Little Tikes Playdate

At the end of November the boys and I were invited along to a playdate hosted by Little Tikes.  It was a chance to get together with other blogger friends, let the little ones play with some lovely new toys, and have a chat about the different stages of playing, learning anf interacting.

My boys obviously play very differently.  Dylan is all about the imagination and loves cooking in his little kitchen and serving me pretend coffee and cake throughout the day.  Archie on the other hand prefers to chew his toys, and press buttons of course! The Little Tikes range has different toys for the four distinct personalities; little learners, little movers, little builders and explorers and little grown ups. 

It was lovely to be able to sit back and just watch them and with such lovely toys on offer we were able to do just that.  In fact, the boys barely wanted to stop for lunch, they were having so much fun playing!  There were toys set up for each group and something for everyone.

The most popular toy with both the boys was the pirate water table and we ended up with some very wet trousers and dungarees once they had finished splashing!  It offered opportunities for everyone, from exploring different textures for the littlest ones, to washing up boats for those little grown ups.

It was interesting to see that stereotypes make no difference to how the children play either, with Dylan heading straight for the princess cozy coupe as soon as we arrived.

We had a lovely time at the playdate catching up with other bloggers and their children and the day was made even better when Father Christmas turned up to give the children some lovely gifts!

Disclaimer:  We were invited along to this play date by the folks at Little Tikes who paid for our travel and sent us home with some lovely goodies,  All thoughts and opinions are completely my own though and the children were utterly enraptured by the colourful toys.

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Mama Mio Skincare

I hate to say it, but my body is just not the same as it was pre-baby.  There are lumps and bumps in places that were once smooth and my tummy has a silver map of something resembling the london underground etched into it thanks to stretch marks.  As much as I tried to look after my body during pregnancy and afterwards, motherhood has taken it's toll.

I was invited along to learn about Mama Mio's pregnancy skincare range and their new 'Fit Skin Test' and I was interested to see whether their products could make any difference at all to me. 

The fit skin test is

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Aldi Mamia

I have to admit that until recently, I had never shopped in Aldi.  There is no particular reason for this, I have heard nothing good or bad about the supermarket and it is just as local as the other major competitors.  I was invited along to an event to have a look at the Aldi Mamia range and I was curious to see exactly how their products would compare to the major brands.

Aldi sell

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Bugaboo meets Andy Warhol

You may have seen recently that we have been busy reviewing the Bugaboo Donkey.  To say that I love this pushchair is an understatement - it is practical, pushable and perfect.

Bugaboo have recently announced their partnership with the Andy Warhol foundation and we were invited along to the launch of this collaboration and their two new designs.  Andy Warhol's iconic pop art include the Campbell soup, the banana and Marilyn Monroe, but Bugaboo chose two prints for their pushchairs - 'cars' and 'flowers'

.The new prints are available as hoods and pram aprons for the Bee, Cameleon and Donkey and having two small boys, I love the cars design.  I think they are fun, unique and definitely eye catching and I fell in love with the Donkey a little bit more when I saw the new options.   With a toddler who is already getting fussy about being in a pushchair, I know he would be a lot more excited if it was covered in cars!

Attending the launch was an experience in itself, with celebrities such as Denise Van Outen and Westlife's Kian Egan in attendance and the most delicious frozen sorbet/chocolate pops.  Mingling with bloggers, the media and celebs and surrounded by works of art, it was a fantastic afternoon and everything these gorgeous new designs deserved.

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to write this post, but I was invited to the launch party of the new Warhol -Bugaboo Designs.

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Bath Time Fun with Lush

Bath time is the bloke's job and one that he loves.  After a long day at work, he gets to come home and splash around with the little dude as they indulge in their own games and play with the ducks and penguin toys that our bathroom seems full of.  For me, there is nothing better than finally sitting down and listening to splashing and giggles from my boys.

I can't tell you exactly what they get up to in there, but I do know that it is not quiet and somehow the bathroom floor is always drenched.  They both emerge after some time dripping wet with big smiles on their faces, and I know that Dylan loves the time with his Daddy.

 After a visit to Lush in Covent Gardens, Dylan's baths have turned blue with their new product 'fun'.  Fun is a bubble bath, shower gel, shampoo, hand wash and also a mouldable bathtime playdough.  At the event in London I made a rather impressive (in my opinion) dinosaur,  and at home we have been testing it for every purpose.  Although Dylan is still a little young to be moulding animals he loves his blue baths, and I think it is great that the product is suitable even for newborn's sensitive skin.  It really is 'fun' for all ages.

We have also been testing the magic wand which has been a big hit all round.  At the event Dylan loved swirling it round and splashing it everywhere and at home he has been filling his bath with pink bubbles as he stirs the water with his wand.  The wand lasts for ages as once dry it can be stored until next bathtime.

Dylan has always been a water baby and getting him out of the bath is a lot more hassle than getting him into it.  Bathtimes seem to have got even more exciting for my boys now and the longer they are in there - the longer I get to sit down in peace and enjoy my cup of tea!

Disclaimer:  We were invited to an event in London to learn more about these products and received samples in a goody bag for use at home. All thoughts,opinions and pictures are my own.

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THX Hair Styling - Review

              I have never been particularly imaginative with how I style my hair.  I tend to experiment with colour but opt for down and straightened for both everyday and big events.  Part of this is through laziness and part through not having the know-how to do anything else.  I was invited along to the launch party for a new brand of electronic hair styling products - THX and they offered to help me get ready with hair and make up beforehand.

I had my make up done first and the lovely make up artist gave me plenty of tips on how to make the most of my features and what colours suited me.  It felt very glam and I was excited to go and see hairdresser to the stars- Desmond Grundy for some help to make my hair more exciting.  I told him what I was after and he showed me how to get the look using the new THX range.  He then coached me through it making sure I was confident doing it myself.   For my hair he suggested a flick at the front to give it some shape using the new hair straighteners   I loved the look as it was simple and easy and took no more time than my usual routine - perfect when you have a 14 month old to entertain as you get ready! 

Once hair and make up were done it was time to party and the champagne flowed as bloggers, press and celebrities enjoyed Keisha from Sugababes DJ-ing.  My hair kept it's look all night and I have been busy  replicating it at home.  Desmond had helped us all achieve our chosen hair styles with the fab new products and it was great seeing the range that can be achieved!

Parent bloggers Ruth, Lauren, myself and Danielle

I was given a pair of the curling tongs to take away and am looking for an excuse to get dressed up so I can practice the gorgeous curls some of the other bloggers were sporting.  The products are really reasonably priced and reach higher temperatures than some of the leading brands.  They are available to buy exclusively from Tesco and I completely recommend them.

The range includes hair straighteners, hair dryers, and several types of curlers meaning there is a product for every style and hair type.  Waves, tousled and straight are all achievable and I am really excited about trying some new things now.  

Disclaimer:  I was invited to this event and my expenses were paid.  I was also given a pair of curling tongs to take home.  All views and opinions are my own.

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Philips Avent's Natural Range

Philips Avent, after 25 years of a singular design, have made the decision to relaunch their bottles, and there are some brilliant changes.  They invited me along to a blogger event to tell us all about them.  

I have to admit that I was never keen on the original design.  I breastfed for eight months, and when moving on, decided to go with a bottle that was a more natural shape in the hope that Dylan would take to it easily.  The new Avent bottles would have been perfect.  In fact, we have introduced them to the little dude and he has taken to them straight away!

The bottles are longer and thinner, with a teat shaped more like a nipple.  They have

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