Tag Archives: children

BrushBaby – Review + National Smile Month

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Teeth one of the most important parts of a your body and it’s especially important for children to learn about looking after their teeth as fingers crossed they’ll be with them so life.

When Brush-Baby contacted us regarding a review I was interested to see what they had to offer.

BrushBaby

For children aged 10 months to 3 years they offer a chewable toothbrush which is designed to fit little mouths and is very soft and covers both top and bottom teeth at once. You can use with toothpaste and it is also dishwasher and steriliser safe. Although Mia is past the teething stage I would image this is perfect for soothing those sore gums.

BrushBabyMia

Mia loved using this and it gave her some independence, along with allowing her to use this toothbrush we did also brush with her regular toothbrush.

For children aged 3 – 6 years you get a FlossBrush, this brush has a unique design for children who can’t floss so the shorter bristles clean the teeth and the longer ones reach between the teeth. With the design of the brush Aly said it was ‘nice’ and she prefers it to her normal toothbrush. Aly is almost 6 and too her credit has always been good with brushing her teeth and this only enhanced it further.

BrushBaby Aly

We were sent these products for the purpose of this review, our opinions are honest and unbiased.

National Smile Month

20th May – 20th June 2013

Did you know this is the UK’s largest oral health campaign aimed at improving dental health and awareness in the UK?

With currently 40% of under 5′s in the UK having tooth decay, Brush-Baby is backing National Smile month and its 3 key messages to address this worrying statistic – we campaign specifically for improved dental health for babies, toddlers and children…….

Brush teeth twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste

Cut down on sugary food and drinks

Visit the dentist regularly

 

For more information please click here 

 

 

50 Things to do Before You’re 11 3/4

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Some of you may have seen the National Trust have launched a new campaign called ‘50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4‘ which as it sounds is a list of things that children should try before they reach the age of 11 3/4.

I first found out about this from TheBoyAndMe and she currently has a linky open over here of The Boy’s journey and how he’s getting along.

If you’ve not seen the list well here it is

Adventurer Discovery Ranger
1. Climb a Tree 11. Go on a Really Long Bike Ride 21. Pick Blackberries Growing in the Wild
2. Roll Down a Really Big Hill 12. Make a Trail with Sticks 22. Explore inside a Tree
3. Camp Out in the Wild 13 . Make a Mud Pie 23. Visit a Farm
4. Build a Den 14. Dam a Stream 24. Go on a Walk Barefoot
5. Skim a Stone 15. Play in the Snow 25. Make a Grass Trumpet
6. Run Around in the Rain 16. Make a Daisy Chain 26. Hunt for Fossils and Bones
7. Fly a Kite 17. Set up a Snail Race 27. Go Star Gazing
8. Catch a Fish with a Net 18. Create some Wild Art 28. Climb a Huge Hill
9. Eat an Apple Straight from a Tree 19. Play Pooh Sticks 29. Explore a Cave
10. Play Conkers 20. Jump Over Waves 30. Hold a Scary Beast
Tracker Explorer
31. Hunt for Bugs 41. Plant it, Grow it, Eat it
32. Find Some Frogspawn 42. Go Swimming in the Sea
33. Catch a Falling Leaf 43. Build a Raft
34. Track Wild Animals 44. Go Bird Watching
35. Discover what’s in a Pond 45. Find your way with a Map and Compass
36. Make a Home for a Wild Animal 46. Try Rock Climbing
37. Check out the Crazy Creatures in a Rockpool 47. Cook on a Campfire
38. Bring up a Butterfly 48. Learn to Ride a Horse
39. Catch a Crab 49. Find a Geocache
40. Go on a Nature Walk at Night 50. Canoe down a River

The girls have already completed a few of these but the aim is to do all of them again and this time document them fingers crossed before they reach the age of 11 3/4.

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Role Models

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Role Models

Children are always looking for role models in their lives even before they really know what it means, whether it’s a character from a TV show or a sports star.

My oldest daughter is 5 and her role models at a guess would be Peppa Pig or someone from a similar show but over the coming years this will change to the latest pop star or possibly at a push a female sports star.

