Sunday 31 May 2015

Me and Mine May

This month has been our most disorganised, and the main reason this post is so late in the day, is because we didn't manage to take any photos until this evening.  These are the results of the selfie cam on my mobile phone on our bed.

May has disappeared somewhere, and I can barely remember what we have done but it has already come to an end.  We have had two bank holidays, one week of half term, family picnics, days at the beach and growth spurts for all three children.

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Friday 29 May 2015

Life With Three - Month 3

It has been three months since Finn entered the world and things are only getting easier.  The big boys are still just as in love with their little brother and he rewards them with more smiles now.  They ask when he is going down on the floor for tummy time and I love watching them try to entertain him, giving him things to look and pulling silly faces to get a reaction.

three under four, brothers, young family, matching siblings

When Archie was little, we had a side by side buggy and as soon as Dylan got tired, he would reach out for his brother's hand.  With a thumb in his mouth he would fall asleep knowing his sibling was there by his side.  I though the days of this were over, but Dylan loves holding Finn's hand, he finds it when they are lying on the floor, when they are in their car seats next to each other and when we cuddle up in the mornings.  Finn doesn't seem bothered either way yet, but I love watching them together.
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Thursday 28 May 2015

Big Hero 6 DVD for Free!

Having children is an expensive hobby and most of us are looking for ways to save a few pennies when we can and TopCashBack have an amazing offer that not only lets you earn money whilst you shop, but if you join up now, you can get Big Hero 6 for free on DVD.


With the summer holidays on their way, we are all looking for ways to keep the kids entertained and a free DVD sounds perfect to me for those rainy days.  If you start using TopCashBack now, then you can start saving money to buy the all important popcorn to go with it too!

Signing up is easy, just click HERE and fill in your details.  The instructions are clear and although the cashback may not track as 100% straight away, it will be uplifted after the promotion.  You can then start shopping from their list of over 4,000 retailers and earning money straight away.

This offer is only for new members and is valid until June 7th so be quick!

Let me know what you think of the film - we will be watching it soon!

Disclaimer:  Sponsored post

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Wednesday 27 May 2015

What the Boys Wore - Melijoe

We are so lucky to have the beach on our doorstep and we have already been making the most of it.  We have a bag set up and hanging from a hook near the door with two sets of buckets and spades, a picnic blanket and sun cream so that we can get up and go as soon as the sun starts shining.  Our local beach is always so quiet this time of year, with all the big kids at school and we love having the run of it, never having to fight for space or queue for ice creams.

We were sent some gorgeous clothes from Melijoe and now that spring is slowly turning into summer, the boys have been able to bare their legs and arms in the sunshine and get sandy. 


Archie's T-shirt is by Aston Martin and his shorts from 3 Pommes.  Archie has a bit of a surfer dude look about him with his floppy blonde hair and he seems to catch the sun so easily that he looks gorgeous in brights.  Being a little bit of an explorer as well, it makes him easier to spot.



Dylan is starting to choose what he wears and if he deems an item to be 'not cool', it is back at the bottom of the pile.  This Desigual T-shirt has passed the test, as have these shorts, also from 3 Pommes.



I would say that all three of these brands are pretty true to size.  Archie is in age 3, and Dylan is wearing age 6 - the same sizes we by for them everywhere and they are a perfect fit.  Dylan's shorts have an adjustable waist and it is pulled in pretty tight so we could have got away with a smaller size, but I like the length on these and we know they will last.


Melijoe offers a variety of different brands with something for everyone.  




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Monday 25 May 2015

Sleeping like a Baby


Finn is a baby who loves to be held and after a rocky start and a stint in special care, I am a mama who wants to hold.  Finn is often found snuggled in my arms or snoozing in a sling, and being used to the warmth and comfort of being held, Finn is a child that wants to be swaddled.  During those early weeks, we looked at different ways of helping him sleep happily somewhere other than on my chest, and wrapping him up seemed to be the next best thing.

As part of our role as Babymoov ambassadors, we were sent two different options to try with the dinky one, a muslin blanket and a cosy cover.

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Saturday 23 May 2015

Stokke Crusi

Having three children so close together means having a puschair with more than one seat is essential.  Whilst I tend to use a single for the majority of trips out, we use a double at least once a week and I was excited to be sent the Stokke Crusi to try out.

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Friday 22 May 2015

What The Boys Wore - Dinosaurs (H&M)

When Finn was still tiny and staying in special care, I popped out the hospital for a couple of hours to do something 'normal' with my big boys.  We went for a lovely lunch and then to the shops as we had bought Finn clothes anticipating a big baby, and the dinky seven pound bundle we were handed was drowned in everything we had ready.

