Me and Mine: A Family Portrait Project - June 2014

I'm (very) late to the party on this one, but this month I've decided to join in for the first time with the Me and Mine family portrait project. 

On the last day of every month, I will now be sharing a family photograph that we've taken some time throughout that month.

I'm pretty excited to be taking part, as it does seem to be such a rarity that all three of us appear in one photograph together. Seriously.. Family selfies are not easy!

So here is our photograph for June 2014.. 

We are at the beach in West Bay, Dorset at the end of our second day of our holiday. We'd just eaten lots of chips! (Simply because sitting on the beach eating masses of chips just has to be done!) And we'd had lots of fun been splashing our feet around in the sea. It was Ethans first proper time at the beach and he was so excited. This picture makes me smile and miss our holiday every time I see it.

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Keeping him Safe

Keeping E safe is my job, it's my first and foremost responsibility. Whether we're out and about or at home in the 'safety' of our home.

 

To tie in with child safety week, I thought I would just quickly post a few snaps from around our home (and our car) to show the different items we have that help keep him safe.

 

 

We use a Lindam safety barrier on our back door - it lets the fresh breeze from outside in when it's hot and stuffy but prevents any danger of E falling out onto the hard concrete.

 



 

A door stop on our living room door to prevent it slamming shut on tiny little toddler fingers. 

 





 

We use table corners to cover sharp edges to reduce the risk of a bumped head.

 

 

We have two stair gates in our house to provide a play space for E where he can play safe.

 

 

Sun shades in both of our cars help block those pesky sun rays out.

 

And lastly, we use an extra mirror in the car so that we can keep an eye on what a certain someone gets up to whilst we have out heads turned.

 

All of the mentioned items are from Lindam. They are a brand I trust completely and I am a proud ambassador for them.

 

 

 

Introducing.. the utterly bonkers.. Nana E!

My Mum. Or Nana E as she is known to Ethan. How best to describe her?

Clever, loyal, honest, protective, the list could go on and on. But really there is just one word that never fails to come to mind when I think of my Mum.,

.. Crazy. And not your average sort of crazy.

Oh no.

She is completely and utterly bonkers!

And this is something that she's become known for. She's the person that whilst everyone else ponders whether or not to do something, has come back from doing it and is even wearing the t-shirt to prove it.

Nothing phases my Mum and that's what's so admirable about her.

She'll talk and make friends with anyone and everyone, no matter who they are.

She'll quite happily take her bra off at my hen do in front of all of my friends and wear it proudly on her head.

She'll boldly start singing (very loudly) in the middle of the town centre just because a random song has entered her head.

She'll even take my Son to the park and somehow manage to fall bum first off of a zip line..

She's a living legend my Mum. A larger than life character.

And though, like the rest of us, she suffers from her fair share of anxieties and at times a lack of self-confidence, she really does make me and a lot of other people laugh. She inspires me to care less about what other people think and this has helped me greatly to become the person I am today.

So, here's to my utterly bonkers, completely crazy Mama (who may or may not fall off of a childrens zip line during the below video) ;)..


                     
                      

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Cosatto Hug 1-2-3 Car Seat Review

Cosatto Hug car seat review

We've been using our Cosatto Hug 1-2-3 car seat for probably just over a month now and so I think it's about time that I sat and shared my verdict of it..

FIRST IMPRESSION

If you've ever had a Cosatto product delivered you'll know just how exciting it is! Cosatto are known for their beautiful and quirky designs. So first impressions for me are always positive, I think all of their designs are visually stunning and the All Star Hug is no exception. The other thing that I first noticed about the Hug is the padding on it and the quality. I was pretty confident when I first saw it that it was going to be good.  5/5

COMFORT

Again, I can't fault it! Ethan looks so comfy in it and the padding is so soft that I could quite happily get in it myself! The shoulder pads are great too and provide lots of comfort where the straps come down over his shoulders. The Hug is one of the most comfiest looking car seats I've ever seen! 5/5

INSTALLATION

My husband was the one who installed it into my car, as that is much more in his area of expertise. (I seem to have an inability to follow simple instructions!) He did say that he found it quite hard to install and it took him a little while to figure it all out. I suppose that you could argue that once it's in it's in. I mean, personally I won't be taking the car seat in and out and so it isn't a problem for me but it could well be for someone who uses multiple cars but only has the one car seat. 2/5

EASE OF USE

I cannot fault the Hug for it's ease to use! I have tried many car seats and with each one I have struggled with some aspect of using it (those pesky straps!). But with the Hug I've had no problems at all. It really is just so simple to use! 5/5

FEATURES

Conforms to ECE R44/04

Forward facing

Fits both front and rear seats

Side impact protection

5 position recline

5 point safety harness with quick release buckle

Compatible with standard 3 point seat belt

Height adjustable head rest

Comfy padded armrests

VALUE FOR MONEY?

