Woohoo Go Ethan my boy has made this month's star baby for Koolmami!

Koolmami stock fantastic baby clothes and gifts for 0-3 years.

from toys and bibs to tops and bottoms you are sure to find something you love!

a few of my  faves are the Green Crocodile bodysuit romper £22.00

The Cow dress by Olive and Moss £19.99 and the Olive and Moss Franco the Frog bib soo cute.

Why not go to Koolmami's website and check them out for yourself.

ToysNaturally Mini Puzzles Review

Play is the platform by which children learn and explore their senses and indulge their seemingly endless curiosity.


Toys Naturally prise themselves in stocking ethically minded,beautifully craften wooden toys.They aim for their toys to be enjoyable,fun and appealing to children and their parents alike.


I was sent 5 mini puzzles from across the mini puzzle range they were all Fauna wooden puzzles.
Fauna wooden figures and puzzles are big and chunky with no upper age limit.
They are all made entirely by hand.They have harmonius colours allowing the grain of the wood to show through.
All the pains used are non-toxic.


The puzzles i receved were:

•  The Crocodile 
• The Small wooden dinosaur 
• The Boat(motor vechile )
• The Train(motor vechile)
• The Polar bear

I really love bright and bold colours so for me these really stood out well they were also beautifully made,such lovely designs and shapes my son was really taken on them too.

He finds alot of puzzles quite tricky but apart from the train one as there was more in the shape layout for him to work out he really enjoyed figuring these out and within 20 minutes was a pro.

He so far has played with these around 20 times and not just as puzzles too,once he has put them together he gets me to stand them up so he can push them around chasing each other as if they are friends,one instance being the Train was trying to catch to Polar bear! lol

The puzzles come from a wide range that are suitable for all budgets whether it be £3.90 or £20.40 ect.They make ideal birthday/christmas presents,stocking or party bag fillers.

We enjoyed these puzzles tremendously and will look to buy some more toys from Toys Naturally come christmas.

Click wooden toys to view Toys Naturally's whole range of (wonderful) wooden toys.

Follow them on Facebook

And visit them on Twitter

Looking for london 2012 ideas?

Tesco activity book £4.74

Tesco union jack set £18.47

Tesco Teapot £13.97

Tesco Hopper £7.96

Tesco Inflatable chair £11.96

Treasure box Keyring £5.70

Treasure box Moneybox £10.00

Buggy Tug giveaway

As you may remember i recently had the opportunity to review the Buggy Tug and found it to be a very useful product and ingenious idea.You can read my full review here.
 Now you are very lucky as Di from Buggy Tug has very kindly offered one of my blog followers the chance to get their hands on one :)


In order to win just fill in thr rafflecopter form below(also leave a message on Buggy tugs wall) a Rafflecopter giveaway

Silent Sunday

soap nuts review

Do you want to save money and help the planet with every wash load you do? Do you want a product that is:

• Organic
• Vegan
• Hypoallergenic
• Chemical and cruelty free
• 100% Biodegradeable

 Then what you need is Soapnuts!

I have been sent to test and review:

• 225g Soapnut shells laundry detergent(55 washes)  £5.99
• 60g Stain remover stick £3.49
• 90g Soapnut soap £4.00

Now im all up for money saving tips and products so was thrilled to be given the oppurtunity to review these products and on top of this i love anything that will help remove the toxins from my sons diet/daily life as i know some things tend to trigger him having more meltdowns than normal.

Onto the testing:


First  up was the Soapnut shells:



The first thing that caught my attention was how strong they smelt,not in a bad way but more of a very woodland sense.
I put 4 shells into the little biodegradeable muslin bag and popped into the machine on my normal 40% wash cycle.
The results my clothes did come out clean and i actually really liked the woody smell as it was more subtle than what it is in the tube.
I then went on to use it on my cloth nappies(i added 2 more shells to the bag) and again they came out lovely clean and fresh smelling .and not to mention you can reuse the shells upto 5 times(saving money on powder)

Next up the Stain remover stick:


Great for collars,cuffs,grass,grease,blood ect


like most mums you are constantly on the look out for a stain remover that actually works!

