#Weaning week Do's and don'ts, and food safety

When it comes to weaning there are some Do's and Don'ts rules that I live by and some are common sense others just give you food for thought I hope this helps you along with your little ones Weaning Journey.

• Do - be prepared for mess, all children make a mess its a natural part of exploring and playing, invest in plenty of bibs and if you have a carpet you don't want ruining get a plastic mat to put underneath or even a sheet it just makes cleaning up easier after.

• Do - Offer plenty of variety of food, weaning is an exciting time its like having new toys, experiment rotate flavours they will love it.

• Do make sure baby is always in an upright position when they are eating, whether it is on your knee in a seat or in the high chair they will always need to be upright this is important for digestion and swallowing.

• Do - give baby's small portions around the size of there own fist is a good measurement to go by

• Do - offer baby small bits of food from your plate so they feel like they are part of meal time it also gives them the chance to try different things.

• Do - Offer your baby a drink of water in a beaker they may only have a little sip and need guidance with it to start off with but like with everything it will get easier and they will learn how to hold it better over time.

• Don't - expect your baby to like or even swallow the first food you give them weaning is about being patient some babies will take time to get used to the change others will just love it from the off.

• Don't - rush, weaning is a slow process always give your baby plenty of time for there meals, don't be tempted to try and hurry them along.

• Don't - ever leave your baby alone at meal times, or unattended in a high chair it is dangerous.

• Don't - expect your baby to finish every piece of food you give them, like us they wont always want it all, they may feel full or they just might not like it.

• Don't - give babies foods that pose an obvious danger to them like nuts, meat with bones, honey for children under one or anything raw like shell fish.

• Don't - offer babies fatty foods, things that are high in salt, sugar or spices all of them can be damaging to your babies health.

• Don't - Ever start trying to wean your baby before four months

Food Safety

keep things clean, aways make sure you wash your hand before preparing any food. once your baby has had there food make sure you wash their dishes in warm soapy water - once your baby has reached six months you don't need to sterilise there weaning equipment, but you do still need to sterilise there bottles.

Cooking and re-heating food, always make sure your babies food is cooked thoroughly and is piping hot then leave it to cool down before serving. If you are going to give your baby meals from the freezer make sure it has been thoroughly defrosted before cooking them. A lot of baby meals can be microwaved, take care when using this method for cooking, microwaving food can leave hot spots so you need to make sure you have stirred the food properly to get rid of these then leave the meal to cool this makes sure the heat is the same throughout the meal. no matter where you are serving the meal from always make sure you check the temperature before serving it to your little one.

Check your food labels, always check the "use by" dates and or the "best before" dates. check the food you are giving to your baby is within there age group this is usually clearly displayed on the packaging or in the book if you are cooking from scratch. It is also best to check salt content as well all baby food should have less than 1g of salt, as salt is not good for young children and babies and can cause health problems.

Food storage, make sure you don't keep any opened baby jars or packets for more than 24hrs and keep them safely stored in the fridge where they will be kept fresh. If you are cooking from scratch make sure the food is properly cooled down before putting in the fridge or freezing label the food with dates and make sure it is in a dish or container that has a lid.   

Anabel Karma - baby #weaning products #Review

Annabel Karmel is an international best selling author on baby and children’s food and nutrition. She is the no.1 parenting author in the UK having sold over 4 million books up to now NUK has teamed up with Annabel to create a range of products designed to make life easier for parents, I have been sent three items to review from her range - the baby snack pot, the feeding cutlery set, and the feeding bowl.

The baby snack pot,

- Suitable for weaning

- Dishwasher safe

- Convenient size for at home or out and about

- Easy grip trainer handles

- Suitable for children from 36 months

The idea behind the snack pot is that it helps teach your little ones to eat on their own and is perfect for holding little snacks like raspberries and small pieces of fruit. The clip-on lid helps to keep food fresh, and the soft silicone fins mean the snacks won't fall out, whilst it's easy enough to reach in and grab snacks at any time.

I must admit Jack is to young for the snack pot but I took this out with me this week for Adam, he absolutely loves his fruit and the snack pot kept his strawberries and grapes fresh. He was also running round with the snack pot and it was great that when he did stop to eat something all the fruit had remained in the pot and he could just pop his hand in when he wanted something the pot itself is really easy to clean, lightweight, big enough to fill a small appetite but small enough to leave room in your bag for all the other things you need to carry about with you.


The Feeding bowl with lids


- Feeding bowl by Annabel Karmel, perfect for the weaning stage

- Made from BPA free plastic with vented lid for microwave use

- Features a seal-tight lid & non-slip suction base

The Annabel Karmel by NUK Feeding Bowl comes with a vented lid for the microwave and a seal-tight lid for when you are out and about. The bowl also has a non-slip suction base that helps avoid messy feeding times. It is also dishwasher and freezer safe and BPA free.

