Little Tikes Eco 'Go Green' Playhouse review

If you are anything like me, then you dream of being able to open the back door on a summer morning and let the children run around until they get hungry / thirsty / tired.  I want to drink a cup of tea with my feet up whilst they run around wearing themselves out, exercising their imaginations and making the most of whatever outdoor space we have available.

Realistically with four under six this may stay a dream, but the children were sent the Little Tikes Eco Playhouse and it has certainly allowed me more time to sit and drink tea than before.  The playhouse is everything you would expect from a Little Tikes garden toy - strong, well built, easy to assemble and colourful, as well as having some interesting features to help children learn as they play.

It took two men around an hour to build after coming flatpacked in a huge box but was easy enough with just a little drilling.

The boys are no strangers to recycling and love collecting their rubbish for Grandma who takes part in several recycling schemes beyond the standard blue and red bins.  The house has two recycling bins that can be removed and emptied and they have naturally sorted their rubbish as they play.

You may have noticed what looks like a solar panel on the roof - it actually is a solar panel, powering a light inside the house! There is also a gutter along one side that feeds down to make a working tap inside.  

The brown area to the right is for growing flowers in, although we haven't yet started on this project.  The area is quite shallow so our plans to grow tomatoes were thwarted but we will be giving flowers a go very soon.

I love the eco side of this playhouse, it is refreshing alongside all their battery operated toys and technology.  The simplicity of a playhouse allows them so much freedom and they have used it in so many ways for so many purposes.

I am hoping that the magic lasts all summer and I know that this is a house that will last our family for years as the younger two grow into it even more.  It is an investment that will hopefully yield ours of tea drinking with my feet up on a chair enjoying some sunshine. 

Thank you to Little Tikes for sending us this wonderful house, it has had many hours of play and I think we will have many hours more.  All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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A Developmental Leap

I don't think you will ever convince me that there is a better stage than newborn.  The milky smell, the scrunched up faces, the way they curl up so perfectly on your chest - I find it all just irresistible.  My second favourite stage has to be this one though, the one Cora began as she turned ten months, where they suddenly hit a huge leap and develop so many new skills.

In the space of 24 hours my baby girl learned to crawl, pull herself to standing and clap as well as saying her first words.  It was a busy day and she is still reeling in excitement from it all.  Suddenly the world is a much bigger place and she is so desperate to explore it.  She may still be slow on her knees, but she is learning to get around however she can and it is fascinating (and a little scary at times) watching her 

The first year is the most crazy period of development as most babies go from being a helpless newborn to a baby who can feed themselves, move around and make their opinions known one way or another.  I find that often it goes it spurts though, that we become comfortable in how we are, but all the while in the background her brain is ticking, processing it all and preparing for the next stage.  It all happens at once and suddenly everything is different.

Dresses are no longer practical, or they have to be tucked into her leggings at the front so that they don't get caught up in knees and feet.  Leaving a door open is now an invitation, putting Cora unattended anywhere but ground level is a definite no.  In many ways I am sad that the wonderful period of being able to leave her somewhere and come back to find her in the same place is over but watching how happy she is with her new skills, how proud she is of herself as she sings the end of her favourite song, make me so excited for everything that is to come. 

It will become the norm soon that she is mobile, that she can follow round her brothers, get into everything she shouldn't and that the knees will be worn out on all her trousers, but for now I am enjoying watching her learn something new,  discovering the world from her new perspective.

It seemed crazy that at the end of next month she will turn one, I am sure it was only last week that I was holding her for the very first time.  Those newborn days are long gone though, and the toddler stage is looming.

I want to freeze time again, in my second favourite phase, to keep her this little, small enough that I can still carry her easily, young enough that I am still her world, quiet enough that I can still take her everywhere.  This last part of babyhood, this precious time.

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Appartello Hamburg Review // Hamburg with a Larger Family

One of our biggest issues travelling as a larger family is finding accomodation that suits us.  Most hotel rooms only allow four or sometimes five guests but with four small children, we need a bigger room.  On our recent trip to Hamburg we were invited to stay at Appartello, a hotel just outside the city centre full of mini apartments.  It offers all the great qualities of a hotel, including 24 hour reception, breakfast and housekeeping, but with the freedom of an apartment.

Our room had a large open plan living room with a breakfast bar and a kitchen, and then a seperate bedroom.  The sofa pulled out into a large double bed making it perfect for the boys to sleep on, although we actually ended up putting them to sleep in the bedroom so that we could stay up in the living area, and then transferring them when we wanted to go to sleep.

The hotel staff were amazing and happy to answer any questions (in flawless English).  I asked about a bus stop, and they printed me out step by step instructions on how to get to the venue I was after and talked me through it all as well.

