In the spot light Mums in business Association

Today I am going to be do something new on the blog interviewing the lovely Estelle from mums in business association, which is taking the world by storm with her brand new concept for supporting mums across the world with small businesses in just 14 weeks they have managed to already get together 14k women from around the globe to share their problems network and support one another to help grow there businesses, we are going to be talking about how Estelle got started and how mums in business can help you?




1) Tell me a bit about your background?

Estelle - I'm a mummy to 2 boys, Jed whos 9 and Obi who is 6. For the last 18 months, I have been running my wedding photography business full time as well as launching Mums in Business alongside my amazing sister Leona.
Leona - I'm a mum of 5, female entrepreneur & kick ass empowerment coach.

2) For those who don't know what mums in business is can you tell us what it's all about?

Mums in business Association is a place where women can come for training support and to network with other women in similar situations. We offer video training in the group as well as guest experts, world famous inspirational women and lots lots more...oh, did we mention we are also running a retreat?

3) How did the idea come for mums in business come about?

We had lots of conversations about how we felt as mums in business. We felt that there was nothing that catered for everything all in one place. There were places you could go to for business advice or help being a mum...but nothing that ticked all the boxes. If we felt like this, we were positive other women felt like this too. And so MIBA was born!

4) Does your business have a stated mission statement, what do you feel the reason that mums in business exist?

Our mission statement is It's not a dream, it's a plan. I think that is quite self-explanatory. There is nothing that you cannot achieve willpower, determination and wine lol

5) How did you get the background and skills necessary to run this type of business?

Being mums who run business ourselves we felt that we had a wealth of knowledge already.

6) What are the advantages of this form of business ownership?

We love that we are inspiring and supporting so many other amazing women. We get messages on a daily basis from our tribe telling us how we are changing peoples lives and how much our support is valued.

7) how do you juggle your own business, family, and running mums in business association

Organisation is the key. Time management is crucial. We both have extremely busy lives and find it much easier to manage by allowing set time for everything. We set ourselves to do lists and schedules on a daily and weekly basis. I ( Estelle ) love being organised, especially using my Asana boards...Leona, on the other hand, is more laid back and laughs at how anal I am about list writing. We are a perfect mix of crazy to get by!

8) If a mum was really struggling what help would you offer them?

Well this is quite an open question but We would like to think there is nothing that we cannot help with; and if we cant help, we can pretty much guarantee that one of our amazing 15K tribe will step up!

9) How can people contact you?

We are on facebook, Mums in Business Association, this is a closed group, you have to be approved. We are also on Instagram @mumsinbusinessassociation and we have lots of information on upcoming network events, training, guest speakers and the retreat on the website www.mumsinbusinessassociation.com

10 ) Where do you see yourself with mums in business association this time next year?

World domination! We want to have inspired hundreds of thousands of more women into reaching for their dreams.

I also asked some bloggers that had there own businesses if they would like to ask some questions and here they are;

1) Pete Chatfield from www.householdmoneysaving.com

Why mums and not dads?

We are mums ourselves and so can relate. There is no point trying to pretend we know how men work...we don't! lol

2) Christy Bruckner from www.welshmum.co.uk,

Do you think self-employed mums struggle to be recognized and respected as genuine businesswomen and how can that be changed?

Yes and this is why we created MIBA...power in numbers. We all support each other and help to build not only businesses but women's confidence at the same time.

3) Katie Brinkworth from www.livinglifeourway.com

What tips do you have for mums like myself who are just starting their own business and struggling to get it off the ground?

Don't give up and ask for help when you need it. MIBA is a great place for women to ask questions in a safe environment where they will not be judged. All of our members are at different points in their journey...don't compare yourself!

4) Kate Elizabeth Redfern from www.fivelittlestars.com

I'd love some time management tips for mums working from home. Kate

Schedule and plan plan plan!!

5) Victoria Glass from thegrowingmum.com

Any tips on how to cope with having a business and working full time as an employee?

Set times for when you will work on certain things. But most importantly make sure you are taking time out for yourself and your family!

If you would like to find out more about Mums in Business Association you can visit there Website Here

Tommorrow night 31st October 2017 at 21.00 GMT Mums in business association is attempting a world record attempt to take part all you have to do is post a picture of yourself holding up a sign saying Proud to be MIB and use the hashtag #MIBAVIP  there will also be lots of prizes up for grabs so why not get involved!! 

