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Wednesday 26 February 2014

Could you be the one?

I am talking about being the one to save me from a weekend of tears should I not find a brilliant brand to sponsor me to attend Britmumslive 2014

Last year was so much fun


I have attended this 2 day event in London for the past two years and would love to do so again. I have learnt so much from attending Britmumslive, I love to watch my fellow bloggers step up onto the stage to receive their well deserved awards at the bibs. I always come away inspired, I want to be inspired again so if you are a brand that wants to sponsor a bonkers lovely blogger read on.

So what do you get for sponsoring me:

  • A Badge/advert on my blog for a whole year linking it to your website.
  • A post before the event introducing you as my sponsor.
  • I will wear a T-shirt with your brand/logo on (preferably two T-shirts, one for each day) .
  • Your Brand will be mentioned in every posts on the subject of BritMums live and I will be sure to mention you in the majority of my tweets whilst at the event.
  • I can review any products of yours on my blog that I can fairly review (having 5 children and a few pets helps with the range of things I review).
  • I will also add your Brand logo linked to your website on my brands I work with page.
  • I can host giveaways/competitions for your Brand on my blog
  • I will add your name & logo advertising you as my sponsor on all business cards I will give out whilst at the event and throughout the year of 2014.
I am also happy to discuss terms if there is something you would like me to do.


What do I want from you?


I will need my ticket covered which I have yet to buy, 1 night hotel stay whilst in London and my train fare from North Wales. These terms I am also happy to discuss and be flexible on.


If you think you are the brand to sponsor me please email me mummy2five@live.co.uk to discuss sponsorship further 

Britax Kidfix XP SICT Car Seat

Choosing a car seat can be difficult at times with that many on the market to choose from and all the different features leaves you wondering what is best for you and your childs needs. When I look for one I normally start with the isofix feature, I think that is why I love Britax car seats so much and have used the Britax safefix plus TT for little lady ever since she because big enough to use it. No other car seat as swayed me to swap car seats so it must be good. Having isofix means I know I can not make a mistake when fitting the car seat, it also means the car seat has minimal movement making this much safer should we have an accident.

For little T we have the Britax Kidfix XP SICT and I love it just as much as I do little ladies. This group 2-3 car seat is full of features that are designed to make it a safer car seat for your child. 
SICT
SICT stands for side impact cushion technology. This clever feature absorbs the force of a side impact before reaching your child, it is also adjustable so you can just use the side that is needed freeing up space for the person sitting in the middle seat. 


XP-PAD
XP-Pad is not a new console coming out, it sets a new safety standard, when it comes to your child you can never be too safe so this feature I also love. It takes up to 30% of crash forces away from your childs neck verses the seat belt alone. It is well padded too, little T says it is more comfortable for him using it than using just the seat belt, this means that whenever we travel he is much more comfortable.


Isofit
As I said earlier I do love isofix and isofit is not much different, isofit is for car seats that use a 3 point belt such as a seat belt and the isofix is for a car seat with the 5 point safety harness. Britax explain isofit on their website much better than I can. The installation indicators on the car seat show that you have fitted the car seat correctly, being fitted by isofit also stops the car seat from coming forward should a crash happen whilst your child is not travelling with you. If you want to use this car seat without the isofit feature you can, the isofix arms fully retract for when fitting by using the seat belt alone.

The Britax Kidfix XP SICT is forward facing only and suitable for ages 4-12 years(15kg-36kg), my 5, 9 and 12 year old all fit comfortably in it. All you need to do for children of different sizes is adjust the headrest to suit the child that is using it at the time, it is so simple to do. I love that the covers can be taken off to clean, this is a huge bonus as we often take a a packed lunch should we be travelling far. The seat cover is padded making travelling comfortable. We will be travelling 320 miles one way later on in the year for our annual holiday so knowing my son will be comfortable in his seat gives me peace of mind that the journey will be much nicer for him(I need one in adult size).



The specifications are as follows, height is 68-86cm depending on where you adjust the headrest to. Width is 54cm and the depth is 42cm, the weight is 7.2kg.

I honestly do love this car seat, would I recommend it? I already have, this car seat is the only one you will need once your child is ready to move onto this stage, little T can use this car seat till he no longer needs to travel using a car seat. As much as I love isofix I am pleased I can still use the Kidfix XP SICT in a car that is not fitted with isofix, so I really can just buy the one car seat.

Lastly the price is one you will love too, it comes with an RRP of just £165 which I think is quite a bargain considering all of its safety feature.

We were sent the car seat for the purpose of the review, all our opinions are our own as are the images used.

Monday 24 February 2014

Memory Monday 8/2014


I can't believe that only 2 weeks ago we had snow falling and now we have a blanket of Crocuses on our front lawn, they really do stand out against the green of the grass. So there you have it, from snow to Crocus in the space of two weeks for my Memory Monday.

