Back to school bags with Maqio Toys - Review

As we all know that time is here kids across the country are getting ready to go back to school some schools across the midlands have already gone back with the rest going back next week.

Whether it is nursery school or primary school the kids are going to there is one thing they are all going to need, school bags although most kids love a good bag even if it isn't for the school being a last-minute Lil this was one thing I hadn't actually sorted out yet so when Maqio toys asked if we would like to review some bags for them, of course, we were going to jump at the chance.

If like me you have a lot of children, your way behind on getting the school uniform sorted and you don't want to spend a lot Maqio toys have a 40% off sale on their backpacks and there not just the boring plain coloured bags either they're branded character ones that kids absolutely love.

Adam has chosen a Lego bag because like all the boys in the house they're Lego obsessed and the twins choose a shimmer and shine bag which they also love.

Quality wise I can honestly say they are great, the twins overfilled their bags with dolls and toys as soon as they got them they have been bashed about as young children do and they haven't bent or marked as the front are a hard plastic so I would think hard-wearing  and long-lasting the girls absolutely loved the sparkly glitter on the front of them.

Adam has tested his backpack out with his pack lunch in the back of it, it is the perfect size for him he is absolutely chuffed to bits he gets to wear his favourite character to school every day, I like that it has a pocket on the side for a drinks cup and it also has reflective stripes on the sides which is peace of mind for his safety as the darker nights are drawing in.

Adam and the girls are over the moon with there bags and are already showing them off to there friends and family.

If you haven't heard of Maqio toys before its definitely worth a hop over to there site not only are they offering a 40% off sale on their bags, they have also got a massive up to 80% off sale on other items. I have Adams birthday around the corner so this massive discount if definitely going to come in handy and then there is, dare I say it Christmas knocking on the door Maquio toys is definitely a great place to start getting stocked up.

*we were sent these backpacks for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own thanks maqio toys!

Back to School - Top Tips (The useful ones)

The countdown begins we are nearly there the kids are going back to school get the trumpets out, flags out, strike it off on the calendar.

I can already hear the sound of silence whilst I enjoy my tea in the morning without having to make three cups because the rest have gone cold, usually all I can hear is the screaming of he's took my toy, he's licking me, he's pulled the curtains down, he's yes breathing on me the list just goes on!

You know what else I'm actually looking forward to not having to tell the boys to put the seat down on the toilet a thousand times a day, or trying to work out each day which one of the boys Wee I have just sat in, fact

Now don't get me wrong I like any other parent love my children till the end of time, however, they have been at home too long now they miss there friends and as hard as it is to admit this, us parents just aren't enough for them.

Prepare yourself

Gosh, it's hard especially if it's your youngest child going to school or your first child or any child for that matter, honestly its alright cry but I don't know about you but my mind does crazy things when the kids are not around.

We think about how we're going to fill the void DO NOT go out and buy yourself a kitten, puppy, guinea pig or think that by procreating we can somehow make it all better, schedule in some friends, go out for lunch, have some much needed me time, paint your nails have a long bath, imagine actually having a bath without a bazillion questions and someone going for a poo at the same time sounds like bliss.
Make plans so your not spending the next seven hours concocting a master plan that could turn into a nightmarish situation.

Prepare your child

DO NOT do what I have done I have told my child everyday from last week that they're about to start school with there big brothers, only to get an e-mail from the school in actual fact they don't start school until next week, my new resolution is to find time to read all the crappy papers that the school send home instead of putting them in the very organised kitchen crap draw that I will possibly sort out sometime next year.
Your child is bound to be anxious whether they are just starting out or moving up a class reassure them and make sure you have everything they need for there first day the last thing they need is to have PE on there first day and they have to do it in there trousers cause mummy forgot to send them with there PE bag (Don't be too hard on yourself if you do forget, I hold my hands up and say I'm not always on it with PE kits)

 

Get there haircut,

I have boys of school age so I tend to keep there hair short at all times trust me you want to do this otherwise they will be coming home with nits I promise you that nit letter will be circulating the kids school bags within the first week or two of starting school - if you have girls tie it up and make sure you keep a stock of nit lotion I kid you not you will need it!