Now the 1st thing i gt to try this stick on was my sons bib that daddy had fed him wearing(its meant to just be a dribble bib but was just a bib like the rest to daddy)

so he was fed his dinner wearing this bib and it was then thrown into the machine to find 2 days later when i went to put on a wash load.so out came the Stain remover stick....

This was after wetting and applying to the stains on the  bib pre wash:

You can especially see the marks under the dinos feet.

And after a 40 degree wash:

As you can see for yourself there is absolutely no sign whatsoever of a stain and i was left 1 very happy mummy knowing i could reuse my dribble bib while out and about teamed with my sons outfit :)






Lastly the Soapnut soap:
We received the neem and tea tree soapnut soap.
Castile olive oil soaps are known for their moisturizing and anti-oxidant benefits.


This soap is great for:


All skin types in paticular dry,sensitive,trouble are acne-prone skin types.


We started using the soap and i must say it is rather nice,i suffer from dry skin on my hands and face,now i must say i didnt use on my face as i use a facial wash instead but on my hands i noticed a big difference as my hands were alot soften where normally soap would dry my hands out this did not. they were smooth and soft,it gave off a lovely little lather. when cleaning my kids ater dinner they were left with clean/dry hands instead of a sticky residue like some others leave behind so i was really impressed by this.


I can honestly say we will continue using these products the Soap nuts and Stain remover at the very least as im happy to have found something that actually removes stains and i like the fact that when im cleaning my nappies i wont end up with a powder build up which will make my nappies smell and also become less absorbant


very happy mummy here :)


To check out all of Soapnuts range why not visit their website here
Follow then on Facebook
and also follow them on Twitter

Monkisee All About Colours DVD giveaway

Monkisee All About Colors DVD teaches your baby to read and identify all the differant colors.
They will be exposed to the wonderful world of color through puppet shows,children,animals,poetry and more .Your baby will truly enjoy learning to read with these Monkisee DVD series.
This 30 minute video is full of fun!
Your baby will be begging to watch it again and again.Features a slide show to review the words  being taught.Contains valuable Parent Guide to help you get started.


All babies are little einsteins when it comes to learning to read,their bbrain develops at an unbelievable rate during their first 5 years of life.
A baby can actually start learning to read at 3 months of age,when their eye sight starts to focus properly.Research for the past 30 years shows that babies from this early age have the ability to learn languages,whether written,foreign or sign language with ease,as the brain is generating thousands and thousands of brain cells per second.This allows them to effortlessly learn and absorb mass amounts of information.By stimulating your baby's growing brain you are strengthening the brain and its connections, called synapses.
It requires no effort for the developing baby to learn to read,just lots of fun stimulation whicj these reading kits provide Babies that learn to read from such a young age have a huge advantage over the rest!


View the rest of the Monkisee collection at www.monkisee.co.uk

In order to win this great Monkisee prize this is what you have to do

1. firstly be a blog follower

2. then like Monkisee on facebook and post this message:

im entering to win the Monkisee All About Colors DVD with my wonderful madhouse(dont forget to tag my facebook blog page if you are not already following me on it you will find it here)(then comment below that you have done these things and dont forget to post your name and the best way to get hold of you)

3. for 1 extra entry share this competition anyway you want(leave a seperate comment to tell me if you have shared)

The competion will end on 7th may where a winner will be picked at random from those that have followed the above steps
The winner will have 7 days to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected.
Good luck!


COMPETITION FINISHED AND THE WINNER DRAWN AT RANDOM IS:


EMMA ZAJAC!
WELL DONE(you have 7 days to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen....so plz pm me your address,and if you can a winners pic would be fab!)