The kitchen was well equipped and even had a coffee machine which you could buy pods for at reception.  You could easily cook a full meal in it as there was a proper oven and plenty of equipment.  The apartments are designed for long stays, but they are perfect for short ones too.  For longer stays there are washing machines in the basement that are free to use, and there is also a fitness centre.

We found the location ideal, there was a bus stop just around the corner and it took less than 10 minutes to get onto the main rail network where we could hop on and off trains to get to different parts of the city.  Coming back out of the centre at the end of the day was really calming for the boys and the hotel was in a quiet neighbourhood.

The bathroom was lovely and even had a little step which was Finn's favourite thing, as he has developed a fascination with water and loves washing his hands at every opportunity! It was cleaned everyday by the housekeeping service too.

The beds were really comfy although the pillows were so fluffy and we weren't used to it at all! We all slept very soundly.  I was so impressed with the hotel and it was perfect for bigger families like ours as it accomodated the six of us more than comfortably.

There was a continental breakfast service in the morning on the basement floor where you could help yourself.  The children loved choosing their food and we loved the convenience of being able to pop down and fill our tummies before the day.  

Travelling with a bigger family isn't always as easy but there are some great places if you know where to look and Appartello met all of our needs.

We were invited to Hamburg by Come to Hamburg who arranged our accommodation.  

All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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Yummy Tastes

At 10 months, you would think we had weaning cracked, but in many ways we have only just started.  Cora was reluctant to start eating, and it has taken until the last couple of weeks for her to start dropping any milk feeds in favour of food.  Suddenly she is interested in trying new tastes though, she is eating bigger portions and of course being newly mobile, she is not content to watch her brothers eating anything without coming over to see what they have.

We have taken a mixed approach to weaning as that seems to be what suits her best, she has finger foods, our meals and some pre-packaged foods too.  The combination of these gives her a great variety and fits well into our lifestyle.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t often get to eat her own food in peace as her brothers have realised how much her fruit pouches actually taste like smoothies and I often have four little mouths all trying to get a spoonful.  Knowing they are full of goodness and have no added sugar means I don’t mind them sharing and we get through quite a few fruit pouches at the moment! (Peach, mango and banana is definitely their favourite).

Cora tends to eat our dinners when we are at home which is both convenient and incredibly messy (have you ever watched a 10 month old feed themselves spaghetti bolognese?).  When we go out for dinner I am a bit more fussy though and I worry about the salt in the meals.  I also find that all three boys now demolish a kids meal with ease and I am reluctant to spend out on a whole meal just for Cora, so I often take a Heinz pouch with me which is full of goodness and salt free so I know that she has something tasty to eat.  We all pay our ‘Cora tax’ by giving her little bits from our plate too.

When we are out for the day, I try to pack snacks that all 4 children can eat as it is much easier than packing seperate boxes for the bigger and littler ones and the Heinz biscotti are loved as much by the 4 and 5 year olds as they are by Cora and Finn. They are pretty mess free and convenient to take for trips to the park. I usually have cut up fruit, breadsticks and biscotti for the four of them to share.

I am never going to be that mum that makes everything from scratch, but I am ok with that.  Modern parenting is demanding and I know there are tasty options out there which compliment the home cooked meals and help provide my baby girl with the vitamins and minerals she needs.  Cora has a variety of tastes and textures, she eats with us as a family and she loves her food now.  

Weaning is such a fun experience and I have relaxed more this time, taken it at Cora’s pace and followed her lead.  I have no doubt in a few months she will be demolishing dinners the same way her brothers do!

Collaborative Post

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The Future Biker // Kiddimoto Balance Bike Review

Archie has pretty much got his future sorted - he is going to ride a motorbike, never wear clothes and of course he is going to be hulk smash - that is a given.  He is a free spirit, a wild one, the most affectionate, the biggest daredevil and a little sweetie as well as being a future super-hero apparently.  The boys have spent many an hour planning their futures and one thing that doesn't change, is that Dylan will drive a car and Archie will ride a motorbike.

It seems crazy that Archie has spent 4 years as a future biker without owning an actual bike but Kiddimoto fixed that with their rather cool skulls balance bike and matching helmet.  Archie is a speed machine on his scooter so I was interested to see how he would take to the bike.  It took a while to persuade him to wear a helmet but with some encouragement from his best friend he finally put it and then insisted on wearing it all through dinner too.

There was pride in his face as he whizzed off and he has only improved since, getting quicker and more confident.  The wooden bike is aimed at children between 3 and 5 years and the seat has different heights which we have since adjusted to make it a little higher for our four year old.  Archie just loves the cool pirate design.  We are lucky to live right on the coast which means there are wonderful long expanses of flat biking ground and a few slopes too - perfect for future motorbikers to practice.