Tissues,

Always on the first day, there are some tears the kids cry. Mummas we need to stay strong fake that smile it will reassure them - then leg it to the car or home where you can have a good cry it's ok, it's normal just have those tissues at the ready.

Labels,

The feeling of dread when I think about labelling their bloody clothes honestly make sure everything is labelled twice, I am a stupid parent I should have brought the labels that you can stick inside there clothes, I always leave it until last minute and end up the night before with a biro writing on all the clothes tags, shoes and bags don't be like me be smart buy the Bloody sticky labels! in terms of school uniform I have never put much faith in my children by the end of the first week we have usually lost at least two jumpers a t-shirt and have acquired school attire that is three sizes too big for them, I wish I could get a huge marker pen and write there name straight across the front of the boy's clothes but then I'm still not convinced the boys would come home with there own things.

Make plans

It's going to be a difficult time, the kids miss you and you miss them, enjoy the time at home you have left together and make plans to do something fun at the weekend so your children and you have something to look forward to, a treat always helps to motivate them through the first week as its a tough and tiring one for little people

Back to School - Winter Cupboard essential bumps and germs Kit

Now the kids are back at school and the bad weather is taking hold, the germs slips trips and heads are banging together in force, we have already had three letters from the school advising parents to check your child's hair for those horrible little nits or should I say headlice.

To all mums make sure you have your Back to school - Winter cupboard, essential bumps and germs kit at the ready here is exactly what is in mine sent to me by Superdrug to help me show you exactly what you need and of course if I miss anything I would love to hear your comments at the end.

1. Superdrug - Detection Nit Comb RRP: £1.99, As I said as horrible as it is we have already had three letters from the school asking parents to check there children's hair for nits a nit comb always comes in handy as unfortunately these never seem to go away its a problem all schools seem to battling against.
2. Superdrug - Fix em Plasters - RRP, £2.99 How many times can a  child fall over on the way to school I think Liam racked up five times one morning on the way to school which of course ended up in grazes and ripped trousers so plasters are always good to have 
3. Superdrug- Savlon - RRP, £1.50, has a range of uses, Cuts and grazes, insect bites and stings, minor burns and stings, you can also use it for skin problems such as blisters sores and chapped skin this is an all rounder great to keep stocked up on.
4. Superdrug - Antiseptic wipes - great for cleaning up cuts and grazes and for keeping children's hands clean if you are out with all the bugs flying around prevention is key.
5. Superdrug Haliborange Mr Men Little Miss Omega3 & multivits Softie 30 - RRP £5.99  - as well as being a balanced vitamin they will also keep help to keep your child in good health so they have the vitamins to fight off all the nasty bugs that are flying around.

I would also add to this list tissues - plenty of them for those runny noses, a good chap stick, lypsil or Vaseline for all those dry lips and noses, a good carpet cleaner and sickness bowl in case the kids do have a sickness bug, its a horrible time of year and as a parent its better to be prepared with children.

You could win the chance to buy all of these useful things and more. You can stock up your winter cupboard with essentials by telling me what you would add to the list? what is you absolute essential for keeping the germs at bay let me know and you could win yourself a £25 Superdrug voucher just enter via the Rafflecopter below and good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

These winter essentials were sent to me from Superdrug for the purpose of this article all opinions expressed are honest and my own.

(Please note that all entries will be checked against comments for validation).

The first entry on the rafflecopter form to leave a comment on the post is mandatory

All other steps on the rafflecopter form are optional. 

Only one entry form per person is allowed (however, you can tweet with the bonus click entry daily or use the free entry to increase your chances).

This giveaway is for UK residents only.

Once the Rafflecopter picks a winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested and I will contact them, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person.

The giveaway will begin on the 18/09/17 and will close on 16/10/17 at midnight.

Is it chaos before the school run? - 10 tips for getting to school on time.