Dentrust toothbrush review

Now as you all know my 4 year old son is autistic and one of the biggest tasks for us is teeth brushing time!
Its a nightmare normally consisting of screaming and meltdowns from our son, one reason being he wont allow us to brush his teeth yet he messes about doing it and if we do get to brush it  will be for about 30 seconds.and then along came the Sensory Smart Store who very kindly sent me one of their Dentrust toothbrushes to test and review on my son.
The Dentrust toothbrush great for helping to encourage self-care skills,ideal for the very young,those with limited motor skills and those whose sensitivity means they dont like/allow a toothbrush in thier mouth for very long.

I wasnt too sure what ethans reaction to this new toothbrush would be due to him knowing what one meant but in fact it couldnt of gone any better as soon as i took it out of the packaging he started bouncing and squealing "it yellow it yellow" over and over(his favourite colour im pretty sure of in this case had a lovely yellow rubber grip to hold lol) then said "me me" while pointing to himself i said yes so he proceeded to snatch it and squeal, and i must say for the first time since he was a baby we had no meltdown at all! he still only allowed us to take over and brush his teeth for 30 seconds but i felt happier in the knowledge that this was 3 sided so as such it was miraculously brushing the whole of each of his teeth as we moved the brush over them.

We have since  used this toothbrush daily and he loves it,needless to say when we need to replace his brush i know where we will be looking as this is now one job that no longer needs to be a battleground!

                                              Ethan happily brushing(excuse the blurring he flaps his other hand when brushing).

A few facts about the Dentrust toothbrush:

• Advanced 3 sided to allow to you to brush 3 sides simultaneously
• more effective gingivitis reduction in hard to reach areas and interior gum line
• it automatically applies the 45 degree angle to the teeth 
• has a stimulating massage for healthy gums
• RRP: £2.99

We love this toothbrush and im sure you will too so why not check them out by visiting their website/shop here they sell lots of other great products including seamless socks and underwear so why not check them out.

Their facebook page and their twitter page feel free to say hello im sure they will love that.

Sea Band review

I have been sent the Sea Bands to review by Hannah over at A New Addition.

I was very happy to receive this product to review as both yself and my 12 year old suffer badly from travel sickness and as such we cant wait to test this out :)
  
Sea Band great for nausea,traveling and morning sickness.

• Drug free
• natural relief
• no side effects
• reusable
• washable
• Clinically tested by healthcare experts

Each pack contains one pair.

Our findings:

The sea Band comes in  small cardboard packaging upon removal it comes in a small travel sized box perfect for storing your Sea Bands when not in use.

The following week we put them to the test on my daughter as she went to school via her school bus,we took them out of the box and removed the little instruction booklet and read.

It states clearly how to use,how to find your acupressure point and when to put on for it to be most effective it also has very clear pictures to help you.

2 minutes before my daughter left we put them on she then had a 10 minute walk to meet the bus.

When she got home that afternoon i asked her how she felt? did she feel sick like she normally does?

She said "no mum i forgot they were there as they were really comfortable to wear and i didnt feel groggy or sick on the way to school or back"! 

now this is a first shes normally either sick or feels it,she continued to use during the week and not once did she complain of feeling ill.

On the saturday i went out into town s took them with me on the bus journey and not only did i not feel sick i actually read a magazine normally i feel too queasy to do this.

Both myself and my daughter love this product the only problem is fighting over who gets to use them...luckily i have since won a pair that i am waiting to receive then we will both have some.

Overall thoughts:

Great product,small,comfy and best of all effective!

Carddies Review

I have recently been send 2 packs of Carddies to for my son(4) and daughter(11) to test and review


Carddies are card people,colour them in and make up your own stories(the world is your oyster)
when travelling pop us in our box and take us wherever you go for on the go fun!


A bit more about Carddies:

• Carddies are hand drawn by 2 mums for their children and friends.
• Made in the uk using premium materials that are made to last.
• Very universal to both boys and girl's
• suitable for 3+ years
• come in 10 fun sets
• You can buy from Amazon for £8.99

Contents:

• 12 card figures
• 1 card scene
• 12 colouring pencils
• 12 stands

Our thoughts:

We received the football and fairies sets, they came in a lovely strong box just take off the film and slide out to get started.lovely eye catching colours and designs.