 If you would like to join in with my Memory Monday just share your link below to this weeks post. If you would like to display my badge you can grab the code here




Saturday 22 February 2014

Stokke Xplory Review


Stokke Xplory with purple textiles on gravel with a matching purple shopping bag and purple changing bag If you follow my Facebook or Twitter you would have seen at some point me talking about my love of my Stokke Xplory, I have been using it for 9 months now and I still love it as much as I did when I first used it. I love the look of it, it certainly turns heads when we are out and about. I've had people come up to me and ask me about it, during the winter months people would come up and stroke the sheepskin on my winter kit whilst saying oh I wish I had one of these to keep me warm. From a little old man saying it looks space age whilst admiring it to the mum to be's saying it is their pram of choice, everyone has an opinion on my beautiful Stokke Xplory.  The most common comment would always be about the height of the seat, for me it is one of its best features. Little lady can see pretty much everything I can see no matter where we are. 
Anthracite winter kit with red textiles and red split leg footmuffWe visited the zoo on a rather cold day and she could clearly see all the animals whilst staying snug in her foot muff, no need to get her in and out constantly. It makes trips to the zoo on cold days much more enjoyable. Another thing she likes to do is press the buttons on the zebra crossing or lifts, she can easily reach without having to stretch, I just have to remember to keep her hands clear of the lift alarm because she loves to press that one too. Being able to interact with my child is excellent, she is at the perfect height to interact with me when in parent facing, she seems much happier being higher too. 
I love that I have lots of choice with this pushchair, if I fancy a different colour I can. The textile kits come in a wide choice of colours to suit everyone's taste. I've had purple and red so far, both are vibrant colours, my sister in law currently has black melange on her Xplory and it goes perfectly with the Anthracite Winter Kit. I love how easy it is to take off the textile kits to wash, because the height of the Xplory seat is adjustable it is excellent for pushing up close to the table to allow your child to eat at the table whilst out, it can get a bit mucky at times so being able to wash the textiles is a huge plus point.

Matching stripe blanket for the purple Stokke Xplory TextilesMatching stripe blanket for the red Stokke Xplory Textiles

For every textile kit colour you can buy a matching shopping bag, changing bag, foot muff, parasol and blanket. Each shopping bag comes with the rain cover and mosquito net, I have not used my mosquito net but I have used the rain cover. It is very easy to put over your xplory seat and it is one that my daughter tolerates(she has taken a dislike to being shielded from the rain). A must have accessory for me is the cup holder, I would totally be lost without mine, where would I place my Cappuccino if I never bought one?  
Pink Pixels Summer kit with Purple textiles purple changing bag and pink shopping bagAlong side the textile kits you can buy summer kits, I bought the pink pixels summer kit last summer and I loved it, it helped to keep little lady cool whilst protecting her from the suns harmful rays with its spf50 protection. On the Summer kit you can unzip the rear of the hood for extra ventilation to allow the breeze to pass through, the back cover is also partially ventilated. The summer kit comes with a sun sail that attaches to the hood, the sun sail gives protection from the sun from every angle. I found the parasol to be enough for us but if little lady would have been younger I would have used the sun sail too. It also comes with a terrycloth liner that is soft on your childs bare skin and will absorb any moisture and allows it to evaporate.  

Stokke Xplory with anthracite winter kit onStokke have it covered for winter too with their beautiful winter kits I bought the anthracite winter kit to use with my red textiles because I love to mix colours, if I wanted a perfect match I could have bought the equally gorgeous red winter kit. Not only are they gorgeous they have a purpose, they are a snowsuit for your pushchair that helps to keep your child snug during the coldest days, it also keeps your hand warm too. The winter kit comes with a storm cover that protects your child from the wind and snow, the hood is insulated and gives protection from the cold & the back panel also does the same job. The hood has a genuine sheepskin trim as does the handmuff, the handmuff fits perfectly around the handle of the Xplory cocooning your hands to keep them warm and away from the bitter wind that winter has to offer. It also has a pocket that is perfect to keep your keys or phone secure but at hand. 
Genuine sheepskin trim on the winter kit hoodI was very thankful I had bought the winter kit on bonfire night last year, little lady was well protected from the cold and also fell sound asleep and stayed asleep during the fireworks, not even the loudest bangs woke her. Had I not had the winter kit I doubt she would have stayed asleep throughout the evening.

Stokke xplory going over wet grassI live in the countryside and have not had a problem getting the Xplory over wet grass & I can manoeuvre it easily around all the shops in town. One thing you might notice is that there is not shopping basket sitting under the Xplory, Stokke have cleverly given you a shopping bag that straps onto your chassis and sits on the front plate. I can fit quite a lot inside the bag too, as I said earlier the shopping bags can be bought to match your textiles so everything can match perfectly. The matching changing bag you can buy clips under the seat or you can wear it over your shoulder. I recommend having a peek at the full range of accessories that Stokke have for the Xplory.

