Aden + Anais Sleeping Bag Review and Giveaway=

Four children in and I am still learning.  Dylan was three months old when he found his thumb and it was a complete game changer.  Overnight he started sleeping and not just a good stretch, but 15 hour nights.  He would settle at 7pm and not wake until 10 the next morning.  He has always needed a lot of sleep and I felt like I had this sleep thing sorted.

Archie came along and he was another species altogether.  He didn't want to sleep in the day and he didn't want to give in at night either.  He needed to be held, he wanted to be close and there was always too much going on.  Eventually we got there and he started sleeping through the night.

Finn was a new challenge, breastfeeding wasn't possible past a few weeks and my usual fix of offering a boob at every wake up wasn't going to work.  Everything I had read told me that bottle fed babies would sleep through earlier, but Finn clearly hadn't read those books and it took him a long 

time to master staying asleep all night.

And then Cora came along, different all over again.  It didn't feel like she was ever going to sleep and we spent a year trialling different ways to encourage her from swaddling to white noise to changing the temperatures.  Sleeping bags didn't seem to work when she was little but we tried them again recently and they have been a game changer. She still isn't sleeping through every night, but some nights I can settle her at 7pm and not see her again until 8am the next morning.

Aden + anais sent us one of their sleeping bags and it is perfect for these winter nights.  It is made from their classic muslins with a polyester filling and come in a choice of thickness, this one being a 2.5 tog.  

Sleep is still a battle as this baby girl of mine really isn't convinced that she should be taking a nap in the day anymore, but we are getting there slowly, finding out what works for her and what doesn't. 

Sleep is the holy grail for parents, it is what we spend the most time thinking about and the least time actually getting (or so it seems) and I am hoping that Cora's new sleeping bag helps us both spend more time sleeping.

I have an aden + anais sleeping bag to give away to one lucky winner and you can choose which one you fancy! Just pop over to the aden + anais website to choose your favourite and fill in the rafflecopter form below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read more ⇨

Bedtime with Johnsons

Somehow my children have got progressively worse as sleepers. I don’t know whether we had a better routine with the first ones or whether it is just their personalities, but at 7 months Cora still has a long way to go before she is sleeping through, and at nearly 2, Finn doesn’t have it mastered either. The team over at Johnson’s have sent us some of their bedtime bath goodies and a guide to their 3-step routine to try and help us all get a better night’s sleep.

This week I will be trying their routine every night and I will be reporting back to let you know how it all went. Neither Cora or Finn are ‘good sleepers’ so we are going to be trying it on both of them.

Step 1) Warm Bath

Johnson’s have sent us their bedtime baby bath which is perfect for both the little two (and their big brothers too). Studies have shown that babies bathed with a fragranced bath product spent nearly 25% less time crying before sleep and whilst mine don’t tend to cry, I am willing to try anything to keep them happy and asleep that bit longer. They both love to splash at bath time too, so I think it is a great way to get out the last of the day’s energy.

Step 2) Baby Massage

I went to all the classes for baby massage with Dylan, but having older brothers so close in age meant that the younger three didn’t get the same experience. We have Johnson’s bedtime baby oil as well as their baby cream and hopefully the touch and bonding time will help both little ones feel secure, loved and ready for sleep. I know that a massage always relaxes me and I think they are both going to really enjoy it, although Finn is rather tickly now!

Step 3) Quiet Time

With warm, soft and calm babies, I don’t really need an excuse for a cuddle so I know this step will come naturally. The Johnson’s Bedtime baby sleep app has a selection of relaxing lullabies which I think Finn will love as he has always liked to fall asleep to music. Cora is still breastfed to sleep which is one of my favourite parts of the day as we snuggle up quietly together. At the moment she is still fed to sleep but the app is suggesting I try to get her to fall asleep on her own, so feed her until she is drowsy and then put her down. We may give it a go this week as she may then settle better in the night when she wakes.

We are really excited to be trying out this new routine and hopefully feeling the benefits!

This is a sponsored blog post by the Johnson’s brand. I have received payment incentive and samples but all opinions are my own. Johnson’s clinically proven bedtime routine consists of bath, massage and quiet time, tested on babies 7 months+, 1 week+ use.

Read more ⇨

Tips for making a Carpet Creation

Are you thinking of making your own carpet creation?  It isn't nearly as complicated as they look and you probably have all the accessories you need lying around the house!  Here is how I put together my sleeping bunny scene.

Step one – Think about the scene you would like to create.  Cora was asleep in the car in her bunny hat and I decided to base the creation around that.  The possibilities are endless though so have a look around the room and choose something to inspire you.  If you are still looking for ideas look at the names of the Carpetright carpets- Mist and Highland Design for example offer ideas just with their names.

Step two – A sleeping baby is essential and ideally one in a very deep sleep so you can put them down somewhere other than their cot and move them around a little.  We actually went swimming before I took this shot as I know she is always so tired afterwards. Cora hates sleeping on her back so I love that I managed to get these shots.

Step three – Choose your favourite carpet.  I used the 'Peak district green artificial grass' from Carpetright for this shot as I wanted it to look like she was in the garden.   Blues and greys make perfect skies, bathroom floors can double up as a swimming pool and laminate has so many options

Step four – Use whatever you have lying around to help elaborate the scene.  As a mama to a small baby I have muslins everywhere so I grabbed a handful of coloured ones to make some flowers in my garden scene.  They are very versatile props, as are bed sheets and towels.  Kids toys are the perfect size next to a sleeping baby too.

Step five – Get up high to look down.  I put a chair next to my creation so that I could lean over and get lots of the scene in.   I took these photos on my phone as I could get everything into the frame and then cropped the edges out using free editing tools online.  I must have looked ridiculous to anyone looking through my living room window, but these images are ones that I will always treasure (and always have to torment my daughter with when she hits the teenage years).

I love how there is no limit to your creativity when making a carpet creation, there are unlimited ways to make your own scene and I am excited to be judging the public competition on behalf of carpetright! Make sure you get your entry in quick as the competition finishes on Friday!!

Read more ⇨