The kids are finally back and school, I here you... that sigh of relief - The mornings in my house were chaos for the first few days, there was one morning that was particularly bad where there was fighting, breakfast being thrown around, screaming - and me with practically no hair left at all trying to have a slurp of tea whilst wrestling toys out of there grips and trying not to stand on sticky jam that was being trodden into the carpet, it can be an absolute nightmare, as you probably already know. Well it was in that moment I decided I was not going to have another morning like that again.

I started to make a list one that was practical and something that would just make mummy things easier, as you probably already know organisation is the key, here is my list that helped my house descend into calm rather than the chaos it was.

• Have a good bedtime routine,  making sure the kids go to bed at the same time every night makes sure they are alert and awake the next day, this also makes them a lot easier to manage, also make sure you have a reasonable night sleep if your tired and grumpy the children will know and this will upset your morning.

• Get up half an hour earlier, try and get up half an hour earlier than the kids just so you can have some quiet time before the rush begins - I find it helps to have a cuppa organise lunches if they need them and just have a bit of time to breathe.

• Organise breakfast,   get breakfast ready the night before ask your child if they have different things each day what they would like and stick to it this way you only have to put milk on cereal or hot water in your cup in the mornings anything that helps save time so you are not rushing and getting in a flap.

• Prepare there lunch - If your child has a packed lunch put there bags/boxes on the side and put in any items that don't need refrigeration or things that will be alright on the side if they have school lunches make sure there dinner money is to hand.

• Make sure there school uniform is ready - There is nothing worse than going to a wardrobe and realising that they have no jumpers or that someone has been in and scrunched all there clothes up at the bottom, so make sure that everything they need is where it should be and its ironed and pressed  right down to there underwear - there have been so many times I have been searching around for some socks because what I thought was a pair actually wasn't.

• Get them to tidy there mess - There is nothing worse than having to run around taking breakfast pots out putting dirty clothes in wash baskets, get your children into a good routine so they help in the morning it all saves time especially if you have little ones you have to tend to as well. 

• Keep instructions to a minimum - I use this a lot especially as Liam struggles with instructions, children don't need to know the hows and whys, when you are getting ready in the morning, I have found that singular or two work tasks work better for example if I wanted them to get there coats I wouldn't confuse them with a sentence like get your coat while mummy does this or get your coat we are leaving soon, I simply say coats please or shoes I have found it works so much better than trying to explain the ins and outs, it can be confusing for them.  

• Paperwork and bags - Make sure school bags/book bags/P.E bags are packed the night before, they are somewhere you are not going to forget them and that all bags have been checked as children have a great way of producing a letter or reminder about something in the morning when your just about to go out the door, meaning it throws the morning back into chaos.

• Keep calm and breathe - Sometimes it doesn't matter how much time you have or how much planning you do there will be things that happen that throw the morning into chaos things you cant predict like illness etc but take a moment stay calm and rational it will keep the children calm!

• School walk tactics - Always give yourself five minutes more than you need - allow time for things that may happen like a little one tripping over - laces coming undone, coat zips getting stuck and again illness these things cant always be predicted but are things that have happened to us on numerous occasions - also try distraction things for when you are walking so they don't try to run off for example how many blue cars the can see or how many birds they can count you could even try giving them a list of things to spot on the way.

I hope this list is helpful to any mums that like me that have found the school mornings a struggle some days or even a battle of wills, I know you cant plan for every event but I hope a little bit more organisation will lead to the majority of mornings running smoothly! 

Can you think of anything I have missed? or are there any situations that regularly upset your morning run? I would love to hear your thoughts.

   

Summery of the first week at school

So after the first day of school meaning ripped trousers etc things just got worse. Day two the teacher said
 "Ohhh Liam Is quite lively hes certainly going to keep us fit",
she gave me one of those disapproving looks as if to say he is naughty. Now don't get me wrong I know he is a handful he was meant to have been referred to a behaviour specialist which was around eight months ago but were still waiting, Liam can be a really good loving little boy when he wants to be, he is so easily excitable and just does not listen to anyone you would think he had a hearing problem but its selective more than anything else.
So the third day of school they tell me he is a wriggle bum and is refusing to sit on the carpet with the other children.
the fourth day Liam refuses to put his coat on and says he is not going home.
Day five ends up with Liam in time out for continuing to not listen and running around kicking children and furniture etc.