12 types of men you will meet on a dating site

I'm a single mum sometimes the nights are lonely - I'm not gonna lie its so quiet sometimes even the sound of my own voice makes me jump and the boredom ugh so joining a dating site or two seemed the right thing to do in this day an age its all about being a bit tech savvy and there is nothing wrong with window shopping! don't get me wrong I wasn't really looking for a relationship or anything heavy but having different people to talk to makes the night go quicker and you never know do you, I could meet prince charming if he actually exists or I could just meet more of the 12 types of men I have found so far (hopefully there is no more)!

1. The Copy and paste man - When you read his first message you will think wow what a nice guy and after re-reading his message you will realise its perfect with no errors, however somehow it wont sit right, in some stupid way they will make a mistake like saying you have beautiful blue eyes when actually you don't even have blue eyes and that's when you realise they have copied and pasted the message to half a dozen women .... hmmm not as spacial as I thought I was.
2. The cheese Monster - This will be the man that uses every cheesy chat up line going - he might say something like, are your legs tired because you have been running around my mind all night, it doesn't get much cheesier than this guy, definitely time to move on swiftly!
3. Romeo - This man will make you feel like you are the only woman to have walked the planet, you will feel amazing and beautiful - the trouble is as soon as he has got you eating out of the palm of his hand he will already be talking to his next victim.
4. The sex mad - This will be the man that sends you the horrible messages you can barely bring yourself to read or worse he will send you a picture of his male bits, well lets face it all he wants is one thing sex, yuck, wrong wrong wrong! 
5. The cocky one - This is the man with the great body, that you cant take your eyes off you read down his profile and see he has a fantastic career, the trouble is his personality stinks all he wants to talk about is himself......... yawn
6. Mr try to hard - He will agree with everything you say, and be so grateful you started talking to him, he will probably constantly remind you of how much you have in common - but its just annoying 
7. The Comedian - This man will have you crying with laughter from the moment you speak to him, everything you say he will have a quick witted response - you may finding yourself intrigued for a few days then the jokes just get down right boring and repetitive!
8. The I'm already in a relationship man - These are the ones you need to watch out for the most, they will be normal, always have time for you say the right things but after some digging things will start to not to add up in there lives, I think as a woman we have a sixth sense for these shady dudes. 
9. The Nerd and shy - This is the guy that is unfortunate in looks or is trying to express themselves by making them self look different to everyone else in the hope that someone will except them for who they are - this man will be the type that will always be confused about what he wants = he is confused to be honest so am I!
10. The Sugar Daddy - He will still be young at heart things he is 50 going on 20 he will ignore the restrictions on age limits on your profile and when you say the age gap is to big he will always reply with "oh but age is only a number" Or "its only 100 years" really guys some people like older men but the age restriction is there for a reason. 
11. The Worker and traveller - This man's profile will have a thousand photos of him skydiving travelling in a helicopter and in the desert. He will rarely say no to hard work, overtime, travelling, and lead a tedious life. They always prefer their work commitments over their relationships with females. except of course there mum who they still live with and is probably the only relationship they have ever had - honestly beware.
12. The Life long partner - This is lets face it going to be herder than I thought and the chances are slim however whether it is online dating or face to face dating relationships of any sort are always going to be complicated.      

Sorry if the offends the males out there but unfortunately I’m only experienced in terms of men. If you’re a man and you want to know about how women are, I think these are all probably somewhat similar although you may be able to place a few more categories. Wish me luck on my quest!!

How have you found online dating? Would you ever take it up? I would love to hear your thoughts?

  

End of Summer Party with Sway Pr

As summer is drawing to a close and autumn is well on its way I was invited to attend one last party held by Sway Pr. The party was in London at the very grand theatre royal with its high ceilings and lots of character it was the perfect place for an end of season event. The event was a chance to get to meet some other bloggers and and some of the clients/brands Sway Pr are are working with and what a lovely, friendly bunch of people they were too.

I had a lovely time getting to talk to some brands about there products the first brand I met were the fabulous Mia Tui, they had brought along some lovely samples of there changing bags there were all different sizes and types for different occasions - if you haven't heard of Mia Tui let me tell you a bit more about them they were designed by a mum for mums. The bags itself was designed out of necessity as there wasn't a bag on the market at that time which had in mind a busy mums lifestyle. In 2010 the first Amelie bag was born and now there is quite a few bags in the Mia Tui range, with an eye for fashion the Mia Tui team keep the range on trend they release seasonal colour ranges and new styles for women and men. They really take pride in there products they are high quality functional bags - with something for all occasions.