The height of the handle adjusts making it perfect for the couple who are different heights. The seat adjusts in height, and can be in world or parent facing. In world facing it can be positioned in rest or active and in parent facing it can be placed if active, rest and sleep mode. It can be used from newborn right up until your child no longer needs a pushchair. The seat is very generous in size, my 5 year old can fit in it easily & comfortably. It also comes with a newborn insert for your newborn baby should you chose not to buy a carrycot. The size of the xplory when folded is what I hear the most concern about, mainly if it will fit in their boot. Stokke Lovers have that covered too and have a gallery of Stokke Xplorys in peoples boots 

I would recommend the Stokke Xplory to anyone, I think this pushchair is so versatile it can easily fit into your life and make travelling with your child much easier.



I still love it as much as I did when it first arrived

I was sent the Stokke Xplory, all extra textiles and accessories I purchased. All images and opinions are my own.

Monday 17 February 2014

Memory Monday 7/2014


Yes you've guessed it, Memory Monday is here again. This week we were battered by winds, our power was out for over 17 hours. M was on a school trip for 2 days at an outdoor education centre and they too went without power for the majority of the time she was there, it also knocked their phone lines out so we had no way of knowing if she was okay which I never want to repeat.
Back at home though we too had no phone line and the mobile phones has no network coverage at all so we would not have received a message even if they were able to send one. We live facing a row of tall trees, they sit on the top of a steep bank before you reach the river at the bottom that too was swollen from all the rain. Most of them have seen better days and are slowly being suffocated by the strangleweed & Ivy, maybe that is the reason they've not fell to the ground yet, the only tell tale sign of the winds we had is this one branch hanging on by a thread of bark, each time I have to walk almost under it I am certain it will fall. We have since had strong winds and it is still holding on, if only squirrels came with little mini squirrel saws to chop it down.



If you would like to join in with my Memory Monday just share your link below to this weeks post. If you would like to display my badge you can grab the code here



Monday 10 February 2014

Memory Monday 6/2014


Memory Monday is here again and this week, or I should say today we had snow, nice big flakes of the fluffy white stuff! I love the snow, I like getting the kids wrapped up and playing in it till we are almost frozen. Sadly we didn't have enough snow to play today and the rain came in to wash away the prettiness, not before it sent the chickens into hiding, they did not find it fun at all, they stayed firm hiding underneath the trampoline with only Megg coming out to eat snow(best stay away from the yellow stuff) Rosie our Czech Brindle hen happily posed for me so long as I didn't force her out into the snow.

If you would like to join in with my Memory Monday just share your link below to this weeks post. If you would like to display my badge you can grab the code here



Monday 3 February 2014

Come and join us at our Zack and Quack Party


It is always fun to host twitter parties and this one is no different.

Zack & Quack 
Zack & Quack follows the adventures of a dynamic & adventurous boy named Zack & his best friend, an impulsive young duck called Quack.
They live inside the most amazing pop-up book ever! It's a place full of fantastical surprises - where pulling pop-ups makes exciting & unexpected things happen.
From the second they step into their garden, the adventure begins. Exciting new worlds & fantastic voyages quite literally unfold before your eyes!
I know that my children will love this new program, it airs on Friday on Nick Jr at 4:30pm. Our party coincides with the first episode being aired in the UK so come and join in the fun, you never know you might just win a prize!


    Friday 7th February 3:45pm till 5:45pm
The hash tag to follow is #zackandquack 
To see my twitter feed follow me @mummy2five1 and to see all the competitions go live follow @UKmumstv


See you on Friday 

Memory Monday 5/2014


My Memory Monday is all about animals this week, last Tuesday I enrolled on a college course that I wish I had done as soon as I left school. I learnt about the course from volunteering at my local Cats Protection. I went to the interview hoping to get onto level 1 in animal care but was offered level 3 in animal management, bonus, I had skipped 2 years in 30 minutes. As you can imagine I was thrilled and excited for September, then I come across a problem. Once upon a time there was a free bus for adult learner to the college with it being in the middle of nowhere. The funding for this bus was cut in December last year after a years notice. Not a problem for me though as I was informed there was a service bus that runs right past the college, student services told me so I thought heck they would know! Back at home searching for this bus on all the timetables became difficult, the reason it was so difficult is because there is no bus in the morning! The first bus leaves my town at 9:20am arriving at the college for 10:05, I don't think the college would be best please with me arriving 1 hour late every day.
So I was in a pickle and just wanted to cry, do I give up before I give in? I turned to facebook for help, my sister in law and pal decided it would be fantastic if I as to get a moped, now I just think they are having a laugh but it is a valid suggestion. So here I am 1 week after enrolling on a great course having to make a decision about whether I go ahead and save for a moped or just quit. My mother in law helped to ease my worries about driving a moped by saying "oh you're going to crash" it is always nice knowing I can count on my mother in law for reassurance!
What would you do?


If you would like to join in with my Memory Monday just share your link below to this weeks post. If you would like to display my badge you can grab the code here