Tuesday 31 July 2012

A Million Bounces (Review)

When Lindam created their Bounce About Challenge, Dylan was first to put his hand up and volunteer.  He has always loved being on his feet and the bouncer, designed to sit in a doorway would be perfect for him to stretch his legs.  


The bouncers are tested for a million bounces but my little man was not feeling much like tigger.  He loves being in his bouncer, but the idea of bending his legs and picking his feet off the floor has not occured to him. He is the only baby I know
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You make me Smile - week 7!

Welcome back for week 7 of You make me Smile! After the unfortunate incident with my phone and a lot of water I have not had good access to a camera so there are not 3 good pictures this week although I have done my best.  I am looking forward to seeing your photos even more as I mourn the loss of my Galaxy s2.


This week we have been getting ready for Dylan's birthday on Thursday and planning his present.  I was incredibly lucky to get an email informing me I had won the very thing we were wanting to buy him!  It has saved us money and hassle and I am so excited to take him out for a walk on his new Smart Trike!

smart trike bee, first birthday present

I have a huge family and many live in different parts of the country.  This weekend a few were visiting and it was lovely to spend time with them and for Dylan to play with my cousin's little girl.  I want him to grow up with strong family values as I was lucky enough to grow up with a very close family. 


I am really enjoying the Olympics and loved the opening ceremony.  Watching twitter out the corner of my eye it was amazing to see such pride in our country and Danny Boyle did an amazing job!  I am watching lots of the swimming and Gymnastics and am looking forward to another couple of weeks.  Hopefully we will start to win a few more medals though!


olympic tv, olympic channels, you make me smile

So there are my 3 smiles, what has been making you smile this week?  Don't forget to grab the badge and link up below.  If you tweet me at @mummyadventure I will make sure I retweet your posts too.  I am looking forward to your 3 smiles!

You make me smile


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Monday 30 July 2012

Life with a baby changes Everything

Life with a baby changes everything - don't let people tell you differently.

Not in a bad way, but your priorities change.  

You find ten pounds down the back of your sofa and your options are that pretty T-shirt you were eyeing up in Zara or a day out at the zoo.  You normally pick the zoo.

It is a beautiful day and you are deciding what to wear.  There is a gorgeous strapless mini dress hanging up which will mean more skin on show and therefore less tan lines.  There is a dark T-shirt and shorts hanging next to it which will mean bending over the buggy and maintaining dignity and not flashing the whole beach when child decides to pull himself up using your top to steady himself.  You opt for the T-shirt and shorts.

You really fancy a take-away but you have everything you need in the cupboard to make a spaghetti bolognase from scratch.  It has been a long day and all you want to do is watch a film and eat something greasy, but you can't give the baby prawn toast and he needs to eat as well.  You sulk into the kitchen and cook some spaghetti.

Motherhood changes you.

The list may be a little one sided at the moment but my blog usually chronicals the wonderful things about being a mum.  Suddenly everything you do has a meaning.  

You see the beauty in
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Friday 27 July 2012

The One Year Check-up

This week we had Dylan's one year review.  I had to take him along to the children's centre to have his progress measured and to make sure he was developing as he should be.  Although I knew it was only a formality I was a little worried as at 11.5 months he is still not interested in crawling and not quite able to pull himself up either.

Luckily the health visitor conducting the review completely put my mind at rest.  After doing his height and weight measurements and plotting them on the 99.6th centile lines in his little red book she told me that his rate of growth may be affecting his mobility.  His muscles need to be much stronger than your 'average' baby and as he is constantly putting on weight they are struggling to catch up.  She watched him stretch and shuffle across the floor to get to a toy though and was not worried at all.

Dylan will be one in a week and cannot
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Wednesday 25 July 2012

Teething Bling Review

Teething bling is an ingenius idea allowing parents of small children to still wear jewellery.  They kindly offered me one of their necklaces and Dylan and I have loved it.

