Labels

Thursday 31 May 2012

Marshmallow Crossbow review

I was asked by Mummy News to review the Marshmallow Crossbow, I was rather excited because firing marshmallows at people really appealed to me. I spent my youth in the Army cadets playing toy soldiers so I got to recapture my youth a little with a bit of target practice.


The crossbow arrived in a small box and some assembly is required, the instructions are easy to follow so I had my crossbow assembled in no time. All I had to do was attach the 2 sides and thread the string & I was ready, I placed the pack of Marshmallows that came with it in a bowl so I could get to them quickly  


To load the crossbow all you need to do is twist the red barrel anti-clockwise and pull out, then place a marshmallow into the chamber, push the red barrel back in and twist clockwise to lock. You now have 1 marshmallow successfully loaded. I lined up my victim volunteer who happens to be my brother who over the years when we was growing up managed to annoy me so I got to seek my revenge. Pull back on the knob on the crossbow until it clicks into place & take aim then pull the trigger. The marshmallow will shoot out of the crossbow & if you have good aim then it will hit your victim volunteer. When it does hit it does not hurt but be sure you are not too close when firing, it can fire up to 30 feet. The crossbow entertained the adults and children until we ran out of marshmallows & I can see us having fun with it in the garden over the summer. I had the adults in the room ducking for cover my mother in law included and the children standing with their mouths open wide shouting "shoot me mum" I can't wait to stock up on Marshmallows for our next target practice.


My target 

It is suitable for ages 6+ and is good value for money, I recommend cleaning the barrel after each use to stop it from sticking. My son who is 4 was able to hold the crossbow and fire it but needed help to set it up so a younger child could use it but would need to be supervised at all times by an adult. 








Jo Tantum Sleepytime range-Organic massage oil review


Jo Tantum's  Sleepytime range
Organic Massage Oil

At the baby show in Birmingham I came across a company that I have used in the past so stopped by to say hello and tell them how wonderful their products are, not that they don't already know that of course. I was asked to review the Organic Massage oil for them.

I have used Jo Tantums's sleepytime range for months now as part of my daughters bedtime routine & have noticed a real difference in how well she sleeps, they all have a lovely lavender smell to them, they are all 100% natural with pure, gentle oils so they are perfect for your babies delicate skin. The oil is not greasy and soaks into the skin really well, they also last ages because you only need a small amount you get your moneys worth. You can use the oil every time you massage your baby and baby massage is perfect for you to build a strong bond with your baby not only will you enjoy it so will your baby.
The sleepytime range consists of
Room Aroma
Organic Massage Oil
Hair & Body Wash
I use the whole range & if you need any sleeping tips just visit www.4little1.com/JoTantum 

I highly recommend all 3 of the products in the sleepytime range




room aroma http://www.4little1.com/sleepytime/4little1_sleepytime_room_aroma
organic massage oil http://www.4little1.com/sleepytime/4little1_sleepytime_organic_massage_oil
hair and body wash http://www.4little1.com/sleepytime/4little1_sleepytime_baby_wash_to_help_baby_sleep

I only received the Organic massage oil for the purpose of the review 

The Vintage Charm Company

Whilst at the baby show in Birmingham I came across a lovely company called The Vintage Charm Company who sell a range of gifts that are personalised with your babies hand or foot print they can even personalise it with a print of your pets paw.
All you need to do is get one one of their packs that has everything you need to take a print, you would think getting a print of a hand/foot/paw would be messy but it really ins't. Inside the pack you have 1 x magic wipe & 1 sheet of magic paper, you will need to lay the paper on a solid surface and wipe the whole of your child's hand or foot with the wipe taking care to make sure it is fully covered. You won't be able to see where you have wiped so thoroughly go over the hand or foot, if you are taking a paw print make sure the paw is clean and the hair between the pads are trimmed short so you get a good print. Once you have fully covered the hand/foot/paw place down on the magic paper for 7 seconds trying your best to keep it still and apply pressure & then lift off the paper rather than drag. You will then see the print on the paper.

Our prints 

If you do have fingers missing off the print but still have room on the paper re-wipe and reprint but if you don't have room don't worry just contact the company and they will be able to help you.


