Aarons first year

As Aaron celebrated his first birthday on wednesday i have decided to look back on how far he has come and share a little insight of his life so far.

Aaron was born on the 16th may 2011,he was 3 days late i was worried about lack of  movements so went to see my midwife she said heartbeat seemed fine but a little hard to find at first so sent me it to get a heart beat trace done from it they were worried as they found his heart rate kept dipping so decided to induce me straight away,10 minutes later my waters had been broken.then i was taken into a smaller room to have an iv drip put in to start labour and incase i needed a blood transfusion with it being my 5th baby this was when the fun really started- i have always had really thin thready veins that tend to jump as a result of this it took 4 hours- 7 attempts at putting a needle in ,3 midwifes and a doctor tried in the end had to be done by the anesthesiologist lol.
But finally it was in 5 mins later got my first strong contraction(labour had officially started)
2nd contraction was really painful so had gas and air then got thick and fast and unbearable needless to say 30 mins after first contraction i gave birth to Aaron!!.
He was my quickest birth yet weighing a good 8lbs.

Since his birth:


He was breastfed for several months but had some trouble latching on and also suffered from alot of reflux.he was a great sleeper was sleeping through from 3 months old he also smiled and laughed early.
Since then  we moved him onto solids unfortunatly he is still at 12 months on 4 month old food we have tried everything-homemade purees with a little texture,mashed food,jars with lumps,even finger food like bread and cakes ect but all he does is gag he just wont have anything other than 4 month old steamed dinners-wont even have that stage in jars,breakie and pudding hes fine with but again will only have that age group.he has since just got his first 2 bottom teeth through and hope this will help with his eating and he has also been referred to see someone else to help with his eating so fingers crossed he will pick up as he is tiny for his age and im sure this is not helping with the other skills he has yet to learn.

 at 9 months he was diagnosed with lax ligaments like his 4 year old brother who is autistic,he still cant sit unaided,stand,crawl, he can roll onto his belly but gets stuck and cant roll back again.

We are currently awaiting his 1 year checkup as to be honest there is only a few things from the checklist that he can do which is pretty worrying.
Our biggest fear at the moment is that he is autistic like his brother we really hope not but as you can imagine its really hard not to think it with everything going on.

On a brighter note he is a very happy,smiling little boy also full of giggles and is so laid back you couldnt ask for a chippier little boy, so fingers crossed with help he will soon catch up with his peers :)

Saturday is caption day

Earth friendly kids review

New natural body care for kids
The special little friends who had previously used the Earth Friendly Baby Products when they were younger really wanted their own range and here it is with the Earth Friendly Kids range of natural body washes,bubble baths, hand washes,lotions and wipes.


I have been sent 4 products from the Earth friendly kids range to test and review
Included were the:

• Zingy Citrus Shampoo and Bodywash 250ml £3.99
• Zingy Citrus Bubble Bath 250ml £3.99
• Zingy Citrus Handwash 250ml £3.99
• Zingy Citrus Body Lotion 250ml £4.99

First up the Bubble bath:

loved the smell poured a little bit into the running water and mixed,to be honest i love how you dont need to add much,i was a bit disappointed though as unlike the Earth Friendly Baby range it didnt produce very many bubbles which i like and so do my 4 and 2 year old who buy time of getting in said bubbles all gone as they practicaly were by this point which was a shame as they love to play with them.My 4 year old also said me want pwetty colour(he tends to pick ones that change the water colour-hence making it more fun at bath times).

Shampoo and Body wash:

Created a good lather,son and daughters skin was left  soft and smooth,hair was also very silky and soft feeling-very managable when brushing hair directly after the bath.

Body Lotion

Just like the Earth Friendly Baby one i love it,my sons normally very dry rough skin has been left so much smoother as a result of using this product,easily absorbs into the body with no sticky residue,i myself have started using it too as i suffer from dry skin.

Hand wash 

easy to use dispenser,provides just the right amount needed with 1 pump.love how it creates just the right amount without causing lots of mess like some that are too foamy do.our hands were not only left really clean but also very soft.

All in all i love these products, they smell great,leave you feeling soft and smooth all over and are very good sizes.

we will be buying the handwash,lotion and shampoo/body wash again not the bubble bath though but only as kids were not taken and  i love more bubbles :)

Why not pop over to Earth Friendly kids and see what they stock for yourself

You can buy from selected Waitrose stores and other wellbeing outlets.

You can also follow them on Facebook

Earth friendly baby review

I would love to find a great range of bath/baby products that are good for dry/sensitive skin without any of the side effects that result from some products you can buy on the market.