The pendant is made of baby-safe materials that can be dish-washed and sterilised and chewed at to their hearts content.  They come in a large variety of colours so you can get one to go with every outfit, or pick something more neutral.

teething bling review, teething necklace for mum

We also found teething bling incredibly useful when Dylan was breastfeeding as his hands did not stay still!  He loved having something to
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Tuesday 24 July 2012

You make me Smile - Week 6

We are now into the sixth week of You make me Smile and it is never too late to join in.  All you need to do is take three photos capturing three things that have made you smile this week, pick up the badge and join the linky!

I am pretty sure everyone this week has been smiling about this gorgeous weather, but a photo to capture it? I have gone for one of my gorgeous little man on the beach yesterday.  We had a lovely hour down there in the afternoon and then went for a sneaky ice cream at our favourite fancy ice cream parlour!


baby at the beach, platypus clothing, me and i clothing,


I posted last week about
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Monday 23 July 2012

Finally some Sun - Picnic and Carnival

We had given up hope of seeing the sun. 

Summer dresses had been stuffed to the back of my wardrobe and my warm winter jumpers were getting a lot of wear.  Birthday parties had been moved inside and summer days out cancelled when the forcast changed.

Yesterday's beautiful weather looks set to be the start of our summer and we are making sure we enjoy every minute.  The suncream has come back out and my shades are set to be a permenant feature.  We spent yesterday picnicing in the glorious sunshine for a friend's birthday and tucked into some perfect homemade (not by me!) cupcakes. 


cupcake, pink glittery cupcake, pink chocolate buttons
They had even made a tiny one perfect for the little dude and his table manners were nowhere to be seen as he stuffed it in in one!
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Friday 20 July 2012

A Moment of History

The Olympic torch finally made it's way into our little corner of the country and we were ready to welcome it.  Armed with an inflatable torch of our own and a patriotic flag we joined the masses on Thursday morning waiting for the procession.  

inflatable olympic torch, waiting for the olympic procession

Dylan may not have known what was about to happen but the
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Thursday 19 July 2012

Outdoor Play - Flexibath Review

The summer weather has meant spending as much time as we can outside.  As well as day trips, picnics in the park and time at the beach, we are choosing to be out in the garden rather than stuck inside.  One of the wonderful benefits of this is the lack of mess.  I am not a brilliant housewife as I am sure the bloke will tell you and having less to clean up certainly makes the house look good for longer!


Being outside isn't just for playtime though.  Dylan's new found love of throwing his dinner into each corner of the room is less stressful when it goes over the fence into next door's garden.  Equally his insane splashing that begins the moment his feet touch the water and ends only when he is forcibly removed from the bath covers the ground in a layer of water rather than the bathroom carpet.
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Tuesday 17 July 2012

You make me Smile - Week 5

There were 5 fab entries last week so go and check those out if you haven't already! 

This week has been tiring as the bloke was away most of the weekend at another festival, but Dylan and I had a lot of fun on our own! If you have smiled this week, no matter what else has been going on then please link up.  All you need to do is post 3 pictures that have made you smile this week and link up at the bottom.

Here are my 3 smiles:

organix goodies, organix selection box, toddler snacks


I received a lovely sample box of Organix Goodies through the post just as we had run out of snacks for the little dude.  He has struggles with the mini crackers for some reasons but the gingerbread men and raisins have gone down a treat!
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Saturday 14 July 2012

Platypus UV Swimwear Review

There may have been plenty of rain so far this summer but on the odd warm days we have been enjoying the great outdoors.  A cheap paddling pool and some resilient toys makes for a lovely afternoon splashing and Platypus were kind enough to send some of their stylish sun protection for the blonde haired boy.

Based in Australia their 2012 range is in sizes 00-14 years and is now available in John Lewis, House of Fraser and online.  Their outfits have a UV protection rating of 50+ which is perfect at protecting babies delicate skin.  We were sent a baby sunset and a hat and absolutely loved them.