The school has a parents evening next Friday, I am dreading going I am doing my best to try and get him to behave but Liam seems to do what he wants to do, I am not a mum that sits back and lets him do as he pleases but I really am running out of things to do to help him improve his behaviour.

On the plus side Liam and Adam have both been in bed at six thirty every evening allowing me to have peaceful nights, which is a huge improvement to me running up and down the stairs till ten o'clock some nights! oh and further to the parents evening he has on Friday they also informed us they have a pirates day on Tuesday where they have all got to dress up as a pirate and pay a pound for the privilege so a costume he needs (home made) as well I will be letting you know how I get on with this in a further post!

First day of school

Well were a little later than most but the day has finally arrived Liam started school today. The day started with him being up at crack of dawn, he was so excited running around jumping up and down not a bit nervous and if he was, he was hiding it very well, I tried to explain to him that he would not be going to school till after lunch but I do not think it registered with him, as he did keep telling me get me dressed mum and its time to go now!

I got him all ready in his school uniform, I felt like the proudest mummy in the world!

 

So we set off for school Liam running ahead in front the school is only a ten minute walk away from home, not really that far as we approached Liam was shouting "mummy mummy I can see the gates"
I did say to him now you have got to be brave mummy will pick you up later, but he wasn't in the slightest bit phased, to busy looking at the shiny building and play areas ahead of us.
If truth be told I think the be brave part was for myself I felt a little bit overwhelmed by it all. As we approached the class room the teacher was waiting out side to greet everyone Liam didn't wait for her to say hello, he did not say good bye he just ran inside and that was it, now I am glad he wasn't crying or clinging on to me like some of the children were but a kiss and a see you later would have been nice I think because I needed reassurance more than him!

The time this afternoon went by so fast, I felt like I had just sat down and it was time to go back and collect him!
When I got to the School the teacher gave me one of them looks my heart sank I thought what's he done? Turns out he had been charging around and fell over bumped and bruised his cheek so she handed me a copy of the accident form, he had also torn a hole in his trousers, his jumper was covered in red paint and his shoes have got what looks like chunks of the fronts missing from them where he has crawled all over the floor, I can see this going to school game is not going to be cheap.

However he had an amazing first day and he has absolutely loved it, he can not wait to go back again tomorrow. I still can not quite believe my baby has started school but I an enjoying every minute of watching him grow into a lovely little boy.

#Win a £25 tesco voucher #BacktoSchool week

So as another week comes to a close I still have shoes, a teacher visit and a holiday to get ready for but i thought I would end my back to school week on a high with a lovely giveaway, actually My very first giveaway hopefully there will be some more to follow!

so to celebrate the start of my blog and in keeping with my back to school theme week I am giving you the chance to win a £25 Tesco voucher to spend on back to School goodies or whatever you choose.

So for you chance to win a £25 Tesco voucher you can enter via the Rafflecopter below, the giveaway ends on Friday 13th September good luck all

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Its a nightmare!! the big school shop #BacktoSchool week

So quite happily off we went to start collecting the things we needed for School, there is a massive choice of places to buy uniforms everyone seems to be getting in on the act all the big supermarket plus all the high street stores all doing there own ranges sizes and prices.

where to start? First stop our local supermarket Tesco, at a first glance the store seemed fantastically well stocked but on looking deeper in to what we needed there were only two royal blue jumpers left in Liam's size and there was one pack of two shorts, so I snapped then up straight the way there were plenty of polo shirts and trousers so two packs of trousers and two packs of polo shirts into the basket.