My 11 month old suffers from a little bit of exzema on his face and elbows and what we currently use although it is a good brand seems to somehow flare his skin up especially after bathtimes.

and then anllong came Earth friendly baby

The purpose of Earth friendly baby is to creaye high quiality,natural products that are healthy for babies and the planet at a affordable price.

Because all of their products are natural they have ingrediants that are plant-derived where possible and also biodegradable.

They do not use aetificial colouring or synthetic fragrences,or any parabens or sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate.

The products i received to test and review are the:

• organic calendula daily care cream 4 oz  
• organic lavender baby lotion 250ml
• organic lavender bubble bath
• relaxing organic lavender  shampoo and wash.

First up the organic calendula daily care cream

Specially developed to gently moisterize and act as a barrier to protect delicate skin against wetness.

it has both botanical and essential oil extracts of calendula with a vegetable oil base and natural beeswax.

I used this and was good for the first 4 days then had to stop,there was nothing wrong with the product in fact it protected both my youngests bums and they had no soreness or rashes as a result the only reason i stopped was because my little ones nappies started to leak and as such mean lots more washes(i use cloth nappies) si presume this was from a build up of cream in the material so i had to do a strip wash to get them  nappies back to normal. I left a couple of days then started again using one day on one day off.

Organic Lavender Bubblebath


great for little ones,lovely refreshing scents, rich foam and great cleaning all at the same time.
a little goes a long way.


I have used this every night since receiving and i do really like it,just pop a little bit into warm running water,swirl around with hand till desired temperature and you are ready to go.
I love the smell its just soo sweet.it created lots of bubbles for my son to play with in the tub. left my sons skin feeling really soft after his bath.

Relaxing lavender shampoo and bodywash

Bath time has never been simpler with these lovely,all in one body cleansers.

They have been specially created to gently cleanse your baby's hair and skin without leaving behind residue.

My thoughts:

This was lovely to the touch,very smooth feeling left on the skin.i loved how it was a body wash/shampoo combined,anything that makes the daily life of being a mum easier is good in my eyes also saves room in the cupboard from having less bottles and more money saved from buying more than 1 different products.

Relaxing Lavender Body lotion

Ideal to use all over  our baby's body.

 included in the lotions are are moisterizing Shea butter together with lots of vitamins to make these extra special products.

My thoughts:

I love the Body lotion,i think it is actually my favorite out of all of the products i put it on my 11 month old who suffers a bit of eczema on his face and elbows,i have found with using this 2 daily in morning and following evening bath that my sons skin is so much softer and around his eczema areas they are not so rough,have actually look wise calmed down in appearance,my son himself is not scratching as much either.

I still have lots left of my products but plan to re buy again once needed especially the Body lotion-which i highly recommend.

Why not check Earth Friendly Baby's website out to see their full range of products

Also you can find Earth Friendly Baby on facebook

You can also buy them from:

• Selected waitrose's
• John Lewis
• Sainsbury's
• boots

To name a few.

Silent Sunday

momma review

momma by lanisinoh


Discovery through design:
the momma philosophy


momma is a beautifully designed developmental line of baby products from Italy.
They thoughtfully combine shape,style,movement and colour to transform each moment of your baby's mealtime into one of growth,learning and fun.


 I  have been very kindly sent a range of momma products to test and review with my 11 month and 2 1/2 year old children.
As a parent im always looking for ways to make mealtimes easier it is one of my goals as a parent.

Rocking fork and the Rocking spoon

• Rocks
• Extendable handle
• Protective cover
• 8 months+ for the fork and 6months+ for the spoon

Round egonomic shape for easy grip.

Rocking movement entertains and stimulates baby's learning.

Rounded tips are perfect baby's delicate gums.

It is hygienic as the fork tips never touch surfaces.


My thoughts:
I love how easy they were for my son to grab,the first spoon and fork set he has been able to get a good grip off if im honest they just seemed to be ideally shaped for a young baby's hand.
I love the rocking motion which prevents the spoon/fork touching any surfaces which is great and means there is little chance of any germs being picked up and transferred to my sons mouth.my son also found it fun to hit them and watch them wobble :)

Warm plate

• 0% BPA
• Sitable for 6months+
• Water chamber to help keep food warm
• partitioned for taste differation
• non slip base

My thoughts:

I love the sleek style and the size its nice and deep perfect for dinners or even my 11 month olds pureed food .

nice and easy to clean with no staining from sauces to the plate materials.
Also worked well for my 2 year old at dinner times as was large enough to hold all of her food.after placing a little hot water into the base of the warm plate via the valve i noticed that towards the end of my daughters meal her food was still nice and warm(15 minutes on).
I did however find it tricky to open the valve up i had to use a knife to gently pop in to break the seal-however this is hardly an issue as at least it brings peace of mind that the hot contents will be contained.