The quality of the products was obvious as soon as we opened the wrapper and they felt soft and flexible.  It was a perfect fit on the little man and we put it to the test in our back garden.  I think the pictures show just how comfortable they were and how cute they looked.

baby UV swimwear, uv sun wear, baby sun wear
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Friday 13 July 2012

Food Fights with an 11 month old

Dylan has recently developed an adorable habit.  He will eat a couple of bites of his lunch and then try his hardest to spread the rest of it into every corner of the room.  The amazing thing about finger foods is that they are usually just the right size and shape for target practice.  He can easily get a good couple of metres on a good day, a bad day means puddles of food around the base of the highchair.

Sometimes this game starts because he has had enough and wants to recommence playtime, sometimes it is just a fun mid-dinner game.  Whatever reason, I am not a fan!  My poor hoover has been over-used and the carpet is not looking in quite the same shape as when we moved in.  He doesn't quite seem to understand the word 'no' and often laughs in my face as I say it forcefully at him - what am I to do?

The 'game' I can just about cope with at home, but we love going out and that means eating in a public place.  I am waiting for the day a
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Wednesday 11 July 2012

A Day at the Farm with Ella's Kitchen

We have come to a difficult time in our weaning journey.  Dylan has decided on his preference and is insisting on his independence.  He is refusing to be spoon-fed which is creating a few issues.  He has had finger foods since the beginning and can feed himself with ease, however getting a healthy diet into him this way is a struggle.  The only exception to this ban on spoons appears to be his ultimate favourite - yoghurt.

When we were invited along to a London farm by the lovely people at Ella's Kitchen to find out more about their dairy range, we were excited.  The new fromage frais and deserts they are launching come with no sugar, salt, concentrate, e numbers or junk and instead are made with real fruit puree.

With four little teeth to look after and a huge appetite for all things sweet, it is important to me that Dylan does not get too much extra sugar.  He loves his fruit and gets plenty of natural sugars that way without needing any of the artifical stuff.  The new dairy range comes in three varieties, the
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Tuesday 10 July 2012

You Make me Smile -Week 4


his week has been busy and tiring but there have been plenty of smiles.  Saturday seemed to be the day for weddings and I know of four friends that tied the knot that afternoon. I would love to see your smiles so please link up.  You just need three photos of things that have made you smile this week with as many or as few words as you like.  Just grab my badge and add your blog to the linky at the bottom.  

So without furthur ado here are the things that have made me smile this week. . . 


This week the bloke and I had an evening out together.  It doesn't happen often but we made the most of it with dinner out, a walk along the seafront and a
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Sunday 8 July 2012

FunPod- Competition and Review


Do you have a child that loves to help out in the kitchen?  Do you want to teach them about food and nutrition from an early age?  If so the Funpod is for you.  Designed for children aged 1-6 (Although I have put Dylan in it from 10 months) it is designed to get children involved in the kitchen whilst keeping them safe.  An enclosed box with several different heights, they can stand up at the counter and there are no worries that they will fall off a step of start exploring the other cupboards.

FunPod, children in the kitchen, child safety in the kitchen

We were sent a FunPod to review and although Dylan is technically too young, being a tall boy and steady on his feet it was a life saver.  When he decides he is hungry- that is it.  You have a matter of seconds to fetch his dinner or the sirens go off.  Popping him in the FunPod has meant
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Silent Sunday - 08/07/12



baby falling asleep eating, baby eating pear, 11 month old baby


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Friday 6 July 2012

Wildlife Park Adventures



There are some definite advantages to being a stay at home mum and one of them is getting to go on little adventures when everyone else is at school or work.  Today we went to Wingham Wildlife Park to see the Tigers and penguins and had beautiful luck with the weather.  One of the best things about our day was that the zoo was so quiet, we could mooch at our leisure and enjoy the animals.


flamingos, wingham wildlife park


We set out nice and early (I still consider
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Thursday 5 July 2012

How much do you play with your child?


Parental guilt is something that seems to start before the baby is born and last until . . . well does it end?  The reasons for the guilt change as the child does but there is always something you could be doing different, better.  My current guilt lies in the question 'do I play with my child enough?'