Very well drawn made to engage and catch childrens attention.my 11 year old loved this product she couldnt wait to get stuck in,in fact my 12 year old changed her mind when she saw it said it was really pretty and wanted to help do them too so she done a couple of fairys and the back ground for the football set for my son.My son sat colouring for about 15 minutes but because he has poor pencil grip he tends to tire of writing/colouring for longer periods however his 2 1/2 year  old sister helped by doing some colouring too while my son kept saying thank you alisha u good girl! lol

this colouring set kept my kids entertained for about an hour colouring in,they then went off to play with it for about an hour before bed,my sons wasn't completely finished but as he saw his sisters playing with theirs he wanted to join in too(so the colouring on the rest will be saved to keep entertained on another day.

My kids all really liked this and have asked for another set for christmas so i think we can happily say this has been a big hit!.

My overall thoughts:

• Bold and eye catching
• Suitable in my opinion for kids aged 2 1/2 - 12
• Great value for money
• Perfect for putting in kids backpacks for on the go fun whether long or short journeys. 

Why not go and check Carddies out yourself by visiting their website here
Their twitter page here
And their facebook page here

Party Bag Giveaway

I have very kindly been offered 2 prizes to offer to two lucky blog followers from the lovely Charlotte over at Creations by Charlotte.
Their will be one boy and 1 girl's  party bag winner which they will get to choose from her website(she has also offered to very kindly add some extra sweets and a few toys)

So how can i win one of these fantastic prizes i hear you shout?
Easy firstly you must be a blog follower you will see how to connect to my blog via the right hand side of my blog pages.Then head over to Creations by Charlotte and look around and tell me your favorite product on her website(leave a comment below telling me you have done these things and the name you are following my blog by)


For a additional entry go to Creations by Charlotte's Facebook page like them  and say hello and that you are entering  My wonderful madhouse's competition to win a Creation by Charlotte party bag(remember to tag my facebook blog page) then share this competition and leave a comment below telling me you have done this and if you want to win a boy or girls party bag.(and don't forget your name too).




Ends on 1st may ..... Good luck!




COMPETITION FINISHED THE WINNERS ARE:


BOYS PARTY BAG WINNER:       KIRSTY FOX
GIRLS PARTY BAG WINNER:      VICKY-LOUISE ROBINSON


CONGRATS!(plz dm me your addresses so i can pass on.....also if you can a winners pic with your prize would be fab,and please do go over to creations by charlotte's fb page and say thank you)


And remember all her bags are great for birthday/stocking fillers/treats ect at great prices so please do bear her in mind.

Funky Giraffe Bibs Giveaway

Back in September i had the privilege to work with Funky Giraffe Bibs and had the opportunity to test and review their bibs you can see what i though here.

And now one of you have been given the opportunity to win 5 of their bibs from their extensive range online!

In order to have the chance of winning this great prize you must do the following
 Firstly you have to follow my blog via google friend connect over on the right,go and like my facebook blog page here and like Funky Giraffe Bibs, say hello and leave a message saying 
i'm entering to win 5 Funky Giraffe Bibs with my wonderful madhouse(remember to tags both pages)
then come back here and leave me a message saying you have done this


For 1extra entry share this competition either by facebook,twitter,or any other way to spread the word.(plz leave a seperate comment to say you have done this)
Ends on the 28th april
GOOD LUCK ALL.


COMPETITION CLOSED


Winner is:


EMMA WALTERS CONGRATS(you have 7 days to claim or a new winner will be drawn)


please dm me your email address so i can pass to funky giraffe bibs who will contact you directly about choosing your bibs(if you can please can you take a winners photo and share it with me for my winners page)

MAM Giveaway

I first worked with the wonderful people over at MAM UK when they offered me 3 products to test and review for my little boy you can read my full review here...we loved them all and now  MAM UK have very kindly offered me some lovely treats to giveaway to 3 YES 3! lucky blog followers.