I think that balance bikes are such a great introduction for children to help them gain balance and confidence and once Archie moves on to a pedal bike we will be lowering the seat on this and getting it ready for Finn - it feels so solidly made that I am hoping it lasts for Cora as well.

Kiddimoto make a few different styles of balance bikes, some more metallic and like a traditional pedal bike and these wonderful wooden 'Kurve' ones which include a police design, butterflies and an awesome Union Jack design.  I love the Heroes range too which really do look like little motorbikes.

I love these photos below because of the look of pride and excitement on his face.  Check out the Kiddimoto website to see the full range of bikes and accessories.

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A London Themed Kids Bedroom

London themed bedroom, London kids bedroom, London bus kids room

We spent a long time thinking about the perfect theme for the boys' bedroom as we needed to change things around and buy them bunk beds, but as it turned out they decided as soon as they saw the selection of beds.  The London bus bunk bed caught their eye so it had to be a London themed room.  

One of the walls and the ceiling recently had to be re-plastered so the room needed painting, but I went for an easy white so that we can change things around easily if we want to.  The room feels cleaner and bigger with white walls, although my super observant boys didn't actually notice a difference!

With the bed as the centre piece for the room, I used their existing chest of drawers, bookcase and dressing up chest and added accessories and little touches to bring the room together and they love the finished project.

We bought the bed from Carpetright (I didn't even know they sold beds until quite recently!) and we were sent some amazing sheets and pillow cases from B Sensible.  They are waterproof and protective but not clingy and plastic feeling and they come in a variety of shades so I chose red to match their beds.  I am definitely planning on getting some for our bed now!

I bought a duvet cover set from Dunelm Mill and then used the pillow case from this on a spare pillow to help make a cosy area by the bookcase.  The London bus cushion is from there too.

To decorate the walls, I bought a big map of the London underground (Amazon), a London print from Dunelm Mill, a clock (Amazon again) that I still haven't put up and we were sent a gorgeous print from Hello Moon which we could personalise with the boys names.  They absolutely love it and it came beautifully framed too.

The boys love snuggling up in their room and I wanted it to be a safe place for them to play away from the little two.  They have some of their older toys up here, like their Playmobil and skaletrix and we were sent some figures from Jojo maman Bebe too which make a wonderful decoration and which they love using as scenery when playing with cars.

To keep it cosy we were sent the softest throw from Room to Grow which is currently residing on Dylan's bed.  Made from merino lambswool it is lovely and warm and I know will get a lot of use (and stop them stealing mine!).

As a final touch I bought some wall stickers from Amazon and put them in their cosy corner.  I think their room looks simple and calm and they have plenty of room to play and they love the London buses and the bright reds and blues.  I hope it is a room that will grow with them.

PIN ME

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What the Kids Wore // Me & I

One of the first non-hightstreet brands I discovered when Dylan was little was Me&I at the London baby show.  They had a little stall and I was immediately drawn to the bright colours and playful designs.  I bought a couple of bits for Dylan and he wore them so much as they were my absolute favourites.  They got saved for Archie who wore them too and more recently Finn has had his time with them.  Not many of Dylan's clothes lasted well enough to pass on, and the box of clothes that has been worn by all three boys and are still in good enough condition to pass on to Cora is tiny - in fact is only contains Me&I.

I am so impressed with how well their bits last, how well they wash and how vibrant they remain and I had so much fun picking something new for all four children.  In the end I went for matching (because who knows how long I can get away with that for!) and it had to be the dinosaur print.  They don't have anything that they can all match in and these were the perfect t-shirts for our holiday as it made keeping an eye on them so much easier.

I love how soft and stretchy they are, knowing that they are responsibly and ethically made and of course how well they last.  Poor Cora is going to be wearing this t-shirt until she is 8 years old!The print is fun and childish but still looks 'cool' enough for my five year old.  We paired it with soft denim shorts for the big two, blue shorts for Finn and blue leggings for Cora so they really did look pretty matchy!

You can shop from the comfort of your own home in two ways with Me & I - You can order online via your local seller (find them here) or you can book a party, invite all your friends and have a rep come and show you through the new collection.  You can see all the prints in real life and even try one some of the ladies clothing.

We have found the t-shirts fit quite true to size.  Cora is 10 months and in 74/80, Finn is a short 2 year old in 86/92, Archie wears 110/116 and Dylan is a tall 5 year old in 122/128.

Most of the designs are really unisex so perfect for handing down and the baby range is all organic cotton.  Me and I are a brand who care deeply about how our clothes are made and have strict guidelines in place to enforce a safe working environment.  The clothes are made in Portugal and Turkey. 

Thank you to Me&I for sending us these gorgeous t-shirts for the children, we love them.

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