Rhian's hand after being covered by the magic wipe

the magic wipe after being used


All you then need to do is decide which gorgeous gift you want your print on you can also have the name engraved.


This is my favourite item that they sell it is so pretty


Taking the print is really easy, the instructions are simple to follow and once the print is done just wipe the hand/foot/paw with a baby wipe to clean. They would make perfect gifts for the new mum or even a mum you just want to treat.

*Disclaimer*
I received no payment for writing this post 


Sunshine - the Gallery

I love this picture of my son enjoying the sunshine, it is very rare he will actually look at the camera let alone smile for it so I was very pleased indeed to get this picture of my gorgeous boy having fun.



Sunday 27 May 2012

Summer fun on the beach



Well what glorious weather we have had, I bet I am not the only one sporting a red glowing face or shoulders this weekend. What better way to spends a sunny summers day than on the beach. We packed up the car then headed off for the day to Black Rock sands in Porthmadog, we always go to this beach because you are able to drive your car on the sand so you have everything you need right with you. We set up the wind breakers and boy did we need them, the wind was the strongest I have ever felt on the beach so they came in very handy to stop the sand blowing into our chicken sandwiches. My lovely mother in law as usual made up a gorgeous picnic which included homemade scones which were very yummy indeed.
Our little pitch set up we stayed there for 7 1/2 hours and thank god for the wind because it made being there warm rather that baking hot, but obviously this means that you can get burn't alot easier so we kept all the children covered up for most of the day and covered them in spf50+ suncream. I am allergic to suncream so I obviously went a little redder than I usually do but thanks to my olive skin it doesn't stay red for more than a few hours.
The sea was freezing but I braved it just to cool down, the kids just run around like it is tepid water and watching them just made me feel chilly. After 5 minutes in the water I either got5 use to it or lost all feeling in my legs. The kite surfers were out in force making good use of the strong winds and it looked like really good fun.


I like being pulled along 


My juice is so refreshing!


Do you like my sand castles


Running to keep cool


Cooling off
I adore this picture of him, it's not often he will allow me to take a picture of him and the spray of the water from him running just shows how much fun he was having 
Rhian does not know what to make of the wet salty liquid






Last night we was all exhausted and slept soundly after our fun day out and I can't wait for the next time we go.




We found a sharks egg case so once I have soaked it for long enough then allowed it to dry hopefully I will be able to identify what shark it came from, it did have curls on the end but the kids snapped them off.



Thursday 24 May 2012

Fun in the sun on the beach

The sun as finally appeared in Great Britain which means all the ladies will be out in force with their maxi dresses, sandals and those all important shades, the babies and children will all be wearing their brand new summer clothes and hats, the men will either be in shorts or sweating it out in suits & every spare bit of grass or beach will be filled with people enjoying the sun whilst they can because let's face it we don't know when it will end and the rain cloud decent on us once again.
I will be taking full advantage of the sun this weekend and heading off to the beach with the children, we go to a beach on the west cost of Wales because we can drive our car on it so we have everything we need right with us. I will admit that I am slightly unprepared and don't have everything I would like for a day out on the beach we have the usual beach tent and beach mats but last time we had a beach visit we made a note to buy some more wind breakers but we have forgotten to buy more 2 the two we have will have to do. I have an ever growing list of things I would like to get for our next beach trip.


My wanted Beach items


A sun protection beach parasol, our last one was bought very cheaply therefore didn't last very long so on our list would be a Shelta Fold-A-Brella UV beach umbrella and can be bought from Suntogs for just £24.95 This will allow the boys to dig in the sand but stay protected.
Image from their website


Uv sun protection suits
Now this is a tricky one because everywhere seems to sell them, I do like the look of the full sets from Suntogs & Konfidence because they both offer good protection and look really cute too.