I would of liked Liam to have tried them on but trying to get a three year old onto the changing rooms with a pushchair and a shopping basket is a nightmare in Itself so after picking up a few more essentials items, next stop back home for lunch. At home I tried Liam's school trousers on in size terms he has the smallest size that the supermarket make. This is a problem in that even on the tightest pull in on the adjustable waist they just fell down and the legs are far to long, so looks like the trousers will be, being returned so all we have up to now is four polo shirts, two pairs of shorts and two jumpers....
Next stop one of the cheapest leading supermarkets Aldi fantastically priced but everyone must have had the same idea as me as there stock levels were very low but i have managed to get four round neck T-shirts and a packet of black socks.

Onto Leicester city centre now first stop Matalan there stock levels were not that great in store but another two royal blue jumpers purchased there sizing is really generous so buying more trousers from here didn't seem an option.
Onwards to the next store BHS they had loads of trousers but mainly not black or in Liam's size the lady in the store was very helpful and found us one pair of black trousers i tried them on and they were a perfect fit, fantastic so I clicked onto my phone to see if i could get some more online and there were none left completely out of stock which i wasn't very happy about. So off we went again this time to marks and Spencer's although they are slightly higher in price i was hopeful they would have a lot of stock i could not see any black trousers on inspection of the back to school range, so after asking one of the store members of staff he was very helpful he managed to find me a pack of two pairs of trousers the last two pairs in store and looking on there website they have plenty of stock I could order some more to collect later in the week.
 So this is what i have managed to buy

• Two royal blue jumpers from Tesco
• Two times two polo shirts from Tesco
• Two pairs of black P.E shorts from Tesco
• Four black pairs of trousers from Tesco
• Two royal blue jumpers from Matalan
• Four round neck Tshirts from Aldi
• a Pack of socks from Aldi
• One pair of trousers from BHS
• Two pairs of trousers from Marks and Spencer plus two pairs ordered online 

I have decided that I am not going to return the trousers to Tesco as Liam will grow, but it has made me think. Are stores not stocking so much in because people are avoiding the shops and doing all there shopping Online? After looking on the all of the companies websites the majority of them have a great selection of back to School Items on line which are available for collection in store or for home delivery, with the exception of Aldi as they don't have a website that you can buy things from but it is worth keeping a close eye on there site, as it lists any promotional or seasonal items and events they have coming up in store.


Today has actually been a nightmare and Liam still has no footwear, I have a three year old that was more interested in hiding under the clothes than looking at them and a toddler that is screaming to get out of his pushchair is not my idea of fun but the shop had got to be done. so i have come up with a few tips to make it through the school shop without to much stress.

1. Compare prices Online to get the best deals
2. If you have to go shopping work out the best route so your not walking round for hours
3. Take a list you don't want to keep having to go back for items you have forgotten
4. Get you child to try things on that way you don't end up with extras
5. Add an incentive for good behaviour like an ice cream/toy or a sticker on there reward chart
6. Take a small toy or snack to keep little ones in push chairs entertained
7. Shop in store as early as you can to avoid disappointment  

 






The trousers that were too big but were getting there we are nearly ready for School.

The list #BacktoSchool Week

As i mentioned in my first post we were given a sheet of what the Liam would need for school and also what would be expected of them.

Expectations;

• All children should be able to get there selves ready for P.E

Liam cant get him self dressed he gets all muddled up and his temper flairs although with gentle encouragement he is slowly getting his pants the right way round after investing in some pants with pictures on the front and explaining that on trousers buttons or strings go at the front.

• Can go to the toilet by themselves and wash there hands after

Liam still has "accidents" and needs lots of reminding to use the toilet he also is not very good at telling me he wants to go to the toilet when were outside of home although he never has an accident out however he will hold it till hes absolutely desperate and without me taking him and making him sit he would wait till he got home. As for hand washing he washes his hands but is fascinated by the water so with out supervision would probably just stay at the sink all day long

• Children should be able to use a tissue or hankerchief properly

I actually can not say if he will do it or not because its a long time since he had a cold but hopefully he will.