At £220.00 this car seat isn't particularly cheap, but do I think it's worth the money? In all honesty - yes I do. If I didn't know anything about it, I'd probably buy something a little cheaper. But that's the beauty of being able to test products for my blog. I get to experience products or services, like the Cosatto Hug that I might just have walked by or dismissed. I'm so glad that I've had the opportunity to test this car seat out, because it truly is absolutely brilliant. I brought a Maxi Cosi car seat a month before reviewing this one, and if I'm honest I thought I'd miss the Maxi Cosi.. but I really don't. In fact, because the Maxi Cosi is in Adams car which we took on holiday with us last week, I had to use it for the first time in ages and I really missed my Cosatto Hug! So that's saying something! Personally, I think if you want a great car seat that is comfy, easy to use and grows with your baby.. then the Hug is the right choice. Take a closer look at this car seat.. here!
For Group 123 Car Seats go here and you'll find Cosatto's stockist page here.





*I am a Cosatto Brand Buddy, but all thoughts and opinions are entirely honest, truthful and completely my own!

Food Kids Seem to Love

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We all know that children can be picky eaters, but there are several meals that just always seem to be winners. If you’ve just got in from a long day at the office and the kids are ready to eat, the dishes below will certainly put a smile on their faces:

-Grilled Cheese Sandwich

America’s favourite grilled cheese sandwich is never turned down by an adult or a child. This gooey sandwich is nothing but bread, butter and cheese grilled to golden perfection, which can be dressed up with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil for something a little different. If you’re holding a birthday or Halloween party, these will go down a treat. Click here for halloween party ideas from Kraft. 

Tips for Buying Last Minute Birthday Gifts

3 Tips for buying those last minute birthday gifts!..

No matter how organised we like to think we are as individuals, anyone who claims that they have never forgotten a birthday or important special occasion is likely to be lying. When you consider the sheer volume of capital spend on gifts in the UK throughout the year, it stands to reason that a reasonable percentage of this should be invested into last-minute gifts and express delivery services. While having to generate an innovative gift idea and get this to the recipient within a short period of time can be stressful and demanding, however, there are ways in which you can simplify this process whilst also reducing cost. 

With this in mind, what practical steps can you take to easily select, purchase and ship a last minute gift to a loved one? Consider the following: 

How Incredibly Surreal | Brit Mums Live 2014

Brit Mums Live 2014 

I think the term introvert would sum me up quite nicely. 

Not one for groups, not one for huge cities crammed full of floods of people scurrying busily about their day. 

The hustle and bustle of places like London somewhat scare me. And a familiar feeling of dread overcame me as I stepped off of my train at Euston yesterday morning with my ever-supportive Husband in tow, who was very tightly holding on to my hand as if to say, 'you'll be okay' which at that particular time, I really needed to believe. 

I don't know if you ever noticed or not but everyone seems to walk so quickly in London. And it's kind of catching.. I felt my own legs start to ever so slightly speed up as I made my way to my hotel, totally full of nerves which at that point seemed to be rapidly overcoming me.

Having my Husband, Adam, there with me really helped to keep me grounded. His support in everything that I do is just completely invaluable and I am eternally grateful to him for it. 

I know that it can't have been the most exciting experience for him waiting around in London for me all day whilst I rubbed shoulders with fellow bloggers and brushed up my 'skills' in a field that I feel very passionate about. But returning to the hotel later that evening and seeing him after a very surreal, somewhat exhausting, first day at Brit Mums was quite honestly - just the very best feeling.

One of the things that struck me the most about the many things that us bloggers take away from events such as these, is that we learn so much about ourselves. It's a hard to thing to sit and try and explain but I really feel that I have discovered a lot more about who I am, what I want and even how to achieve it.

I've learnt that it's okay to have, 'I'm an absolute emotional-mess' days, that it's okay to feel nervous and ask for help from people when you don't know something.

I've also learnt that I need to stop picking myself apart as much as I do, that I should believe in myself and my blog a lot more and that I have the ability to be a lot more confident than I thought I could be. It's all about self-belief I guess and the last couple of days has taught me the absolute value of what it is to have belief in yourself.

I've also learnt that I want to be more in control of my blog. And by that I mean when it comes to the paid work or working with companies for promotional purposes, it's going to have to fit with me, my blog, my content and my readers. I will now be consistently asking myself the question, 'What would I want to read about?'.