Sun protection for my baby when in the pushchair 
The best one I have found is from a company called SnoozeShade, the SnoozeShade plus is perfect for protecting a baby in the pushchair from the suns harmful rays, it has a spf of 50+ and will allow your baby to sleep without the glare of the sunlight. They are only £29.99 and I think they are summer must have.
Image from their website


Sun Protection towel 
Your child is most at risk after they have come out of the water and their sun cream would of washed off, I normally wrap the towel around them so we can walk back from the sea to where we had parked up, the beach we go on is quite a walk from the sea to the soft sand dunes which we normally park near so in this time the suns harmful rays will be beaming down on my child and penetrating the towel onto my child's delicate skin. Cuddledry have a fantastic spf50+ poncho towel   for ages 1-3 that can be bought for £27.99 and it is the only one I have seen of it's kind, they also donate £5 of each one bought to Clic Sargent.

These items are what I wish I would be taking with me on this weekend beach trip but I was unprepared so I will slowly have to start to purchase my beach wants so the next time Great Britain basks in glorious sunshine I will be prepared.



Pet shop bowl Review

Have you ever struggled to carry that extra large bag of pet food whilst out shopping I know I have, sure it would be easier to just buy a small bag but I always buy the bigger bag because in the long run it works out cheaper. When Pet shop bowl asked me to review their website and delivery service I did wonder why I had not ever thought about looking for a pet supplies company that delivers. The website is really easy to navigate & they sell most of the animal foods I can think of, they also cater for a wide range of animals including horses.



Choosing the items you would like is really easy, you can also compare products by clicking in the compare box of the items you would like to compare then click the compare button.
Once you find something you want to order all you need to do it select the item and click add to basket, this will then be in your basket ready for you to either pay for or continue shopping.
I ordered a 15kg bag of Bakers dog food which was much cheaper than where I usually buy it from. I also bought a Clix training dumbell which was a similar price to what you can buy in pet shops. 



Creating an account on their website is really simple & only takes a few minutes & for payment they accept all Maestro, Visa, American Express, Mastercard & Paypal.

Delivery is free on orders over £19.99 at the minute some pet food meet the free delivery requirement 



Once you have placed and paid for your order you will receive an email conformation, I ordered over the bank holiday weekend & I received an email informing me that they don't deliver on bank holidays so my items would be delivered on the Tuesday making this only 2 business days for delivery. My items arrived whilst I was out via DHL and they left it with my neighbour & put a card through my letter box letting me know where they had left my parcel. 
The item was well packed and even included 2 dog treats which my dog promptly sniffed out.

From creating a count to receiving my order was quick, simple with no problems at all.

I will use them again to purchase my pet supplies

Pet shop bowl can be found on facebook & Twitter

I have not received no payment for this review just a small credit in order for me to test their website and delivery
All words and opinions are my own 


Monday 21 May 2012

Cosatto 3Sixti2 Circle Highchair Review



 I was asked by Cosatto if I wanted to review the 3Sixti2 Circle Highchair & I jumped at the chance. I first laid eyes on the 3Sixti2 Circle Highchair when I attended the Great Cosatto Cuppa & I instantly took a shine to it, I love everything about it. The 3Sixti2 Circle Highchair comes in 3 different designs, Hapi Apple, Loopi Lemon & Krayon Kitchen, I chose the Hapi Apple design even though I liked them all equally then all I had to do was wait for Mr delivery man to bring it to me. I thankfully didn't have to wait long because the next day It arrived, I opened up the box checked all the pieces & began the small task of assembling the Highchair.


All my pieces laid out ready



Firstly you need to align the arrows on the vertical leg & the base then push the vertical leg into the base until you hear a click, this is then locked. Next you will need to raise the vertical leg to it's highest by pressing on the green button on the base, align the 5 seat base holes to the vertical leg plate holes & secure using the 5 bolts. Align the backrest with the seat base & ensure the hooks securely locks to the base.



Insert the seat fixing bar 





Attach the seat cover & the 5 point safety harness adjusting the size to suit your child, then add the tray by sliding it down the arms of the highchair this can be locked into 3 different positions, then add the tray inner. The tray can be fully removed allowing you the freedom of eating together round a table or independently with the tray.

The instructions are really easy to follow 


Once your highchair is assembled you are ready to start enjoying it.