Her comes the problem, if we’re lucky she’ll look up to someone like Jessica Ennis who has always seemed like a down to Earth person and in the Summer of 2012 stole everyone’s hearts and made us all feel proud to be British.

These days people like her seem few and far between. From a very young age I have always watched football and as far back as I can remember I’ve supported Liverpool. The players these days are paid an extreme amount of money more in a week than most will earn in 10 years so it should be easy to conduct yourself is a decent manner. Young children all around the World look up to these players and adore them.

Lately I’m sure you’ve all seen the headlines and news bulletins about Luis Suarez who during a game of football decided the best thing to do would be to bite another player. It wasn’t an accident he actually went out of his way to bite another human. When I first heard about this I thought someone was joking but then looking back at it I think it’s one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen a sportsman do.

The resulting punishment for this crime is a 10 game ban and a fine yet he still keeps his job. If I’d have done this I’d be out on my ear. Various people have said that this is a harsh punishment, how can it be. Millions of children around the World have seen this and I bet some have now tried this on the school fields and playgrounds because their ‘role model’ done it.

Tiny Twisted Tales Book Review

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Since Aly started school in September her reading has come on so much it’s unbelievable so when the chance came up to review come new children’s books we jumped at the chance.

Pale Henry by Calvin Innes

NewcoverPaleHenry

Pale Henry is a short story about a young boy that lives in his attic with just his pet cat and spiders and moths. The book is written in a rhyme style so it’s easy for the children to follow along to without too much trouble.

Although this book may look thick at 58 or so pages a few are picture pages and often the pages have to more that 20 words on them. Aly at 5 knew most of the words but struggled on a few unusual words. The book is slightly off the beaten track of what she usually reads but she seemed to enjoy it and it make her laugh.

Pale Henry is available from MyLittleBigTown for £4.99

Jenny by Calvin Innes

Newcover-Jenny

Jenny is not your average girl, she’s a werewolf hunting 8 year old. The words for this story were a little more advanced so it was one for use to read to Aly. She didn’t enjoy this book as much as Pale Henry due to it being aimed at older children and she’s never really heard of Werewolf’s.

She still laughed at various parts of the story and said the werewolf looks like the Gruffalo and this made her laugh more.

Jenny is available from MyLittleBigTown for £4.99

Stuart the Bug Eating Man by Calvin Innes

NewcoverSTBEM

The final book of the series is Stuart the Bug Eating Man. As the title suggests it’s about a man who eats bugs.

This was Aly’s favourite book of the series and again it is written in a rhyming style so makes it very easy to follow. The book is very well illustrated with various bug pictures to help tell the story for the younger children.

Stuart the Bug Eater is available from MyLittleBigTown for £4.99

Woolly & Tig DVD Review

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Own up who’s watched Woolly & Tig? No? Really we always seem to have it on in this house. Mia actually loves this show. Basically the show is about Tig and her toy spider Woolly.

Woolly

The show is pretty light-hearted and raises various topics that may scare or raise new experiences such as the first day of nursery.

The DVD contains 15 different episodes and has a running time of about 75mins.

First Day
Changing Room
Hair Wash Day
Baby Ben
Granny No No
Sharing
Losing Things
Open Wide
Swing Park
The Funfair
Eating New Foods
Choosing
Fire Alarm
The Beard
Hair Cut
 
For more information on the other Abbey Home Media titles please visit their website.
 
Woolly & Tig DVD is available for £7.25 from Amazon

iRate

Value for Money 7/10

Age Suitable 8/10

Duration 8/10

Quality 8/10

Presentation 7/10

38/50

We was sent this product for the purpose of this review, our opinions are honest and unbiased.

OD3G_Reviews

 

 

 

Family Time

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Below is the latest piece that I have written for OnInLondon I’d love to know what you think good or bad – please have have a look at their site here

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In our house family time is very limited what with me at work Monday to Friday so when the weekends come around we try and make the most of it. Saturday’s are all about me and my two girls as mummy works so this is our time to go exploring.