In the goody bag from the sway pr event we were all lucky enough to receive the Mia Tui Lottie cross body bag, this is the smallest bag in the range, its the perfect size for essentials like your purse, mobile phone and keys - its one of those grab and go sort of bags that is ideal for school runs or popping to the shops. The bag features an adjustable shoulder strap, on the inside there is a key clip to stop you from loosing them, there is a pocket especially designed to pop your mobile phone in and also some pen pockets so that everything is well organised the interior is bright pink so everything in the bag can be seen and your not rummaging around for anything - its a really lovely high quality designed bag I would definitely recommend having a look at the Mia Tui range they are fantastic bags with mums in mind.

Alongside the Mia Tui range there was also Bohn swimwear showcasing there fab range of swimwear available for women sizes 6 to 18 these were all lovely quality, there was also the WishaGift team this is a new website aimed at saving gifts for birthdays and Christmas to reduce getting numerous or identical gifts from people that you don't actually want. There was also skin care products from Love Boo - which is a purely natural product we were very lucky to get a small sample of the super stretchy miracle oil that Say's so long to stretch marks - it smells Divine.





Another product that was show cased was the Mutimac car seat, I have never actually seen anything like this before it really is a fantastic idea it immediately caught my eye. The Mutltimac was voted best child seat with money being no object by what car magazine - The Multi -Mac is a new concept in child car seat safety, allowing up to four children age 0-12 to travel comfortably in the back of a five seater vehicle, it means no more having all different seats in the back of the car or struggling over seats to get children in the car, the seat is all attached together so it makes travelling so much easier and it is one of the safest ways for children and infants to travel today.



Last but not least, probably the product that stood out the most for me. Which was from the Dinky Dragon team with their product the i-Angel - never heard of the I-angel, let me tell you about it it is a baby carrier - but not just any baby carrier it comes with a bun bag type seat attached to it, called the hip seat, the hip seat element means that the i-angel offers users comfortable weight distribution meaning babies and children can be carried for a longer period of time, resulting in happier children it also helps with that bonding in the early days.

The I-angel can be used with children aged from 0 - 3 years and is a 3 in 1 carrier, the i-angel hip seat Carrier is a baby carrier, hip seat and toddler back pack all in one. it can be worn in a number of different positions, including baby facing in and out, front and back. the i-angel's very lovely and unique design allows for the carrier to be adapted from a hip seat baby carrier to hip seat which can carry a toddler up to the age of three.

I tried the I-angel on at the sway pr event with a baby dummy that was quite heavy and stood with the i-angel on for a good 20 minutes and didn't feel any sort of strain at all on my back or pelvis, the shoulder straps are well padded for extra support and comfort, it is made from 100% cotton with detachable organic cotton teething pads, I loved the design and colours it also had a cute little hood with ears to protect baby from the sun or rain.


you can purchase the i-angel at John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe and online at dinkydragon.co.uk

There was one other special guest at the event, Imogen Thomas but unfortunately I missed the opportunity to meet her and ask her some question. but we had a great time and met some lovely people so thanks for a lovely afternoon Sway Pr it was great and fantastic to meet you all!

What do you think of the products mentioned? do have a favorite I would love to hear you thoughts.

        
  

Things I wish I had known before becoming mum

When I think back five years ago to having my first baby Liam, whilst I was pregnant I think I was completely in denial about the harsh reality that was about to change our lives, no one can prepare you for the chaos that bringing a baby home will bring, whether it is your first baby or third they turn a household into mayhem even though all the do is eat sleep and poop!

I remember at the time of being pregnant with Liam, I had friends that had just had babies, I remember them moaning about sleep deprivation, there boobs hurt, how horrible the birth was, there baby was teething and how it was difficult to find a spare moment to themselves never mind having a shower uninterrupted!

I actually thought none of this was ever going to apply to me, I was going to be organised... the perfect mother with the perfect baby that was an angel.

After over a week in hospital an emergency C-section and three days at home with a baby that cried a lot the alarming realisation set in I was very wrong.

There are so many things that I would now do differently and I do, do some differently with my third born but even still now its a huge learning curve, but from the first year of there life, these are the things I wish I knew before becoming a mum. 

