippy cup! They are just the right size for a little one to grasp comfortably. He also seems to prefer the spout as he needs to suck on it for the valve to release the water rather than it spilling out uncontrollably like it has with some cups.
I also love that it is translucent, you can clearly read the measure on either side and see how much your baby has drunk.
Using the cup whilst out and about.

I definitely recommend this cup, not only does it have fantastic features, the quality is outstanding compared to other cups I have tried.  I continue to be impressed with high standards OXO reflect in their goods.
You can purchase the 'Sippy Cup Set' in aqua, green or raspberry  from retailers such as Kiddicare priced at £!0. Use OXO's Store Locator  to find your nearest retailer.
Have you tried any of the OXO tot products yet?

* I was sent the product in exchange for a review.  All views are entirely my own

Family Fever
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