Like most young families we don’t really have much money so can’t go to various places so we try to make the most of free places and places nearby that is why one of our favourite places is our local woods. The woods themselves are no more than a 5 minute walk and it’s so quiet the girls are pretty much free to run and explore as they like with me trying to keep up.

With Alyssa being five and noticing the difference between the seasons and how the woods change it’s a joy to teach her and help develop her mind. Mia, who is two, mainly loves looking for various animals such as rabbits, squirrels and the doggies that are being walked.

As I love taking photos and Aly also seems to be getting into photography it’s a lovely place to take a camera and catch some lovely photos of the girls just enjoying nature.

When Sunday comes along both my wife and I are off and we normally have very little to do apart from enjoy each other’s company and this tends to be when we go out to a special place with the girls.

The places we always seem to end up at are farms or zoos, the girls and my wife love looking at the various animals and it’s a great place to learn about nature. Once again these places don’t have to be expensive you just need to look for them, a lot of the places just ask for a small donation or a minimal entrance fee and as we will normally take a picnic it can be a cheap day out.

If we are really stuck for something to do we are more than happy to spend the day in the garden either playing or planting things in our vegetable garden and both girls really love getting their hands dirty. Aly has always enjoyed digging in the garden and it seems Mia has also picked that up. It doesn’t seem to matter what the weather is they will happily spend hours out there and when it comes to digging up the vegetables or planting new seeds or flowers they grab their little spades and put on their wellies and head off into the garden.

Spending time with the family doesn’t have to break the bank. What do you think?

Looking at nursery furniture: the best brands to buy

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There’s no doubt that new parents have a lot to think about. When you’re trying to prepare your home – and yourselves – for the new arrival, there’s everything from sleeping bags to nappy supplies to take care of. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some of the biggest decisions are to do with the nursery itself. It’s likely that your baby will spend much of the first two years of their life in this room, so it’s important to buy smart when looking at furniture.

Just like any bedroom, the easiest place to start is the bed, or in this case, the cot. Some parents prefer bassinets in the early stages, and while these can’t be tested to the same safety standards as cots, it really comes down to personal judgement. However, if you’re looking for a reliable cot, Mamas and Papas offer some of the sturdiest options out there, and with their convertible toddler-beds, you can also buy for the long-term.

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Another essential item is the changing table. Many parents happily use a dresser with a changing mat, but if you are starting from scratch, you might want to browse the Cosatto Hogarth range. Spacious drawer and cupboard units with a sizeable changing area on top, these products are also handy for use as clothing and linen storage as they grow older.

Convenience might dictate buying a full set in one go, and plenty of family stores will cater for this, but where’s the best place to look for nursery furniture sets? Kids Line La Jobi do some well-considered wooden sets including cot, chest of drawers and separate changing table with shelving. For bulk buys, these are decent value for money and the extra storage is a big plus as well.

Kitting out a nursery is often a question of preference and individual needs. Smaller nurseries may require more multi-functional pieces, while those with a bit more space might want to look at rocking chairs and toy storage. Bear in mind that while safety is paramount, you need to make the room comfortable for you, as well as for your baby. After all, you’ll be spending nearly as much time in there as they will.

Growing Up

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I’m scared very scared.

My little girl is growing up, on paper she’s actually only 5 but I’m not so sure. This past week she’s been to her friend’s house after school for dinner and that same friend has been around ours for dinner. Now I’m sure I wasn’t that young when I started doing that.

The subject between the two of them of sleepovers has already been raised and so far we’ve put it off but it won’t be long, once again I’m sure I was about 10 before I stayed round a friend’s house.

So far not too bad I guess.

The next worry is she wanted her own phone! Now of course I asked who she would phone. Without a thought she replied her friends and of course Teddy…silly Daddy. Luckily we came to the agreement that she should be 10 before we thought about her having a phone. Now this one I am confident I was about 16 when I got a phone and it was for doing well in my exams.

How long is it going to be before the Dad’s Taxi service starts? How long before I get the 1am calls asking for her to be picked up from some club because they missed the bus?