• Waking up at 7am is considered a lay in.

• There are days when you will miss being at work because its easier.

• "Me time" is a phrase that is mainly used if you actually make it to the toilet do your business and get out alone.  

• The terms Holiday, feeling ill, bank holiday or Weekend no longer apply to you.

• Take A photo everyday no one tells you how fast the time goes by.

• It doesn't matter how good your baby is it will always take it will always make other relationships difficult.

• It doesn't matter how often you you have been up through the night or how grumpy, tearful or naughty your child has been your partner working full time will always insist he is more tired than you. 

• No Matter how much Ironing you do the pile never seems any smaller.

• You will have the washing machine on everyday!

• Babies really don't do much in there first six months.

• Don't spend huge amounts of money on them while they are a baby........they will definitely prefer a card bored box.

• "sleep is for the weak" this is not true, the actual sleep deprivation that new babies and children bring is actual torture.

• There is no other job in the world you can work 24 hours in a day and realise that one smile from your little bundle makes it all worth while, children are rewarding and an adventure every day.

Can you think of any more to ideas? what would you would add? 

#Mum's stop feeling guilty

Picture the scene - I am wondering up and down the isles, in a well known clothes store when a pretty floral top catches my eye, I look through the sizes, "Yes" they have my size feeling the soft material, I pick it up spin it round on the coat hanger, taking in every angle of it, then I pull the coat hanger up to my chin holding the top against myself looking in the mirror across the store - its lovely - then comes that moment, my brain is working overtime "the boys need new shoes, coats, underwear, toys..... Everything, before my brain has caught up the top is back on the stand with the others and I am briskly walking out of the shop without so much as looking back.

I am sure every mum has been here at some point or another, its guilt, why we as mothers do this to our selves I have absolutely no idea, did the boys need new things? (probably not) but the guilt doesn't just stop there, on a daily basis I am wracked with guilt, questions to myself like have I told them off to much? did they eat enough food? Are there uniforms ironed properly? did I leave the baby to cry for too long? are they warm enough? are they too cold? have they gone bed to late/early?, The list is endless.

Then there are the rare occasions you get asked to go out for the evening or day you have it all planned in your head what you are wearing, who is going to look after the children, how long it will take you to get them ready, before you have to get yourself ready .....and there is that damned voice again................ what if the kids get poorly? What if they wont go to sleep? what if they somehow escape from the house? or aliens take them, its ridiculous isn't it! but by the end of the conversation with your self in your head the moment of planning has gone, you have yet again resigned yourself to yet another night in front of the TV, mum Guilt has got the best of us again.

I don't know about you? but part of the battle most days is just making it through the day to bed time with perhaps no major meltdowns, telling myself over and over, you know I really am doing OK, and then there is the other part of me that is shouting "YOU CAN DO BETTER",  You are a shit mum and why you thought you could cope with three children I don't know.

So why do we beat ourselves up so much? I blame lots of factors the older generation for always telling us "we never had anyone to look after our children for us you just had to get on with it" and then there are the perfect mums at school they're are the ones that strut into school every looking like they are a model, perfect hair, perfect makeup, kids that look like angels, then there is social media baking mums, crafting mums, mums that post pictures and "proud stories" not that there is anything wrong with this we all love our children and of course when they do something good we want to share it with the world, its almost like saying HA see I am doing something right as a mum/mother but in reality other mums will feel like they have to keep up. there is always something that makes you compare yourself and feel insignificant.

Do you know what to all the Mums/Mothers Out their,

STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP

I had a bit of a "light bulb" moment today, It was Liam's sports day, after there was a raffle and refreshments, I of course bought a couple of raffle tickets it goes towards the school fund and we won in fact we won twice, they had toys, books, gift vouchers for play days out  then there was adult things wine, perfume and gift sets etc for the adults. I gave the first ticket winning ticket to Liam and told him to go and pick something, which he did, he came back with a bottle of wine for me, I could have cried, he actually put me before himself and then there was the second ticket, that I gave to Adam thinking he would definitely pick something for himself but he didn't he bought me back a box of lovely face creams and you know in that moment I realised the boys don't care if I have a new top or a night out, they don't care if the house isn't spotless or the washing up isn't done, they don't care if mummy's looking tired.

