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…
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Toddler mealtimes can be messy in our household so we were delighted to be offered a non-slip mat which might help! We were sent a red tortoise shaped mat which stuck to the dining table really easily. Once on, it meant the plate of food couldn’t slip all over the place whilst Edward fed himself. The Dycem mat comes in the shape of a tortoise or a hippo. It is easy to remove from the table and wipe clean. Dycem Non-Slip mats provide a secure surface that anchors items effectively in place. They produce non-slip mats which are ideal for…
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I found a bar of dark chocolate and orange languishing at the back of the fridge so thought I would try making some chocolate orange cupcakes. I used a basic cupcake recipe but added 50g of the melted dark chocolate. When they were cooked and cooled I then decorated them with a simple buttercream icing but added 50g of melted white chocolate which I coloured with orange food colouring. I finished off the cupcakes with a mixture of white chocolate buttons and dark chocolate sprinkles.
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Mmmm, gingerbread pancakes! I’ve been meaning to try these for a while but have been waiting to find a jar of molasses so I could make them the American way. I finally tracked down a jar in my local independent health food shop. Gingerbread pancake recipe The ingredients are simple: 12oz plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp dried ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 egg 1/2 vanilla extract pinch of salt 60ml molasses 375ml water Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl beat the egg with the vanilla and molasses and add the water. Combine the…
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We’re big fans of organic and were really pleased to hear that Organix has won the Baby, Infant and Children Food award at the Soil Association Organic Food Awards, with its Organic Apple & Strawberry / Apple & Peach Dual.We try to give Edward as much organic food as we can and always have a store of Organix fruit purees in the cupboard. He’s been feeding himself for the last few months and he enjoys these little pots of organic goodness. You can tell that he has to concentrate when feeding himself! Organix says “Our baby foods are real foods…
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Despite being 18 weeks pregnant I am happy to say I haven’t had any cravings, yet. I don’t really remember any with my first pregnancy either, although I did eat a few packs of Monster Munch. All this might be about to change. We were sent three tubs of Simply Ice Cream to taste. We both love ice cream so this was no hardship. We received Raspberry, Honeycomb Crunch and Stem Ginger and Marmalade. We waited until Edward was in bed before we tried them…. It’s no understatement to say the ice cream is delicious! I especially enjoyed the Honeycomb…
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We were given the chance to try the new Annabel Karmel iPhone app called ‘Annabel’s Essential Guide to Feeding your Baby and Toddler’. I love my iPhone and I enjoy cooking for Edward so this was a perfect opportunity for me to try something new! My iPhone is stuffed full of apps to entertain Edward but just occasionally he lets me use it. I have a couple of recipe apps as I find them perfect for flicking through for inspiration when I’m short of time. The Annabel Karmel app has 100 recipes which have been helpfully split into sections for…
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Annabel Karmel, the UK’s top parenting author on feeding babies and children, has just launched Annabel Karmel’s Organic Fresh Baby Purées. Edward loves trying new foods so we were sent Scrumptious Butternut Squash, Carrot and Salmon and My First Vegetable and Beef Casserole to try. They come in little pots so you can be sure the portion size is just right and the pots can be heated in the microwave. The pots can also be re-used when you make your own foods. The purees are meant for 6 months onwards and as Edward has a healthy toddler appetite I added…
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Have you heard of the Unbelievabowl from Vital Baby? The unique Unbelievabowl™ has been designed to stick to your baby’s highchair or your tabletop with ultimate, super suction power. Simple and easy to attach, once securely locked in position your baby will not be able to remove the bowl or spill its contents, making mealtimes less stressful and messy! Edward was sent an Unbelievabowl to try out. Daddy attached the suction pad to our wooden dining table and put the bowl (containing delicious homemade dinner) on to it. The bowl locks securely in place so there’s no danger of little…