What he will need to start school,

• Black trousers 
• white polo shirt
• Royal blue jumper
• white round neck T-shirts 
• Black shorts 
• P.E bag
• Plimsolls
• Black shoes with velcro
• black socks

In addition to all the above everything needs labeling they also need wellies for the colder weather coming and a waterproof jacket they also need parents to pay a fee of £10 when they first start to cover baking ingredients and messy play food items.

So this is my list looks like lots, today myself and Liam are going on a getting ready for school adventure, hopefully to get everything he needs I have written it all down as not to forget anything but we will see how the day goes along I will be back tomorrow to let you know how he has got on! wish me luck x

Whats it all About? #BacktoSchool week

What is F1?

So as I said in my previous post myself and Liam were introduced into "F1", What is "F1"?, I actually had no idea. As a parent before applying for a school place i had researched the local schools looked at there results tables and Ofsted reports, but the the rest I had no idea about, so after some more research of my own here is what i have found.
F1 actually means foundation unit, so now i knew what the F stands for, I thought it was my job as a mum to find out what Liam would actually be doing within the foundation unit.

This is what i found, the schools strive towards three prime areas;

1. communication and language
2. personal, social and emotional development
3. physical development 

With specific areas in;

1. literacy 
2. mathematics
3. understanding the world
4. expressive arts and design

Children are also taught to develop there social skills which include sharing, and working as part of a group. Every day of the week in foundation units are different and they use play to teach the children, as its a natural way for youngster to learn.

So how can I help Liam to learn? As a parent I'm sure all of us at one time or another have sang a nursery rhyme/song, read a story just by talking and listening to him, will help to develop children's confidence and communication skills.
I have also, as a mum tried to keep learning visual this helps your child to understand the world; For example when counting, count real things like the people at the bus stop or the cars that are parked on the street it help them to understand rather than just counting to ten. Children love things that are fun, so they are more likely to learn if they think its a game rather than a task or a chore.

I have also found with Liam encouraging him to put his dirty clothes in the washing basket or carry a bag when we have been shopping or even helping to dust the living room helps to encourage him to take responsibility's along with sharing and his confidence in life skills are growing.

All of this insight into school is certainly a learning curve for myself i didn't realise at three years old school was quite so complicated i thought they went to School played and came home well perhaps I wasn't quite that naive, but as a parent i think its really important to know what your child is going to be doing when they go to school so you can support and help them in any way possible.
 
I guess the word "foundation" says everything its giving them the stepping stones to progress into there own lives.  

Our experience of the School Process so far #BacktoSchool week

So here we are nearly at the end of the school holidays, not that this has ever meant anything to me before now, As Liam will be the first child I have in school. So with there only three weeks left before Liam starts his afternoon place I have decided to tell you our thoughts and feelings on the School process so far.

I am going to start off by taking you back to June, when we had our letter through the door inviting myself and Liam to a "Come and Play session", Now I know these sessions are a standard procedure across the country as a way to introduce children to the place they will be spending there next year and a chance for parents to ask any questions they might have, which in my case is usually lots. I was actually quite excited by it all, I read the letter out loud to Liam, he was just as excited bouncing around the room saying "mummy mummy I go School now" .....

So on the 4th of July i helped Liam to get ready, putting him in his best outfit like all parents you want you child to look the best they can especially when its going to meet other parents and teachers, I would hate for anyone to think hear comes the "scruffy child" or a parent for that matter I put my best casual outfit on did my makeup and hair! a proud mummy always wants to look her best.
When we got there we were all ushered through to the nursery and welcomed formally by the teacher, Into "F1" given a list of expectations and what they would need for when they are starting.
To be quite honest the rest of what was said wasn't quite heard as i was completely overwhelmed by the whole experience, There were children from both the morning and the afternoon slots, parents talking between themselves and i was handed a four page form to fill in whilst I was there not to mention an over excited three year old that was disappearing into a sea of children.


But my mind wasn't actually focused on that day at all i could think was how on earth did we get to my baby being old enough to go to school, its almost like someone has pressed a fast forward button and and time has just jumped I guess i know now that this is the beginning of his own future and having a bit more independence away from mum, he is certainly ready to go to school, I am just not sure that I am ready.