What they do care about, if mummy is there to pick them up when they fall, or if your there when they cry out having a bad dream in the night, after all in all children's eyes you're there mum and you are awesome, so don't be so hard on yourself, after all their was no manual written for parenting. mummy's come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and lifestyles and none of them are wrong so remember to be kind to yourself you're doing just great!     

    

Introducing my BritMums Live 2014 sponsor! Dry like Me

As you know just after Christmas I wrote a plea to ask for sponsorship to work with a brand that I could represent during one of the biggest blogging conferences that is seen across the United kingdom.

I wanted to work with a brand that I truly believe, in one that not only I believe in, but also that I was familiar with and that would be something that would be easy to fit into our lives - something I knew I would be writing about throughout the year.

I was over the moon and honered when Dry Like Me said they would love to sponsor me for BritMums live 2014. It is an absolutely fantastic brand, and one that I truly believe in, as I used there products when I was potty training Liam and My aim is that by the end of the summer Adam will be all out of Nappies too. You will be able to follow our potty training journey throughout the end of spring and summer.

Introducing my Sponsor Dry Like Me,

 

 

For anyone that isn't so familiar with Dry Like Me, let me tell you a bit about them. The brand was created by two mums,

"Jude and Diane were working mums and long-time friends who were both going through their own difficulties with toilet training their children. Unable to find a solution that suited their needs they began developing their own ideas, and that was how the whole concept of Dry Like Me was born".

The brand has had all sorts of fabulous reviews from journalists to mummy bloggers, meaning that today the brand is stocked in Asda, Tesco and Wilkinsons just to name a few so as you can see the brand is huge household favourite.

So what exactly is it? It is not a nappy nor is it a pull up, they are simply pads that you insert inside your child's underwear.  I Say Simply but when we Potty trained Liam they were a way of helping him to understand what was happening when he started to go to the toilet, with out actually being on the toilet unlike nappies or pull ups they do not soak in the wee or poo they simply buy you more time to get your child to the toilet, reinforce the feeling that they don't want to be sat in their own mess and save you as a parent getting through copious amounts of washing every day.

The Pads are really, really thin so your child wont feel like they are actually sitting on anything - so as not to confuse them and can be worn at the front of the pants for wee and the back for poo or both.

Their are different products available for different stages in your child s potty training journey - in which I will be telling you about as we start our potty training journey.

I love that Dry like me was created by mums for mums to help there children and it will help yours, it gives you more faith in a product when you know something has been created by someone who understands the trials and tribulations that potty training can bring.

I will be telling you more about both Britmums Live 2014 and Dry like Me as the year goes foward For more information now about Dry like Me - you can visit there website www.drylikeme.com follow them on Facebook and Twitter 

  

Health awareness; Nappy rash

As parents we all know how horrible it is when your baby/toddler has nappy rash, it can range from mild to severe I don't think there is anything you can do to stop your child from ever getting a nappy rash, however as parents we can try, by having the right knowledge about the causes and prevention.

Nearly all babies and toddlers will get nappy rash at least once in there early years up until they are potty trained.

Nappy rash can either be quite mild as in their is just a small area covered in a pink or red rash made up of small spots or blotches and usually with cream disappears as quickly as it has arrived.
However sometimes symptoms can be more severe these are often more advanced and cause distress and pain to a child, they can be in forms of bright red spots, dry cracked, broken skin or swellings ulcers and blister. This can sometimes spread further and move to be on their legs tummy and lower back. Also common in children is thrush.

Nappy rash is more likely to occur when,

• You have a baby that is premature
• During teething
• Your child is unwell or have recently had a vaccination
• when their changing from breast feeding to bottle feeding
• After antibiotics as this can upset there stomach and give them diarrhoea
• starting on solids or when they have cows milk for the first time

Many things can combine to the be cause of nappy rash one of the main causes is wearing a nappy for too long and here are some of the other reasons why a child might have a nappy rash.

• Sensitive skin
• soap, detergent or bubble bath
• diarrhoea
• rubbing or chafing
• baby wipes
• long contact with bodily fluids (wee & poo)

 

Simple but effective steps can prevent nappy rash occurring:

1. Probably everyone knows this, change you child's nappy frequently, keeping your child clean and dry will prevent nappy rash in the first place.
2. let your child's bottom air, we all know children love to be naked let baby's have some time on a towel with there nappy off and older children run around for a bit it lets the air circulate  around their skin
3. When your changing you child always wipe from front to back, clean the whole area thoroughly, using water or plain baby wipes and make sure its dry properly.
4. Use a barrier cream after each change
5. Avoid using talcum powder as it can role in to balls clog together causing friction. 