The bowl is a really good size I really like the different lid ideas but it could be easy to mix if you are out and about so just be careful which one you are using or you could end up with a bag full of food! The suction grip on the bottom isnt that strong however little ones grips are not either. This is the perfect bowl to carry about in the changing bag with you as its not to big and it is easy to clean if you are somewhere you can only give it a quick rinse.

Cutlery set

- Suitable for weaning

- Anti-slip handles and rounded edges for extra safety

-  Dishwasher safe

- The Feeding Spoons are suitable for children from 6 months. The mini cutlery are suitable for children from    8 months.

The Annabel Karmel by NUK Cutlery Set includes two feeding spoons which have especially long handles, making them ideal for tall jars, as well as a mini fork and spoon for when your little one is ready to start feeding themselves. The feeding spoon is particularly well-suited to your little one's mouth, with round edges for added safety. 

This is my favorite products out of the three I love that the two spoons have extra long handles not only for the fact they save mess when you have taller jars to get into but they also save your back when your reaching over the high chair to feed your baby, I find the grips on the cutlery make them really easy to use the set has definitely been designed with both mum and baby in mind.

All three items are very reasonable in price, they are all priced at £5.99 they are available to buy from a lot of high street stores and are also available online at Amazon and www.Nuk.co.uk

 I was sent these lovely weaning products for the purpose of this review all oppinions reamain honesr and my own.

Mummy there is a monster under my bed!

I never thought In a million years that Liam would be the type of child to say there is a monster under his bed but the last three nights after giving the boys there bath I turn the light off I hear "Mummy mummy" it gets louder "Mummy Mummy" and every night the same thing from Liam "mummy there is a monster under my bed" Luckily a while ago I bought him a chuggington Torch, so I get him out of bed, we shine the light under the bed and I show him and tell him there is no such thing.
Imagination or Anxiety in the bravest children Can be really common and be a really real fear for them, I mean we all know there is no such thing as a monster but the fear for a child whom doesn't know that monsters are not really can be really frightening.

Starting to have fears at three and above is a sign that Liam is going through a new development stage,  Children at this age are not able tell the difference between real and pretend. In addition, preschool age (3-6) children are learning there are real things in their world that can hurt them.

With Liam spending time at school, He of course is joining in with lots of different role playing and pretend play learning about dragons, cops and robbers, monsters I think it is difficult to turn this sort of imagination off when he comes home and he is trying to settle down for bed. It is important to remember as a parent that this sort of fear is not going to go away over night it will end when they move into a different stage of development. There are a few things we can do as parents to try and alleviate this fear from them.

• Try and keep the evenings peaceful if possible

• Stick to a good bedtime routine

• If you read a bedtime story make sure it has no monsters or scary characters in it

• reassure you child that monsters do not exist

• Make sure if they have a comforter like a teddy or a blanket it is nearby

• buy a night light or give them a torch they can use if they get frightened in the night

• leave the bedroom door slightly open it makes them feel closer to mummy or daddy

• You could maybe even try a home made spray/ monster mist to spray under the bed  maybe add a little lavender to it so they become relaxed

This stage wont last forever as with all phases and stages children go through. Its important to remember though this fear to children is really real, so to try and ensure children settle at night time make things as comfortable as possible for them. See what works for them and support them as necessary.

What were your fears as a child or what are you frightened of now? also can you think of anything that would help ease a bedtime routine? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Bath time fun: Cussons mum & me Little Explorers range #review

Bath time is always a fun time for myself and the boys. We always welcome anything new into it, whether it is new songs, plastic boats, an empty shampoo bottle or new products.
So when Cussons asked me if myself and the boys would like to review there Little Explorers range we jumped at the chance.

Cussons mum & me are famous for there new born range and mum to be range of products, I am a mum that usually knows most brands that are about as I like to try lots of different things so I was surprised that I had not seen this range before.

In the range there is

• Super soft squidgy soap 200ml  (squidge) £2.49
• happy splashy hair & body wash 300ml (splash) £2.49
• funky fizz bath crackles 30g (fizz) £1
• mega mild bubble bath 500ml (Blip) 2.99

When the products arrived the packaging looks great its neutral so it suits both sexes yet is bright and looks great fun. Each individual product has its own character name which I thought was a great Idea.

The Little Explorers range are all hypoallergenic and dermatologist approved which is something that is always great to see with lots of children's skin being quite sensitive.

