• eating - toddler

    Does my child need vitamin supplements?

    I received a press release saying that as of 1st April, Asda Pharmacy (in 218 Asda stores) will be giving out free Vitamin D to children above the age of 3. Apparently recent advice from the Chief Medical Officer has suggested that all high-risk groups (including children under 5) should take the supplement to top up on their natural supplies which are mainly obtained from sunlight. I was horrified when I read this. I make sure we go out every day and get plenty of fresh air whether for just a walk or a trip to the park, ensure a…

  • baby - baby products - reviews - toddler

    Baby Safe Homes UK review

    We hear a lot about mumpreneurs but what about the dad-preneurs (I may have made that word up) – the fathers who have a great business idea, often as a result of the new challenges faced as a parent? Well last week I met one such man, Chris Jones, who runs a brilliant business offering practical solutions for baby-proofing your home. Now, you may wonder why we would need this service as we are old hands with a 24 month old. Well I was interested to see what Chris thought of our own attempt at baby and toddler-proofing, had a…

  • baby - playing - toddler

    Fisher-Price toys for pre-schoolers

    Last week I had one of those emails which I had to re-read several times because I couldn’t believe what it contained. It asked if the children would like to test some of the latest Fisher-Price toys. I may have written back in capitals saying OF COURSE! You see I have a love affair with Fisher-Price and they are top of my list of toys I look out for in a bid to recapture the essence of childhood. I just loved my Fisher Price radio and play desk <happy sigh>. Anyway, I digress. Little Sis received the Fisher-Price Tiger Stacker…

  • birthday - playing - toddler

    Choo choo

    No, I haven’t gone mad – yet. Choo choo is all I hear ALL. DAY. LONG. I’m not sure when it happened but my son is obsessed with trains. It’s the one constant in our day. He may not want breakfast, he may fight a nappy change, he might not let me wipe his runny nose, but we will play trains. We were lucky to be given a Brio train set last year. We weren’t sure when he would be ready for it so saved it until the summer. He understood it straight away and none of us ever looked…

  • Gingerbread house finds - toddler - vintage

    Gingerbread house finds

    It’s been a while but I couldn’t resist this wooden abacus in my local charity shop. They must be quite common as after buying it I saw another one in a different shop. Big Brother won’t be using it just yet but I like to think (everything crossed) that it’s robust enough to withstand his full force. He seems to be going through a ‘stage’ where he’s a little, dare I say, manic. He’s 2 next month and not afraid to let me know he has his own opinions, regarding the clothes he wears, the food he eats, the toys…

  • baking - birthday - toddler

    Thursdays child has far to go

    Today wasn’t just Mother’s Day but also Big Brother’s 2nd birthday. We had piles of presents (far too many!), a birthday outing to the RAF Museum at Hendon, our handmade birthday card was read out on cBeebies and we made and ate a Thomas the Tank Engine birthday cake. Happy Birthday to my darling son! I can’t believe you’re 2 years old today. It feels like you’ve always been in our life, like I’ve always been your mum. You make my heart feel like it will burst from my chest. You make me cry with tears of frustration and happiness.…

  • baby - baby products - toddler - weaning

    Yummy Plum products for babies and toddlers

    We’re big fans of Plum and I relied on ready made food a lot when I started weaning Big Brother as I wasn’t confident at all! Plum have recently introduced some new products which we were happy to try. Pumpkin Pie and Strawberry Cheesecake Oaty Chomps bars (RRP £1.99 for five 20g bars) combine fruit or vegetables with oats and quinoa, great for a mid-morning toddler snack. The small, individually wrapped bars are convenient for on the go feeding and provide the complex carbohydrates that are crucial for babies development.  The moist textured, handy size bars have been created to…

  • competition - playing - toddler

    Scootrix giveaway

    BB likes nothing more than taking his scooter out for a ride. It’s great exercise for him and a lot of fun!  Scootrix launched in November 2011, offering a fantastic range of accessories to personalise children’s scooters.  Kids love the look of their newly decorated scooters and parents love the fact that they can easily tell which one belongs to their child. The innovative scooter accessories are available to purchase from The Handpicked Collection, John Lewis and Micro Scooters. Perfect goodies for party bags, Scootrix Wheel Whizzers and Scootrix Plates were designed by parents as a fail-safe way to identify…

  • competition - toddler

    Organix Goodies Organic Veg & Oat Bars

    Organix is launching Goodies Organic Veg & Oat Bars, an innovative tasty savoury snack to keep toddlers going between meals.  The bars are part of the new Goodies Savouries range – a variety of toddler snacks full of goodness and a welcome alternative to sweet flavours. Dried tomato and carrot juice concentrate are combined with the goodness of wholegrain oats and gently baked into a soft bar to create the delicious savoury taste. Veg & Oat Bars are a perfect anytime snack – convenient for popping in mum’s bag whilst out and about. Goodies Veg & Oat Bars come with…