Each winner will receive:

A 6+ months MAM perfect soother

A 260ml Anti-colic bottle

A MAM Bite & Relax Phase 2 mini teether

To be in with a chance of getting your hands on these great goodies firstly make sure you are a blog follower and leave me a comment with blog name in the comments underneath.

like my facebook blog page here then head over to MAM UK like their page if you haven't already and leave this message on their wall:

Hi there,im entering to win some fantastic MAM UK goodies with My wonderful madhouse(make sure you tag both MAM UK and My wonderful madhouse so your entry is validated)

Then come back here and tell me you have done this and what facebook name you used so i can double check entries.

For 1 extra entry share this competition and leave me a comment telling me you have(you can share on facebook,twitter,mse,anywhere but only get 1 extra entry)

Good luck everyone 3 winners will be chosen via random org on 26th april!

The winners will have 7 days to claim prize or a new winner will be picked.

COMPETITION FINISHED THE 3 LUCKY WINNERS DRAWN AT RANDOM ARE:


TINA HOLMES


SHIRLEY KAY


michele elton


well done everyone  you have 7 days to claim prizes or they will be redrawn xx 

The Quicksmart Easy Fold Pushchair review

I was totally amazed to be given the chance to review the QuickSmart easy fold pushchair, i have always loved the look of them but if im honest they were just a touch out of my price range for a stroller.

A bit more information:

• It is part of the QuickSmart Nursery range.
• Suitable from 6 months-3 years(45 pounds)
• Comes with a rain cover and a 5-point harness
• Fits nicely into its own travel bag
• Weight 6kg
• 1 handed fold
• 2 seating positions 
• Handle height 100cm
• folded sizes are: L53,W53,D28cm
• RRP: £139.99

My thoughts:

As soon as i knew i was being sent one to review i was ecstatic constantly looking at the windows on the lookout of a van of some kind like a kid looking forward to christmas.

When it finally arrived i couldnt believe how small the box was if it wasn't for the images and text on the box i would of thought they were giving me the right one i felt like there was no way a buggy of any kind unless it was a dolls one could it fit into that box!.

Upon removing from the box i couldnt believe my eyes there was nothing to set u what so ever which was great as i am not a D I Y kinda girl in the slightest.I put it up easily enough it was the putting down i struggled with in the end i found a vid clip on youtube which showed me really easily and from then on there was no stopping me.

Now i tend to have to use the buses and trains frequantly as we dont drive and i found this pushchair fantastic!

Not only is it lightweight with it being soo small whether folded or not it fits even into the smallest of  gaps.I can even get my changing bag on the back of it without it tipping however the downside i felt to this was that when you lifted it up and down curbs it felt like it was going to buckle it didnt just felt it as all the weight was at the back of the buggy.

I have found this perfect for getting to my sons physio appointments,toddler groups,the park ect the only thing its not really practical for is big shopping trips as there is only a small basket to put anything in.

Overall i love this buggy,the style,design and colour.... not to everyones taste but to me its perfect :)

To visit the QuickSmart website click here
To visit the QuickSmart  facebook page click here

So what do you really need in your labour bag?

Labour bags,Waste of moneys and great buys for babys/toddlers


Ok so you are thinking you are not pregnant why are you blogging about labour bags?

Because after having 5 kids you tend to know what you really need and what was a waste of money especially as all the shops say you must have this and that and you tend to listen and buy it and all i can say is Bull you dont need it below is my list of things i have found were a total waste of money....

1. Changing table.....dont get me wrong they are lovely but if you are on a tight budget dont bother you tend to change them over your lap or on a mat on the floor anyway as its more time saving.
2. Handheld fan.....my midwife told me you cant live without it during labour,trust me you can you will be soo hot and sweaty you wont even know its going,if they have a big in the labour room ask to use that instead it will at least have a effect.
3. Baby bath....i have one but tend to use the washing up bowl or have baby in the bath with me instead(which is lovely as helps with bonding....assuming they dont do a poo!)    :P
4. a moses basket rocker stand..... fine if its your first baby but i do not recommend it if its for a sibling unlss you dont mind your other kids swing on it. also once a baby gets a bit wriggly i personally think it rocks too much i much prefer the moses basket in the cot or on floor by big bed at night time.
5. too many clothes yes they are pretty but too many will cost u a fortune,give u more washing to do than needed and they will grow out of them before they even wear some.