For a mild nappy rash you can seek advice and support from your local pharmacist or health visitor or a GP/ local health care professional whom will be able to give advice on the best treatment for your child.

You should always seek help from a health care professional if you think your child's nappy rash is getting worse and not better, or if it is accompanied by a high temperature.      

Tractor Ted DVD #Review

I discovered this fantastic brand on twitter having never heard of Tractor Ted I gave them a follow as they were giving away a DVD about Tractor Ted, given that both my boys love tractors I thought I would try and win one for them, I was lucky enough to win one!

Let me tell you about Tractor Ted, Tractor Ted came from Alexandra heard. When her children were young her Journeys were delayed by his children making her stop to watch the tractors in the fields and of course like all children they were fascinated by the tractors, so she scoured the market for some footage of real life tractors for his children and their was nothing available, so the idea of Tractor Ted was born. In so in 2005 with the help of a trusted farmer friend they launched there first DVD called "Tractorland" it was a big hit.

Now with thirteen DVDs, 7 Books, children's toys and a range of clothes they are well established Their motto is "Real life fact and Fun"

The DVD I won is called Tractor Ted, Organic farm visit, at a quick glance I did wonder if the DVD would be too old for the boys with them only being nearly two and three and a half as on the Front of the DVD it says;
"Full of Exciting Real Life farm footage narrated by Tractor Ted"
It was the real life that made me think would it be too old for them, as the boys love cartoons and I have come across some real life DVDs before that I have thought the boys would like and they have been bored within minutes.

Well I hold my hands up I was completely wrong this DVD has been on for the past six to seven nights, each night I ask the boys what they would like to watch and each night I hear the same thing Tractor Ted, they absolutely love it, quite honestly I think it is fantastic the DVD is educational, there is a wealth of quite grown up information that is all narrated by this little green tractor. The DVD also incorporates songs, fun and games into it which makes it really good. Every night I can hear Adam singing about clovers in the fields yes he is not quite two or in tune but he really loves it.


I would definitely recommend this fabulous DVD to all parents its educational fun and real to farm life and most importantly children seem to love it! I know what will be on the boys DVD list this Christmas!

To find out more about Tractor teds merchandise and adventures through books and DVDs visit there website www.tractorted.co.uk and why not give them a follow on Facebook or Twitter where you will find lots more information and fun

I wasn't asked to write this review but I have because the boys loved it so much the DVD was a prize won through a giveaway.        

School = Nightmare

Well here we are over half way through the week, School is just turning into one big nightmare. Everyday when I leave the house to pick Liam up from school I feel sick at the thought of what the teacher going to tell me today, I thought after last week he would of started to settle down but instead this week he tells me everyday
"I don't want to go to school today" and "that naughty lady tells me off"
Its really awful but all I can think is why does it have to be my child that is the naughty one? why does he have to be the one that's continuously in time out?

Liam is the child I think that is every parents worst nightmare. To have as there own and to have there children play with. He is the child that will snap your child's eye patch on there face when there a pirate, snatch there toys off them and throw them across the room, he would tip sand in there hair, and kick there sandcastles over. I shout at him to stop running away from me when were out he carries on, he runs into the road with out looking with out listening, I have to try and walk with the pushchair griping his hand tightly as hes wriggling, jiggling and crying trying to get free from my grasp, free so he can carry on causing chaos.
Other parents they stare at me and I know what there thinking, look at her she cant control her son, look at that naughty child, some tut, some roll there eyes, and others I have heard muttering under there breath.
It actually really upsets me to think that people judge me, they don't know me as a parent or my parenting skills or how I look after my boys, people see a naughty child and automatically blame it on the parents.
Is it my fault? No I don't think so I do my best to discipline both the boys, it just so happens that Liam chooses not to listen or to follow simple instructions he chooses to be spiteful to other children well to anyone really, he finds something naughty to do wherever he is.