Non spill cup

• Rocks
• Non-spill
• Suitable for 6months+
• 250ml
• Soft silicone spout
• perfect fit for a baby's small hands.

Designed with the latest spill proof technology,it delivers the liquid only when a baby sucks.

Very hygienic as the spout never touches any surfaces.


My thoughts:


i have always loved non spill cups as always got sick of scrubbing stains out of my sofa and carpets so love this feature.what i look for when buying a cup is these 3 things:

1. good eye catching design
2. a nice decent size
3. a teat suitable for my childs age in this case one that is soft perfect for a teething baby

And i must say with the momma range they tick all of my boxes,i love the bright vibrant green colour and as with the spoon and fork  i Love the rounded shape which gives it a lovely rocking motion which not only entertains my son but always keeps the product hygienic and clean as they never touch any dirty surfaces.

i also love that the  teat is really soft which i liked and i knew it would be gentle on my sons tender gums.
My son seemed to like this cup which is a first as usually he struggles to take to anything other than a bottle and one of cup,i think its just the softness it reminds him of a teat even though its a differant shape.
The only thing i do wish it had was a set of handles momma does have cups with handles but unfortunatly this was not one of them but i wish it was as my son can hold his own bottle but tends to lose grip and drop them but with handles he would have a better grip while drinking.

Placemat

• Non-slip
• Protection for surfaces
• Space saving
• Suitable for 4months+
• Grows with your baby

The momma placemat is a must during busy mealtimes.nice and stable,giving protection to dinner table while a safe non slip place to put your momma plate,bowel,fork or spoon.


My thoughts:


Nice and slim great colour and very good at keeping the bowel/plate in place without slipping or sliding, the table directly under  my 2 year olds plate stayed nice and clean,around the mat was dirty though and as such i do wish it had been just a little bit larger.

My overall oppinion:

great eye catching designs, very clever styles, love the rocking motions and the deep plate

i will be looking towards getting some more products from their range my 4 year old wants a warm bowl like his younger brother and sister for dinner times so i think i may need to get to more to avoid any arguements.

Why not pop over to view the complete momma range on Amazon

Cornish Daisy Review and Giveaway

The lovely people over at Cornish Daisy have sent me one of their Dribble Bibs to review.

Cornish Daisy bibs were designed when the owner had her daughter back in 2008,to protect her beautiful handmade clothes firstly from baby sick and then her dribbles.
her daughter was 6 weeks early and as such it was very important to her that  they were soft and absorbent yet robust too.

Cornish Daisy

The one i received was the  Red wide stripe RRP: £5.99

Designed with folds of fabric around the chin to help with all the dribbles and at the same time keeping the neck clean and dry.

They use safe resin fasteners.

made from cotton(outer)and polyester(inner)

Suitable for 0-2 years

My thoughts:

I loved the colour and style it was indeed really soft with a great trim to the edges,no rough bits  like you can sometimes get.
my son managed to wear his Cornish Daisy Dribble bib for 3 hours of constant dribbling before the outside was soaked and needed changing- the underneath however was bone dry as was the bit under his neck-no rubbing or soreness as a result of a wet bib and that is a must for me.
after washing i put on the airer(not good enough weather for the washing line at the moment)
after a hour it was dry and ready to be reused.
i really like my bib even before i got this one to review i also have the springtime stripes and a lemon and white bib.

My son and his other Cornish Daisy Bibs:

You can buy a Cornish Daisy Dribble bib from the Cornish Daisy website and also from  Bump to baby and The Little  Cloth Nappy Company to name a couple.

You can also follow Cornish Daisy on facebook

Disclosure: i was not paid to do this review only to keep the product as a thank you for the time put into my review,all thoughts and opinions are my own.


And now onto the bit you have all been waiting for...... To win one for yourself,Cornish Daisy have given me 2 more Red wide stripe  Bibs for you to get your hands on thats 1 each for 2 winners!.
To have a chance of winning one of these great bibs just fill out the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Toys naturally competition

I have recently tested and reviewed a lovely set of Wooden mini puzzles from Toys Naturally(why not read my full review)
And now one of you  you have the opportunity to win a set yourself :)
In order to win just fill out the rafflecopter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!