In regards to fellow bloggers who I was so very fortunate enough to meet. There's only one word I can use to describe how I feel about some of them and that is just phenomenal (okay, I suppose that's technically two words!).

People like Katie from Mummy daddy me and Charlotte from Write like no-one's watching inspire me beyond the word inspiration.


They are not only brilliant blog writers/photographers/Mums, they are brilliant, genuine and kind people.

Spending as much time as I did with Charlotte today was such a highlight to my time at Brit Mums. And though I'd never met Charlotte before, I somehow managed to feel an almost instant connection with her. I guess you could say that there are just some people in the big wide world who at some point in time you are supposed to meet. And as surreal as it was, I will always look back on our chat over our cardboard boxed lunch (and wine!) with a big smile on my face.

There are so many other wonderful and kind bloggers who I met over the last couple of days that I could quite honestly just sit and write and write about until my fingers turned numb. But asides from having what would be very sore fingers I know I'd never make it into bed tonight. So I'm just going to mention a few very special people that made my first ever Brit Mums Live experience that much more wonderful and memorable..

Hayley, Emma, Emily - such wonderful, hopefully lifelong friends. Charlotte - who is apparently just as mad as I am and who made me laugh, quite a lot. Kerry - who is so incredibly sweet. Michelle - who is just as lovely. Lucy - who is unbelievably inspirational and also very pretty. And also Lucy from dear beautiful - who seems so genuine and warm. James - who I find as a daddy blogger, very inspirational and kind. Bex - who I found to be so lovely to talk to. Vikki - who I would liked to have spent more time with as she seemed like such a lovely person.  And lastly my last special mention is to Kelly who apart from having incredibly great taste in names for little boys is just such an absolute sweetheart.

If I have missed anyone, I am really sorry! Please don't take it personally. There really are just far too many people to name. To every single person that I had the absolute pleasure of meeting over the last two magical days.. thank you for making my experience what it was - so incredibly surreal! 

And just before I retire myself to bed for the night, I'd like to say the biggest thank you to the absolutely lovely and very gorgeous girls who were over at the Spatone stand yesterday and today.

Without them I wouldn't have any of the amazing memories that I now have from the past couple of days.

So thank you to the team at Spatone for getting behind me and my blog. It has really meant the world.

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Days Out at the Beach with the Kids: What to Wear and What to Take

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One of the best things about summer is the increased chance of enjoying the great outdoors. When the kids aren’t in school, getting out and enjoying yourself as a family is a great way to spend your days – after all, who wants to be cooped up inside when the weather is so glorious? Obviously, English weather can be turbulent at times and you can’t always guarantee bright and sunny days, but when the sun does shine, make the most of it while you can! 

Wherever you are in the UK, escaping to the seaside for the day is a possibility, particularly if you’re lucky enough to live on the coast. Whether it means a bit of a drive to the closest resort or you just have to enjoy a brief walk to get there, the seaside is a place of fun and quality family time. Planning on spending the day there? Think carefully about what you wear, and what you take with you, especially if there are limited facilities once you have arrived. 

How to get the job you want

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1. Figure out what is you want to do. It's never too late to figure out what you really want to do. If you're not sure when you leave school and head into college/sixth form - why not do something like IT that will set you up with a good all round qualification that you will use in pretty much anything you do decide to go into. There are cheap on-campus colleges that offer short-term programs you can choose from depending on your interests.
2. Know your strengths. What are you good at? What do you enjoy? Why not make a list of things you do well in or have skills in. Writing them down on paper is a good way to collate information and  determine what type of person you are. There are also tons of personality quizzes you can do online to help with this. 
3. Research. Once you think you know what you want to do or you've narrowed it down - do your research. Go and speak to people that do the job, ask for their opinions, ask what the training's like, the money, the shifts. Ask as many questions as you'd like to know the answers to. No question is a silly question. 
4. Volunteer. It can be time consuming and nobody really likes working for free but it gets you a foot in the door. It gets you seen by potential employers and you'll get a feel for the type of work and working environment. 
5. Stay determined. If a job doesn't arise through volunteering, don't feel disheartened. Search job boards and get your CV containing all of your volunteer experience skills out there to potential employers. 
6. Be realistic when it comes to qualifications. If you need qualifications for the job you want to do, you'll need to consider going back to college or doing an open university course to get them. You can't expect to get the job you want in a day. Stick at it and keep focused. 
7. Don't limit yourself. If you want to do something - apply your mind to it and do what makes you happy.
 