I asked Dylan which sleepsuits we should buy for his baby brother, and he looked at my choices dismissively before announcing ' the baby won't like those, he wants dinosaurs!'.  Finding Dinosaurs on newborn clothing is not all that easy, but we managed it thanks to h&m, and we ended up picking up something for the big two as well (Dylan chose all three of these items).  

Dylan's T-Rex top is sweatshirt material and says T-Rex down the black arm.  It goes straight back on the moment it comes out the wash and is definitely his favourite top.

Archie's hoodie is age 2-4 and somehow we find H&M clothing does fit for the full 2 years.  The boys love telling us what each dinosaur is called and it seems to go with everything too.

Finn's romper is part of a 2 pack, but this is definitely our favourite of the two.  He is only just outgrowing it at 12 weeks, despite it being 0-1 month and Dylan loves seeing Finn in the clothes that he chose for him.


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Tuesday 19 May 2015

The Huggies Wipes Challenge

With three small children, we get through a lot of wipes, so we were delighted when Huggies asked us to be ambassadors for their new style wipes.  Not only will you find them in the changing bag and nappy unit, wipes are an essential in every room of our house.  From wiping bums, sticky fingers and faces to cleaning the coffee table (it is just too easy to use a wipe!) we use our Huggies wipes for so many different things.


We love the pure for Finn's delicate newborn skin and the natural care for cleaning up the impressive messes that Archie manages to create.  Huggies are asking you to challenge your wipes, and you can get a free packet just by registering here.  If you take a snap of your messy tot, whether it be rosy red chops from spaghetti bolognese or the inevitable ice cream everywhere on a sunny day, you can be in with a chance of winning one of these amazing prizes:

£500 in Asda vouchers,
A Disney hamper or 
A year's supply of wipes.



I feel like it would be unfair to enter myself as I know these mucky pups are winners for sure


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Monday 18 May 2015

Floor Time with Gigi Brooks

My eldest boys have the energy of toddlers, and the clumsiness that comes with it.  I have found that having a newborn around means setting boundaries to keep Finn safe and allow him time to stretch out as well.  We were sent a play mat from Gigi Brooks and it has been Finn's safe space to practice his skills.


At the moment of course his skills are pretty limited, but it allows him a different vantage point.  He isn't trying to roll yet and he hasn't mastered looking around when on his tummy, but we know that the more time he spends on the ground, the faster he will pick things up.  For now, he likes lying on his tummy and relaxing, and brief spells on his back looking around and kicking his legs.  

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Sunday 17 May 2015

Football Mum

Dylan only really discovered football this year, but he loves it.  After plenty of kick-arounds in the garden and the park and two full days at a local football camp during the Easter holidays, he was really excited by the opportunity to meet a professional player and have a training session.  

Casey Stoney plays for Arsenal and England and is a mama to two tiny babies too.  She is part of a panel helping judge  the 'Football Mum of the year' award that is sponsored by McDonalds.  It is often us Mums that help spark an interest in football and the task of finding a club, buying the boots, washing the kit and ferrying them around also falls most often on the Mum.  This award helps recognise the role we play in encouraging our children and helping them

Casey was great with the boys and Dylan loved playing the games and learning new skills.  Archie joined in, but he doesn't quite have the concentration yet for a full training session and spent a lot of time dribbling the ball around.  They were both worn out by the end of the session, but desperate to play again too.


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Saturday 16 May 2015

A Day at the Fayre

We love finding new things to do locally and a May fayre at the end of our road was too good to miss.  There is a big park with a small kids play area in one corner, but today it was transformed and I have never seen it as busy.  There was a dog show, beer tent, every variety of bouncy castle and a few little fairground rides.  The sun shone, the whole town came out, the ice cream van was never without a queue and there were free bus rides from the park to the harbour all afternoon.

Archie had a little snooze whilst we examined the tombolas, climbed aboard an ambulance, spun in the teacups and swung on the roundabout chairs.  He woke up the moment the word ice cream was mentioned of course, and the boys had fun exploring, choosing which flavour fudge to buy (cherry bakewell), hooking ducks and seeing so many of their friends.  I took my proper camera with me and snapped a few pictures, although I still haven't mastered the focus on fast shots, as you will be able to see.




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Friday 15 May 2015

Newborn Keepsakes

Apparently a baby is considered a 'newborn' for the first 12 weeks, which means Finn only has a few days left until he is just a baby.  These first 12 weeks are both the fastest and the slowest I find.  In some ways it feels like no time at all since I held my son for the first time but life before Finn seems so long ago, it already feels like he has been around forever.

For each of my children, I have created a keepsake box full of memories from these early days.  I hope one day we can look back together, that they can show their own children and know how loved they are.  Finn's box will grow as he does, but there are so many things from this newborn stage that I want to keep hold of.