The base of the highchair is concrete filled giving it that extra stability that you need in a highchair but fear not the handy wheels will allow you to easily move it around your home. The gas-lift leg allows you to position the highchair to a height you would like, this is done by pressing on the colour coordinated button on the base. The back rest can be locked into 3 positions and the easy wipe clean padded cover means your child will be comfortable. The 5 point safety harness & the cover easily come off which enables you to easily clean them, the 2 part removable tray is easy cleaned & is dishwasher safe. The seat base has a pommel which I find brilliant because my daughter can not slip down & stays in a good seated position. The highchair seat swivels 360° which I find useful because I can easily turn it to face any direction I need at the time & its curved design means your child will be seated comfortably.  



We have managed to get the 3Sixti2 Circle highchair quite messy and with a quick wipe over it is sparkly clean again.

                                


All of Cosatto products come with a 4 year warranty giving you peace of mind.
the assembled size is H96cm W57cm D57cm & it weighs 13.2kg

Highest seat position 62cm
Lowest seat position 45cm
Highest tray position 79cm
Lowest tray position 62cm

we give the 3Sixti2 Circle Highchair 5/5 because it is perfect for our needs.

You can buy online or from a store near you


Sunday 20 May 2012

The Baby Show

This weekend I attended my 1st ever baby show & had a great time, I wish I would of had longer & a bigger budget because I came across some gorgeous products.
The Baby show takes place four times a year in Birmingham, Manchester, ExCel London & Earls Court London. It is brilliant for parents to find & try out some amazing products, some with amazing discounts all under one roof. The Birmingham show was the 1st show I had attended despite having five children, I found it very useful. I really liked talking to the many different companies & seeing the products demonstrated. If you are a parent or are expecting I highly recommend a visit to one of the shows.

So what did I buy and see! well I shall start with the free items 

At the Cuddledry stand I picked up a bloggers pack, inside the pack was information for bloggers, a lovely Cuddledry pure cotton & bamboo facecloth & sweeties, I also got a good look at the original Cuddledry bath towel, after seeing them on their website I didn't appreciate how large they actually are & how soft they feel. I think every parent should have one


This meningitis awareness pack was in my Practical Parenting pack that I bought for just £2. Being a mum who watched her daughter suffer with meningitis I was delighted to see this as a free gift in the pack. This little device could save a life of someone you love. I recommend you know the symptoms & if you can get one of these packs get one.  


I received these cute Avent dummies for free all I had to do was sign up to them which cost nothing, they also had some great discounts on their products.


Vital baby also gave me a free bottle when I signed up to them.


Mam gave out a free 130ml self sterilising bottle to those who had printed off a voucher.


Baby Mum-mum gave me 2 boxes of their organic rice biscuits to try, my daughter loves them.

I also received 2 car sun visors from obaby, who had some lovely pushchairs displayed on their stand. I like the Obaby zynergi 3tec pram, I also like the obaby zoom tandem even though I don't have 2 babies to put in it.

I stopped by the lovely Cosatto stand to take a peek at the new Giggle range, I am delighted that the Golightly design is now also being used on the Giggle range, that pram is just so beautiful & I can see why many new mums want one for their baby.                                                                        




Walking by the M&S stand this gorgeous dress instantly caught my eye & with the 20% off I just had to buy it for my daughter, not only did I get 20% off I also received these cute bibs for free.


B&G lLife casting Uk had some great offers on which I took advantage of, I plan to make a cast of my daughters foot for a gift for Fathers Day. They had a competition on where they took a mould of your child's feet & we will have to guess which cast belongs to our child's to be entered to win the feet casting in a frame worth £150, sound so easy doesn't it!


Whilst at Vital Baby stand I picked up the Unbelievabowl & 2 spare bowls


Plum offered free pouches for you to try out & had some great offers on so being a Plum user I stocked up on food for my daughter. I also bought some of the new taste adventures range so I am looking forward to seeing what Rhian makes of them, they sound quite yummy

I entered some of the competitions at the baby show and was lucky enough to win a prize from The Vintage Charm company  & spent quite some time talking to the lovely ladies on the stand.

Over the next few days I will be telling you all about the Sleepytime range by Jo Tantum, The Vintage Charm Company & B&G life casting Uk.

I would also like to say a big thank you to Baby Mum-mum & MaByland for the tickets to the show for me & my friends.

So only 103 days to go until the Baby Show opens it's doors once again, on another great show in Manchester, I hope to see you there.