Now onto the good buys:

1. munchkin snack catcher,brilliant for independant toddlers saves crumbs going everywhere,a must have at a cheap price.
2. muslin squares great for pukey babies,snotty toddlersand even weaning if you forget a bib
3. baby swing....most babies loved to be rocked and swayed,bounced and this is a life saver saves dead arms and backaches bending to bounce a rocker....just get a swing does the job for you while you get on with other things like housework or having a well deserved cuppa.
4. a good baby carrier,try to go for one with good support and not too many fiddly bits added to it,i find its best to try on in the shops to see which one you prefer before buying just like you would with a pushchair.
5. my munchkin towel/or similar....you cant always rely on someone1 being there to help you bath your baby so these are fab,just tie around your neck the towel will fall in front of you(covering your chest,ect.. just get on with bathing baby then pick up and hold against you while lifting the bottom of the towel to cover and dry your baby...great hands free idea!

Now on to the labour bag/baby bag what are the essentials?

i recomment having 2 smaller ones rather than one big one as it will be easier to find baby's bits if its not mixed in with yours.

1. birth plan and any notes you might have
2. cash-for bedside tv/phone,mags or any snacks you might like.
3. slippers they dont let you walk without a pair(thats what i also got when i forgot them anyway)
4. socks take an extra fluffy pair for labour as you ight get cold feet/shakes
5. isotonic sports drinks and snacks for labour(not junk food like chocolate) dont forget some for the bf too it might last a while just dont put in your bag im sure he can carry them :)
6. any mags,books or mps to help in labour or pass the time if you cant sleep after the birth
7. if you have long haid take a hairband to keep it from your face.
8. toiletries- flannel,hairbrush,toothpaste ect,if breastfeeding nothing that will cover your bodys natural smell or it will make it harder for baby to latch on(good idea till breastfeeding is established)
9. water spray
10. a change of clothes
11. towels x 2 packs bf can bring more when he visits if needed
12. camera
13. list of phone numbers
14. breast pads
15. pjs
16. dressing gown
17. night gown for giving birth in
18. old knickers or disposable ones(i used disposable with old over top as had lots of blood loss first 2 days)

Baby's bag

1. 3 sleepsuits and vests get bf to bring more to replace dirty and take others away
2. small pack or nappies or cloth nappies
3. muslin squares/bibs
4. bath towel
5. sponge(just use plain water for first week or so, can use a little shampoo for hair if wanted.
6. going home outfit
7. hat
8. get bf to bring infant car seat and blanket when he comes to take you home

i think/hope i remembered everything bear in mind everyone is differant you might want to take a birthing ball,nursing pillow ect but these are the basics i have put.

enjoy getting ready :)

ways to help distract your autistic child?

I'm always looking for ways to help the days go easier with my 4 year old autistic son,anything that helps to stop constant screaming in my household is gladly appreciated :)
Here is the top 3 things that so far seem to work for us:

1. Dressing up 

Ethan loves dressing into differant costumes no matter how mad or silly,hes not good with roleplaying but loves to stand for pictures when all done up and this can pass an hour easily :)

2. Cooking

a new thing ethan has really gotten into is cooking whether its home pizzas,cookies or cakes he just loves them all and has great fun experimenting and tasting this has not only helped to stimilate him as he hates certain textures but has learnt to touch them in a fun way, it has also helped his appetite as he is more willing to try new things.

3. Animals and bugs

whether its a trip to our local garden centre to see the animals or finding bugs in the garden ethan loves them all and will happily spend 30 mins to several hours happily in his task of looking for/looking after them :)

Any ideas from anyone greatly appreciated or tips on happy mealtimes/helping to convince to use cutlery greatly appreciated :)