Tonight we started off our bath adventure with the funky fizz bath crackles, I had already told Liam that we can got some new things to try and he was very enthusiastic and excited. So what are the bath crackles? They are like tiny crystals and do what they say they fizz and crackle as you pour them into the water. They turn the water a blue/green colour Liam watched fascinated by them and said

 "mummy its magic"

Liam watching in awe as the fizz was poured into the bath and Adam trying to get his hand into the packet

  

The fizz turning the water blue

It really was magic in there eyes, they thought it was great fun. Adam was trying to get his hand in the packet as I don't think mummy was pouring them into the bath just quite quick enough for him!

Next we tried the mega mild bubble bath,

This is what it says it is, its mega mild it did not irritate the boys skin and there were no tears when Adam rubbed all the bubbles into his eyes, I loved the smell it is not an overpowering smell but it was a fresh and clean one, the bottle is a generous size which is always a plus.

 

 

mega mild bubble bath

playing with the bubbles before he had had his face washed!

I wish there was smell-o vision as it it smells divine.

The boys liked this but it was not as exciting as the funky fizz bath crackle.

next up was the happy splashy hair and body wash

 

Another good sized product, again this was very mild no tears when they got any in there eyes and it smells lovely. I do not think the boys were that impressed, although they don't cry at having there hair washed, I don't think they find it that fun, so nothing to do with the product Its all about the fun I guess having your hair washed just isn't that fun for children.

 smiles no tears when having his hair washed

Last but by no means least, the super soft squidgy soap,

This is another good sized product, it has not really got a smell to it and the soap is really mild, However this was the biggest hit of all with the boys, They loved soap that comes out of the tin is a soft squidgy like mousse type stuff that you can mold into different shapes, animals and cars I am told by Liam. They were laughing and giggling when it was spraying out of the tin, this wasn't chore wash time this was go mad in the bath playtime they were so excited about it!

I have to say in the end I had to tell them it was all finished otherwise the whole bottle of the mousse would have ended up in the bath. 

 soft squidgy soap spraying everywhere

                                      

Asking for more! 

 

Adam was fascinated he loved it!

Over all I thought the Little Explorer products were great, I love that they have character names it adds a little story to the bath range and makes it more exciting.

I would say the little explorers bath range are a better quality than some of the other children's bath ranges that are on the market so deserve to be at the higher end with their price tag, The boys absolutely loved them and the range definitely stands up to its slogan

"there is nothing routine about bath time"

The favourite in first place was the squidgy soap, closely followed by the fizz bath crackles It was fun, fun, fun the trouble was the boys didn't want to get out of the bath.

Would I buy these products? honestly yes I would. I think It will cost me a fortune in squidgy bath soap as the boys think they need to use the whole tin in one bath, however its worth it to see them laughing giggling and having so much fun. 

The Little Explorer range are fantastic products that have certainly made bath time less stressful no fighting over toys there is enough squidgy soap for everyone.

  

To find out more about the Cussons Little Explorers range of products see HERE

These products were sent to me for the purpose of this review all opinions expressed are honest and my own 

Bedtime story with a difference Chocolapps for iOS devices, #review

As you all know in our house, our bedtime routine ends with a story, usually one that I make up or that Liam picks from his book shelf. I like to think of myself as quite a traditional mum and I am not usually overly enthusiastic about children having technology, but tonight we have done things a little bit differently.

So I am Introducing to you 

 

As I said I am not usually overly enthusiastic on the boys being involved in to much technology, so tonight I was quite sceptical about what the boys would think of being read a story from an app on a device. 

We were sent Hansel and Gretal and Little red riding hood in story's to review.

I have to say I was very surprised the boys absolutely loved the stories they were fixated on the screen, I have never seen such a quiet bed time, they laughed and giggled at the wolf from red riding hood. The story's much to my amazement are really educational, entertaining and all round excellent. You can either be read the book by the app, watching the digital images or you can turn over to the text so the child can read the story for themselves. The child can also press on any word and the app will tell them what the word says, so it helps with reading skills. It would also be beneficial if you had a child that was learning another language as you can switch between different languages at the touch of a button.

Let me tell you more about Chocolapps, they are a phone app developer that have been publishing children's interactive apps for three years. Their apps are made to help children to develop themselves in an interactive and funny way. They are aimed at children between the ages of 3-12 years old.

They have over 30 different application's available which are divided into three different categories,

• The Kid-eBooks such as Peter Pan, Robin Hood, Pinocchio and lots of other classic favorites
• The Kid-eLearns, the human body, from earth to space & kid-ecook
• The Kid-eGames, 7 differences, Puzzle and Hide & Seek 

All the apps are available in 7 different languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch) and board features support reading and comprehension. 

In France, these tools are processed, validated and optimized by teachers and organizations working on the acquisition and operation of the language.

I was sent four of the apps to review the two story books that I have mentioned above in which the boys loved and a further two.