We don't talk about the times we leave them too it whilst we tidy/hang the washing out/ clean the bathroom/ wash up or that portion of the day we may put the telly on as we drink a cup of tea and check facebook.  The truth is that I do not play with Dylan all day.  I love the fact that he can entertain himself.  Surround him with a box and some balls and there is an hour's entertainment, throwing them all in, emptying them out again - the cycle goes on.

Obviously we play together.  We build towers, talk to the puppets, read books and have cuddles.  But do we do it enough? How much parental stimulation do they need?  Everyday Dylan and I go out, whether it is to see friends, to a baby group, to the park or to the beach.  Everyday we read a book, we eat our lunch together and we have cuddles.  But there are still signifigant portions of the day where I am in the same room but doing my own thing.

I love my son to bits and am greatful that I get to stay at home with him during the week, but spending all day on the floor talking to an eleven month old would drive me crazy!  The monotony of tower building, ball throwing, button pushing and shape sorting can get a bit too much for me.  I think teaching a child independant play is also a great thing for them as long as they know you are there if they need you. 

So I would love to hear from you, how much do you play with your child?  Do you ever feel guilt that you are not doing it enough? It was only recently that I confided in a friend my worries and it was so reassuring to know we shared this guilt and we both gave our children plenty of time for independent play.  I am sure we are not the only ones out there with these worries?!?





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Wednesday 4 July 2012

Plum Cookery School

I have never been one to cook.  I don't cook for myself and even with the best intentions, I don't really cook for the little dude. When we were invited to Plum's cookery school I was excited to see if they could persuade me that I can make a healthy meal for him.


As well as being completely lost in a kitchen, I worry that any meals I make for him won't have the same nutrition and taste that the pouches we buy do.  His health and well being is my priority so I need to know what I cook would be packed full of the right nutrition.


We were invited into the home of Beverly Glock which doubles as a cookery school, helping ordinary people get comfortable in the kitchen.  They invited 5 bloggers with young children along so that we could recreate their new taste adventure dish 'cape curry with beef'- one of Dylan's firm favourites.  I was looking forward to seeing how it was actually made and getting to taste our homemade version.

Together with Beverly's help, we recreated this great dish, using all the same ingredients you would find on the back of your plum pot.  It was so much easier and quicker than I
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Tuesday 3 July 2012

You Make me Smile - week 3


We are on to the third week now of you make me smile, and I am looking forward to seeing some lovely pictures from you all.  Thanks so much for those of you that joined in last week, I loved seeing what you have been up to.  I would love for you to join in again, just grab the badge at the bottom and link up!  Remember it is 3 photos of things that have made you smile during the last week no matter how big or small. So without further ado, here are the things that made me smile this week;





Dylan turned eleven months yesterday and I have started planning the all important first birthday party!  We are going for a rainbow theme, with rainbow cake and bunting and very colourful decorations.  I have the plates, cutlery and bunting all sorted now!
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Monday 2 July 2012

Summer Sun - Ways to have Fun

The white midriffs, pasty legs and abundance of sunglasses tell me that summer is here. Time for pub gardens and ice cold cider  the park and a carton of ice cold juice.  Living so close to the beach has one major advantage - free entertainment.  It doesn't matter if you are one or one hundred, the beach seems to be a source of constant amusement in the summer.  From sandcastles, to sunbathing, to sitting in deckchairs scoffing fish'n'chips, we do like to be beside the seaside.


This summer the baby will need entertaining a lot more than last year.  Last year he spent half the summer as a bump, and the other half as a sleeping, feeding, pooing machine, waking up only to feed, and even then he seemed half asleep.  This year I will have a (presumably) mobile, active toddler on my hands.

So here are the things we plan to do if the glorious weather stays this way:

-Lots of trips to the beach.  We are lucky enough to be a 5 minute walk from a gorgeous sandy beach so any spare time will be spent down there. Dylan loves feeling the sand between his fingers but I have yet to convince him that the cold waves are actually a lot of fun!
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Sunday 1 July 2012

Silent Sunday - 1st July


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