Which brings me back to school, everyday the teacher is standing on the door like a bouncer, I am like that under-aged teenager again with no identification to get into the club, hiding my face trying not to make to much eye contact hoping today will be the day I get in or should I say that Liam has been good. Every day she gives me that disapproving look, my heart sinks I know what she is going to say before she has said it, Liam has been in time out today, Liam has been climbing on things he shouldn't today, Liam has tried to break the sandpit today, Liam wouldn't sit on the carpet today the list goes on.
Not only that Liam and his three year old friends have formed an alliance they are running around like wild animals bouncing off each others behavior like children do, they try to better one another, to be quite honest yesterday I felt quite sorry for the teacher she looked shattered I mean I struggle with one Liam I couldn't quite imagine having five or maybe six children like him in the same room!

I am really hoping that over the next week things are going to settle down. Honestly I am not sleeping at night worrying about what the next day is going to bring, or what the day is going to hold for Liam I have parents afternoon on Friday, I feel physically sick at the thought of it, but hopefully they will be able to help make suggestions of how we can work together as a team to improve things.
   

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 

Pirate costume its a pirates life for me!

Liam came home with instructions on Friday that he needed a pirates outfit for school for a
"Pirates Party"
I cant understand why schools do that? Only give you a short while to organise something. So I went in to a bit of mummy panic mode on Friday how am i going to get him a costume for Tuesday I didn't want to spend a lot as I know he will never want to wear it again so this is what I came up with.

I found an old pair of jogging bottoms of Liam's that he only wears to play in.

I cut the bottoms off both the legs of the trousers

It didn't have to be straight as most pirates are quite rugged.

Then I simply chopped them it into the frayed look

I had to make them look like he had been at sea for a month!

Now I did cheat with the rest a bit I had an old stripy t-shirt for him to wear for his top, I bought him an eye patch and I had a bandanna with a skull on from a different occasion, so all in all the outfit cost around £3 that was just for the eye patch but If I hadn't of had the bandanna I would have just used an old tea towel for the head dress.

 

The earring is just a clip on earring with a gold curtain type ring attached to it

This is the end product, not to bad to say everything he has on is what I found around the house apart from the eye patch. I wanted to draw on his face and give him a scar but he wouldn't let me. Liam being Liam, but he went to his "Pirates party" he actually kept his hat on and he has had a fabulous time and all for very little cost! I would say win win all round.

Childrens health: Free soft play sessions from Bassetts soft and chewy vitamins

For as long as I can remember Liam has been a terrible eater, so he has had different types of vitamins alongside his food. As a parent I wanted to make sure he was getting his correct daily vitamin intake.

Now I must stress that vitamins only help support a healthy lifestyle and must not be used for a substitute for a varied diet.

Liam, has so far tried a vast variety of vitamins in the forms of , capsules, drops and pastilles, However Liam's, favourite vitamins are in the form of pastilles as they look and taste like sweets. Who could blame him they are actually really tasty, but very beneficial for his health. Bassetts vitamins have kindly sent us two of their boxes of pastilles to try in two different flavours, orange and strawberry Liam likes them both. The vitamins are suitable for ages 3 plus onwards they contain vitamin A, B6, C, D and E. The vitamins are are sugar-free, with natural flavour and natural colours which every mum loves to hear.

Bassetts soft & chewy vitamins have recently carried out a survey recently asking 1000 mums there opinions on the benefits of soft play to find out why mums love these areas as much as children do.

Here are the findings;

• 70% Of the mums believed that a soft play area session burns of excessive energy.
• 60% said its a good form of exercise.
• 61% said its fun for children.
• 65% said they loved watching there children having fun.
• 40% of mums said soft play areas were a good excuse for meeting he up with friends.

The research also found

• 60% of mums found that children were more likely to eat there dinner and have a good nights sleep after one of the play sessions.
• 62% of mums said they found it improved there child's social skills.

This is why from the 1st August 2013 Bassetts soft and chewy vitamins are offering one free soft play session with every box. There are nearly two hundred fantastic soft play centres around the UK taking part in this promotion. Children can play whilst us mums have a good catch up and coffee with friends.


With the weather turning miserable again and the October half term not so far away, what a fantastic opportunity to get the kids out of the house, I know over the next couple of weeks we will be visiting our local Wacky warehouse! To run off all that excessive energy the boys have. Not only are Bassetts offering a free play session Bassetts soft & chewy vitamins offer a great choice of delicious one a day pastilles that are specially formulated for all ages and stages.

To find out more about the promotion and where your nearest play centre is visit HERE

This promotion is running across 1.2 million of Bassetts vitamins most popular packs, the vouchers are valid until 31/05/2014

I was sent this product for the purpose of this review all opinions are honest and my own