The human body (kid-eLearns)


This is an app aimed towards older children, it has numerous different sections to the app from the immune system, bones, right down to reproduction. Tom the lion professor will talk you through different sections, for instance if you click on the woman's stomach when the image shows you pregnancy, it will show you how the stomach grows and it speaks to tell you the different parts of the body. The app is accurate and makes learning great fun.

  

Tom, the lion professor will talk you through the different sections.

7 Differences (Kids-eGames)


This app is great fun for all ages, even adults like myself enjoy it, the game helps to increase children's development in different skills through counting, remembering where missing items are and memory through the memory game. The app also teaches them to be patient and to concentrate as you have to look very carefully to spot the differences.

  

 

 spot seven differences three different styles of memory games in one app

I thought all four of the apps were excellent, my favorite's over all were the children's story apps, I would have never thought of downloading story's by apps but it is definitely worth doing it as children love them. I also love that they are all classic story's that you will never tire of.

To find out more about Chocolapps you can visit their website Here

I was sent the Chocolapps apps free of charge for the purpose of this review but all opinions are my own and are honest

Bedtime routine where does it all go wrong!

From when both Liam & Adam were born they have both had a great bedtime routine that has slowly adapted to what it is now it all starts from around teatime.
We sit down as a three and always eat our tea together which usually involves lots of telling Liam to sit back down and the table and asking him to try something that is on his plate which normally ends with him going without tea every night! After this I find myself running the hoover over the living room frantically scrubbing the high chair the little table and the carpet before heading upstairs for a bath, or trying to anyway.
As soon as i say its bath time its like I have unleashed animals Liam goes one way and Adam goes the other, there laughing and giggling to each other who can run the fastest or hide the longest from mummy. Once they have been herded up the stairs instead of going into there own room which might I add is at the top of the stairs they make a run for it straight into my room stripping the bed, jumping and pushing and climbing in the wardrobes, All whilst I am trying to sort out towels and nightwear, as quickly as I can, its a race to see if I can get all there things together before they completely obliterate the upstairs. It usually ends with mummy winning and making them pick up the majority of things before they get into the bath which seems to take them forever. I don't understand how children can destroy a room in five minutes but the clear up can take as long as half an hour.

They are both quite willing to get undressed and to get into the bath I never have a problem with that. When there in the bath its always the same I wash both of there hairs,  wash there body and then brush there teeth always in that order and they are both really good no tears whilst I am doing any of the tasks, however by the time we have finished the bathroom does happen to look like a huge storm has passed though leaving masses of water every where including leaving me looking like I could have done with investing in an umbrella. They never want to get out of the bath but as the last few weeks have gone by my theory is the best way to get them to do what you want is through play, so this is how I do it I usually say whats that noise and make a whooshing sound like the wind and say quick a storm is coming, at which point i usually have the boys full attention there scrambling to get out of the bath and to get there towels usually Liam is saying brrr its cold we need to get away from the storm. I don't actually know how long this story telling will last or will help me to get them out of the bath but for now it seems to work and they get out with out crying or without wanting to get back in.

After there bath the fights start again both of them just want to run round with no clothes on causing mischief and mayhem, I am saying come and get dressed and they are both seeing which one can curl up the furthest under the cot or bed so that mummy cant reach them they think its highly amusing. Once they are in there night clothes its time to get into bed and a story, they love story's just lately none of the books we have are good enough so mummy makes them up usually about dragons, snakes or firemen whatever Liam's request is for anything that has loud noises or things that he likes. After the story I tell them I will be back in a moment as I make them a bottle of milk each and take it up for them to drink in bed. I say good night to them both and tell them I love them and then there is silence........
Every night I come down take a deep breath and turn the television over, as it is still usually singing the end of the CBeebies bedtime hour, but the deep breath only last for around ten minute before I hear little feet totting across the landing and down the stairs.
"I have tummy ache mummy There is a dragon on my roof the fire engines keeping me awake" my personal favourite "my bed is boring"
You name it that boy has an excuse or reason for everything and especially of why he shouldn't stay in his bed, Adam is usually singing at the top of his voice and shouting or trying to do head stands in his cot.
I think there bedtime routine is great we do the same every night I am just not sure where it all goes wrong? You see it does not generally go quiet upstairs until around ten o'clock when in actual fact the boys should have been asleep and quiet by seven thirty. Instead it finishes up with me running up and down the stairs putting Liam back into bed, turning the lights off, picking toys up and putting the bedding back in the cot It makes me tired thinking about it! With the best will in the world my routine turns into a shambles once there bottles have been drank!
So how do you get your children to stay in bed? or is it just a battle of wills like it is in my house I would love to hear your thoughts.