His first babygrow, the one I picked out for him after nearly an hour searching for the perfect one.  I bought it the same day we found out that he was a boy, and it was both the first sleepsuit he ever wore, and his 'coming home outfit' from the hospital.  He actually still fits in it, but as soon as it is outgrown, it will be saved.

His hospital tags that show just how tiny his little ankles were, back when his official name was just 'baby'.  I also have the first hospital tags with his name on them, after 10 days of deliberation we finally decided, and the hospital staff gave me his first named tags to put on his legs myself.

A newspaper from the day he was born - buying this wasn't top of my to-do list as I held my new baby, but for each of my boys, my mum has bought them a newspaper that will remind them of the world they were born into.

First photos are so special, and whilst Finn will grow up in a digital age, I think having a paper copy is priceless, and he will have some of my favourite photos from the early days printed out to store in his keepsake box.

When our baby arrived, our family and friends helped us welcome him, and their cards will always be treasured.  Finn will have all his 'welcome to the world' cards in his keepsake box to remind him how it wasn't just us who were excited for his arrival.


I still have all the scan photos, the little momentos from the very first time we saw our baby boy, and these are also in his special box.  We only had two scans with Finn, but I love the image of him hi5-ing the camera.

I still need to do some hand and footprints for Finn's baby keepsake box ( I have a kit from Tesco), he is still so tiny, and when he is a grown man, I know we will love looking back and remembering how big my little finger looked in his hand.

I know I will add more bits over the years, first shoes when he takes his first steps, the first masterpiece he creates, badges and certificates that he is proud of and plenty more.

What did you save for your children?


Disclaimer : Thanks to Tesco




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Thursday 14 May 2015

What The Boys Wore - Villervalla

Summer is on the way and we are planning on spending as much of it as we can outdoors.  We have a park at the end of our road and the beach is practically on our doorstop.  I have been looking for the perfect sun hats for the boys and have finally found some.  



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Monday 11 May 2015

Slugs, Snails and Puppy Dog's Tails

'Slugs and snails, and puppy dogs tails, That's what little boys are made of'




Archie is a boy who has no fear.  A boy who will stand at the top of the stairs, fling his arms out and shout catch as he tumbles towards you.  A boy who asks for his watering can to be filled up to feed the plants, and then tips the whole thing all down himself on purpose.  He is a boy who finds the muddiest puddle in the park, and then tries to bury parts of his body in it.  Archie is the boy who never seems to be clean, even straight out of the bath.

Archie is rough and tumble, he is fearless, he is cheeky, he is rebellious.  He is also loving, and gentle and cuddly.  When he does something, he does it with all his heart, whether that be jumping, cuddling or protesting.  He is headstrong, but heartstrong too,

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Saturday 9 May 2015

The Doona Review

car seat stroller, doona pushchair, doona review
Women have been having babies since time began, yet somehow there are still new products coming out, innovative ideas that make life just a little bit easier for us.  I was so excited when I first watched a video of the Doona, and even more so when I was asked to review one.

doona car seat, doona pushchair, doona stroller

The Doona is the first all in one car seat pushchair, and even as a non-driver (maybe even more as a non-driver), I have found it an incredible product.  The Doona can be used as an infant carseat, secured either by an isofix base, or using a three point seatbelt.  Rather than needing to attach the car seat to a bulky frame to use it as a travel system though, the Doona has wheels tucked underneath which quite literally pop out, turning it into a pushchair.  As a carseat it has passed all the relevant safety testing and feels strong and secure.
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Tuesday 5 May 2015

Babymoov Swoon Up

Babymoov have an innovative new bouncer and as part of our role as ambassadors, we were sent one to try.  I was really looking forward to seeing the Swoon Up, as it sounded perfect for us.  With two levels, you can have baby low down like most baby seats, but you can also have them higher up at a more interactive level.

Babymoov swoon up, baby bouncer

Having now had the bouncer for a few weeks, it is safe to say the higher position is by far the most used.  Not only can we have Finn up at the dinner table with us, but he seems a little safer when his brothers are running around the house to be up off of the floor. 

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Sunday 3 May 2015

What the Boys Wore : Lindex

Before I had boys, I never knew how much fun dressing them could be.  There are so many options for little girls, but the boys section can often be more limiting, especially if you aren't a fan of pastel blue.  Through blogging I have learned about so many fantastic brands that are not on the local highstreet and found so many brilliant places to shop for my boys.

To justify all the shopping I do Because I love sharing their style, I thought I would start blogging about some of our favourite places to shop with a regular feature about what the boys wore.

I discovered Lindex only last month, and have found things I love for all three boys already.  It has similar styles to H and M and the same sort of price tag too, but offers something a little different.  Lindex is a Scandinavian brand committed to sustainability and they have recently opened a flagship store in Westfield Stratford.

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