5 Pregnancy related things I would have liked to have tried

Life Lately

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I haven't written one of these posts in a while, but sometimes it's nice to just take a moment, sit and re-cap..!

So lets do just that..

Where to start..? Ah yes - we're booked in for a holiday in Dorset a week from today (we are reviewing for Parkdean) and we're SO looking forward to it! Life's has been so hectic lately, it has been probably ever since we moved house. Sometimes Adam and I feel like we have such a lack of time, sometimes we just really want to sit and do, well.. just nothing at all. Asides from taking care of Ethan, the cats and the house, it does seem to be a case of if Adams' not at his full time job, I'm at work, if I'm not at work, he's working on his business, if he's not working on his business I'm working on my blog. So a holiday at this particular moment in time is very much welcome. 

And what else.. oh! - I recently had a scan on my stomach (nooo, not pregnant, before conclusions are jumped).. I had been having quite horrible pains on the left side of my stomach quite low down and I was thinking the worst (and Googling a lot - as you do!). Fortunately, the scan came back as all fine which was obviously a relief but I did get to find out something else.. Apparently I have a womb that is tilted backwards! (Who knew?!!) Apparently it's very unlikely to cause me or any future baby (or babies?) any issues, so nothing to worry about there!

Did you know.. the one thing (or one of the things) I've always wanted to do is to see Eminem live - please don't all boo at once haha! He's a very talented man and also perhaps rather quite scrummy! ;) (Yes - I did just say that!) Whilst having my scan actually, I received a text from my service provider to say that there were additional tickets going to see him live in Wembley. Being that I absolutely HAVE to see Eminem live and in the flesh at some point in my life we decided we'd go. Sadly when we got home all the best tickets had gone and with the ones that we're left he would have looked almost pea-size. So we decided to leave it! And try again next time.! Ah well..  there's always the next best thing, Lee Evans at The O2!

And what else? Oh yes - we are loving our new car! Which I posted about a week or so ago. It was a nice little upgrade to our Astra and a nice reward for my Hubby who'd wanted it for a long time and has worked so hard building up his side-business.

Oh and I can't go without a special mention to Game of Thrones.. it's been AMAZING this series..! And I am SO looking forward to the season finale tonight! Have any of you been watching too?

   

To the proper 'Dads'!

 

Happy Fathers Day to all the proper 'Dads' out there!

Especially to my wonderful Husband Adam who is the most fantastic Dad to our amazing Son. Ethan is one lucky boy to have a Dad like him!

 

The lady in the red and white dress

Last night we attended a barn dance for my Husbands Granny's birthday (Ethans Great-Granny). It was pretty fun actually. But that's not what this post is about..
There were many people there last night, but one person in particular caught my eye. There was a lady there wearing a pretty red and white dress who I'd heard had recently lost her Husband. She seemed sad and nobody on the table she was sat at seemed to be talking to her much. She wasn't making much conversation with them either, but you wouldn't really have expected her to would you? 
Looking at her, I felt such sadness and I desperately wanted to start talking to her to try and cheer her up. But then, she didn't know me and what would I say? I went over the things I might say in my head a few hundred times, but each time I shook my head. She probably didn't want my pity, especially not from someone that she didn't even know. 
I looked at Adam a million times and imagined my life without him. I'm not ashamed to admit that it brought tears to my eyes. I don't know if I would have the strength to carry on without him. Not without the person who I've grown up with and shared every single thing in most of my life with. He's not just my rock, he's a huge part of me. 
Ethan was the only baby or child there last night and his sense of curiosity saw him crawling around the hall like a crazy runaway train, with either Adam or I (or his Grandparents) chasing behind trying to keep him out of mischief. 
At one point he crawled right over to the lady and she seemed to like him, her face lit up and we got chatting for a few minutes. Mostly about Ethan but it was enough to make her smile. And well .. that was enough for me. 
Life is so precious and the people we love are even more so. So look after them :-)

What's in our swim bag?

Hi guys!

Today I thought I would give you all a little look inside of our swim bag! Because, well, why not!? :O)

As part of our Konfidence Swimologist role we go swimming on a Thursday morning with a local baby swim club called SwimKidz! It's really helping to build Mr E's confidence in the water up as well as mine! I would never have taken him swimming by myself before we started on the course - but look at me now!

If you don't already go to a baby swim club, but you're thinking about doing it.. I totally recommended you to go! It's so much fun!

Here's what we take to swimming every week...

As we are Swimologists for Konfidence we pretty much have everything by them - I absolutely love and recommended their products! I can't actually believe we didn't own their stuff before we started our role with them!