What comes after that? Dad I’d like you to meet my boyfriend?!!!! Ah maybe I should ban boys now.

Dad can I borrow the car? May be it’s time to sell the car now.

Possibly the best thing for us as a family to do is to win the lottery and move to our own island.

Mamas & Papas research reveals new parents money worries

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Research being revealed today by nursery retailer Mamas & Papas confirms new parents in the UK are feeling the financial pressure of the recession. A significant proportion of young parents are having to use their savings, take out a loan or even borrow off their families in order to pay for day-to-day essentials. One in three new parents are concerned about how they will pay off their debts and even more worry about how they can possibly save for their children’s future. Recent research* reveals that parents-to-be put aside on average £2,547 to pay for the extra expanses that come with a new baby.

baby-basic

To support increasingly hard pressed new families, Mamas & Papas are today launching ‘Baby Basics’- a hand-picked list of all the quality essential items parents will need for those first few crucial months and beyond.**  Consisting of 21 items and at a total of £717, parents are able to get everything they need for the same price some parents would spend solely on their first push chair. Parents can be safe in the knowledge that all the products selected for the list are of a high Mamas & Papas quality – the list includes the award winning Luna push chair as well as a car seat, cot, bedding, clothes, steriliser and feeding equipment.

Key findings from the research included:

  • 28% (1 in 4) of new parents have needed to borrow money from their family to make ends meet
  • 40% of new parents say they are having to use their savings to cover the day to day essential costs
  • 20% of young families have had to take out a loan since having a baby in order to make ends meet
  • 30% of parents are worried about being able to pay off their debts since having a baby
  • Over 40% of new parents were worried about how they are going to save for their children’s future

Other research*** revealed that parents are most likely to feel under financial pressure when their children are aged under two than at any other time.  Mums and Dads of under twos are also most likely to:

  • Worry about their income and finances (56%)
  • Argue about money with their partner / family (22%)
  • See an increase in their household debts (19%)

More worryingly 27% of parents of under twos admit they’ve stopped saving as a result of having a family, while 32% have dipped into savings in order to make ends meet.

Olivia Robinson, Creative and Brand Director of Mamas & Papas and youngest daughter of David and Luisa (founders of Mamas & Papas) said: “As parents we understand that Mums and Dads worry about what they need to buy for their new baby and how much it’s going to cost. We recognise that for many parents this is a real challenge, so have used our experience to create the Mamas & Papas Baby Basics list.  Parents can be assured that when they purchase the products on the list they are getting everything they need without breaking the bank!”

Baby Basics is launching today and will be available online and through stores. Parents interested in the list should pick up the Baby Basics leaflet in stores. A Mamas & Papas expert adviser will happily help parents find all of the items they need.

* Research supplied by Aldermore Bank

**Excludes nappies / food and other disposables

**Research supplied by Aviva Insurance

Baby Basics List

Moving

  • Aton Car Seat – Black Jack – £120
  • Luna Pram/Pushchair – £159
  • Bedtime Hugs Changing Mat – £14
  • Bubble Bouncer – £19.95

Sleeping

  • Bibi Cot – £105
  • Basic Foam Mattress 200 – £35
  • 2 Cot/Bed Fitted Sheets (70x142cm) Cream – £19
  • Cellular Cot/Bed Blanket Cream – £12
  • Motorola Digital Baby Monitor MBP11 – £35
  • Bedtime Hugs Deampod 0-6 Months – £18

Clothing

  • 3 Pack All in One White – £14
  • 5 Pack Essential Socks White – £10
  • Essentials 2 Pack Mitts Cream – £4
  • Essentials 2 Pack Hats Cream – £8
  • Knitted Star Cardigan, Welcome To The World – £24
  • Essentials Velour Spot Pramsuit Cream – £32
  • 5 Pack Sleeveless Bodysuits – £10
  • Fur Booties – £8

Feeding

  • Tommee Tippee – Closer To Nature Electrical Steriliser Kit – £50
  • Muslin Squares, White – £12
  • 3 Pack Bibs – £8

TOTAL: £717