A whole lot of Red, White and Blue

We may not have spent the weekend attending street parties and watching the concerts on TV, but we have had a lovely long weekend enjoying time as a family. 

We decided cooking was not in the spirit of things, and went to Nandos for dinner.  Dylan has been perfecting his pincer grip recently, and loved getting stuck in with some peas!

That wasn't the only meal out we had, and a pub lunch meant Dylan had plenty of time to play with Daddy and read the cocktail menu

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Win a Taste Adventure with Plum

I told you all about our day out with Plum, and the lovely new meals they have been making.  Hopefully I got your, and your children's mouths watering.  Fancy giving them a go?

Well one lucky reader can as I have 2 pots of each Taste Adventure meal in the new range, and a fantastic 'Around the world in 80 days book' to give away!

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is fill out the simple rafflecopter form below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Mummy Adventure on a Taste Adventure

Parents preparing to wean a child are faced with a multitude of questions; when is the best time to wean?  How do I know my child is ready? What foods should I start them with?  Plum baby invited us to a lovely event to find out more about their answers, and the products they have designed to make this taste adventure easier.

They make food for a variety of stages, with your stage 1 first foods which are simple combinations to get baby used to having something more solid.  Stage 2 is for babies 7+ months, and are fork mash texture, to get little jaws working in preparation for talking, and filling up little tummies with energy for mastering all those new skills.  Stage 3, which Dylan is ready for now although it is aimed at babies 10 months + is about bigger and chunkier textures, and is a final stage before they are introduced to more 'adult' foods.

Their new range of stage 3 meals are called 'taste adventures' as they are based on dishes from around the world, giving your child a varied yet balanced diet, and encouraging their taste buds to discover new flavours.  At the event, we were presented with some lovely little canapés, delicate little crisp breads with a meaty paste and light humus topping.  They were passed around and consumed by the parents as the children ate the lovely snacks that Plum had provided them.  We were later told that we had in fact been eating baby food!

They made an excellent point, how can we expect our children to eat something that we would not?  I try everything that Dylan eats, and we always try and go for the nice tasting purees (just in case he can't finish them!)  The new taste adventures went down a treat with both parents and babies, as they genuinely taste like the dishes they claim to be.

The new taste adventures range consists of 4 flavours:

-Sweet cape curry with beef

-Chickpea and chicken tagine

-Mediterranean paella and salmon

-Aubergine and lamb moussaka (my favourite)

The handy 190g pots are priced at £1.79 and available in Sainsburys and Ocado from mid June, and Tesco, Asda and Boots during July/August.  They are perfect for babies ready to explore and looking for new tastes and textures.  To find out more, check out the plum baby website

We had a lovely day out, and Dylan enjoyed playing with Oliver from Mum of three boys and Kai from Always a Mummy and we met lots of other lovely bloggers.  After meeting his Aunty Nat for the afternoon he was very tired by the time we got on the train and chilled out with his books.

Reading his books on the train journey home

Disclaimer: We were invited to a blogger event by Plum and provided with a goody bag to take home.  All thoughts and opinions are my own, and we genuinely liked these products.

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50% Mum, 50% Dad?

So we all know that technically babies are made up of half of the mother's genes and half of the father's, but sometimes it is very hard to tell.  Since Dylan was born, we have constantly been told that he is the spitting image of his dad, and I see what they mean- they definitely have a lot in common.  It is only recently that people can see elements of me in him.

From his Dad

His hair- He was born with plenty of hair round the back of his head, and very little on top, much like his father has now.  Popular opinion says that you end up with the hair you are born with, so bald babes end up as bald old men, or wispy old ladies whilst the hairy babes are those old women with plaits down their back.   I am not sure exactly what truth is in this, but I am thinking that the baby will end up going bald from the centre out, much like the bloke.

Dylan at 5 days old with his Daddy

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Day 4- When to Wean

At five months, we were advised by the health visitor to start weaning.  The baby was not putting on weight fast enough and was being fed near enough every hour.  At a rather large 18 pounds, the five month old was hungry!


The department of health recommends giving a baby nothing but milk for 6 months, however my baby is clearly not 'a baby', he is Dylan.  New research opposing the current guidelines is gaining momentum, and studies are being carried out to determine whether late weaning is the culprit behind certain food allergies.


The Daily Mail recently ran an article 'So when IS the safest time to wean your baby' which opened up the debate and features experts advising parents to remember that guidelines are just that, not rules.  After 5 months of trying very hard to follow the guidelines in every area like they were rules, I was apprehensive to break one.


End of the story is that I wish I had done it sooner.  We introduced one meal, then two and since he hit six months he is now on three meals a day.  He is sleeping better, happier, feeding a more reasonable amount of times, putting on weight well, and it is brilliant albeit messy fun.


Before weaning commenced, I had such good intentions for making my own foods.  I planned all the fresh fruit and vegetables I would buy, stocked up on freezable pots and bought an expensive blender.  The reality of the matter is that we have a cupboard full of jars and pouches.


At first I felt very guilty, and then I convinced myself that as I was still breastfeeding it balanced out.  In reality they would not be able to sell the jars marketed at babies if they were not suitable, however making your own is nicer, fresher and you can make a better consistency. (My son does not get on with proper puree he needs it much thicker).


After 3 weeks of jarred food, today's 'new thing' involved me - in the kitchen.  Anyone that knows me will be laughing right now.  I am not a natural in the kitchen, I do not cook.  I microwave, I order take-away, and I tell the other half what I would like for dinner.  That is all.  Today, I boiled, mashed, blended and mixed.  I stocked up the fridge and freezer with my very own creations!

I want to do the best for my son- what mother doesn't?  I am very proud of my kitchen antics today, and have the best intentions to continue but with a cupboard full of back ups, I am not promising anything.

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