From them we have a Roll & Go babychanger, which I lay Ethan on to get changed and dressed (it's non slip and much more hygienic then just using the standard baby change table!), a body warmer (my fave item - it keeps Ethan warm and looks super cute!), and two swim nappies which all nicely match ;) If you're looking for swimming gear for your own little one I seriously do recommend you visit http://www.konfidence.co.uk and have a little look at what they've got to offer. I couldn't imagine using any other brand!

Asides from that I have my swimming costume which is really nice if I do say so myself! It's from M&S and was about £35 or something like that. It's reeeally nice on and the ruffles in the stomach area hide my little mum tum!

I also take nappies, wipes and nappy bags to change Ethans nappy! And some snacks in the form of rice cakes and a drink for after his swim! Apart from that I take my phone, underwear for me (nice!) and a pound to use the locker! Oh and my purse - for if I fancy a tea/coffee after. So pretty minimal stuff really!

The bag is from The Camouflage Company, they kindly sent it to me a while ago and I think it makes a perfect swim bag. (though it can be used for pretty much everything!) The bag is water-resistant and easy to wipe clean hence why I use it for swimming! There are pockets inside which I use to store my phone in and my pound coin! The bag I use is this this one!

So there you have it - that's what's inside of our swim bag!

Cool Clothing Ideas for Kids

One of the best things about being a parent is that you get to dress your kids exactly how you want to. That is, until they reach the age where they officially become embarrassed by your sartorial choices and decide to take control of their own apparel But until then their wardrobe is in your hands, and what better way to dress your kids than in some of the coolest styles around.

 

Urban Apparel

If your little one is a budding skater or graffiti artist in the making, you’ll more than likely want to dress them to impress when they’re hanging with the local art crew (read: finger painting) down at the play park. There’s only one way to do urban apparel for kids, and that’s by heading over to Skate Hut to check out their awesome line of wheeled trainers and alternative sporting goodies.

 

Hipster Chic

Hipster fashion has been all the rage for a while, but it’s the daring parent who raises the style stakes for their little hipster by dressing them in the fashion of the decade. But don’t go full hipster if you can help it – this fashion can be a little extreme at times and some of the styles, such as full beards, might not suit a toddler. Instead, think lumberjack shirts, braces and logo tees for effortless cool mixed with a healthy dose of cute.

 

Suit Jacket and Shorts

Believe it or not but short suits are actually coming into fashion for big men as well as little. Wearing a pair of tailored shorts with a matching suit or sports jacket is the perfect way to transition formal wear into summer style, providing the perfect blend of both couture and cool. If you’ve got a snazzy party to go to, why not try this style out on your little one? They’ll look totally adorable running around in their very own short suit.

Skater boy/girl

If you're child loves all things skating, then skates.co.uk will have them covered! Not only do they sell skate-inspired clothing, they also stock heelys, inline skates, ice skates, skateboards, helmets, pads and more! So if you've got a skater boy or skater girl on your hands then be sure to check them out. 

Animal Onesies

There is literally nothing cuter than animal onesies, and the best part is that adults can wear them too. Animal onesies are the perfect choice for just about any activity a person can think of, from lounging around at home to attending sleepovers, playing at the park or going to fancy dress parties. For an extra dose of uber-cool, make sure your kid is wearing what’s known as a ‘Kigurumi’ – this Japanese word refers to the traditional costumed theatre performers who would represent animals on stage, and is also now the term for a particularly awesome style of Japanese animal onesie.

 

 

*Guest post

First time in the paddling pool!

It's been so sunny lately and we are absolutely loving it! Ethan's such an outdoor baby - he is obsessed with being outside, so now the weathers warmer and we're spending more time outside, he is one happy baby!

Yesterday afternoon I took the opportunity to fill up one side of Ethans paddling pool/sandpit/ball pit with water then I stripped him off, smothered him in suncream and tried very hard to get him to wear his hat (I've been trying so very hard and we're getting there - slightly!). 

I think he's been having some teething pain, so he wasn't in the best of moods after refusing his lunch just before this. But he did really seem to enjoy himself once he got used to being in the water. I filled it with warm and cold water so that it was a nice temperature for him. Then added some of his balls from the ball pit and then a pack of sandpit/water toys I picked up from Babies R us (I think it was!). He loved playing with the toys in the water! He's a big fan of bath time, so bath time outside was pretty awesome for him!

I will leave you with some more photos from Ethans first time in the paddling pool.. :)

 

Has your little one been in the paddling pool yet this year?