Friday 27 July 2012

#sat cap

I know I say it every week but it's Saturday again! Woo hoo. So we all know what that means! It's Saturday Caption Time!

Thursday 26 July 2012

Bath Time Babes

Like many children, my little boy suffers from eczema not badly but enough that we can only use prescription products on his skin. This is fairly limiting when it comes to bath time. We all know kids love bubbles and what can be more fun in their little world, than bubbles in the bath? Bonus hey?

If we try normal bubble bath from a supermarket, yes we have fun in the bath, but Damien then suffers with his skin. It irritates it beyond belief, he wakes up at night scratching and is then left with scabs where he has scratched so much.

So it was with hesitation that we tried a bath and shower gel from Organic Children. We used the Lavender fragranced one, and I was tempted to kick the kids out and get in myself. Obviously I didn't, but I did use it in my bath when they were tucked up in bed. The smell was delicious, delicate and not over powering.

We have been using the product for over two weeks and we have had no problems with skin irritation at all. How fantastic is that? This natural body wash is made without SLS/SLES, Parabens, phthalates and artificial fragrances and is therefore suitable for babies and children who are prone to eczema.

What's more is that a little goes a long way. The company state on its website: "This bottle contains enough for approximately 160 baths." Well, I'm not sure we have had that many yet, but we are still going strong with our bottle.

There is a whole range of fantastic skin products suitable for babies, children and adults at http://m.greenpeople.co.uk/organic-baby-bath-products.aspx

We received the Lavender Bath and Shower Gel from Green People. No money was exchanged for this post.





Wednesday 25 July 2012

Attachment parenting

I am very excited that my first piece of writing has been published online at the Independent.

http://t.co/2JGFZnVe

It's a hard topic to talk about as everyone has different methods of parenting and it's not a one size fits all solution.

If you get a chance have a look at the link above and let me know what you think.

Milkshake Mummy. X

Friday 20 July 2012

#satcap

It's all about the bling

Poor Dennis has been suffering with those naughty teethy pegs. It's safe to say they have been giving him a rough ride. We have tried everything; Bonjela, cold carrots, teething toys, calpol, cucumber the list is endless.

What he really wants to do is chew! Now the problem I have with teething toys really comes down to hygiene. He always drops them out of his chubby grasp and if it happens outside of the house I am always loathed to give it back to him.

My two year old also has a problem with Dennis having teething toys and snatches everything out of his hand, the result, a hysterical baby who wants picking up constantly.

Now I think I have found the answer for us and I genuinely wish I had known about this product when Damien was a baby.

Teething Bling, kindly sent me a teething necklace, not only does it look gorgeous, it's great for teething too. Made from the same material as most teething toys (you actually can't tell this by the way it looks) they are non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, PVC, latex and lead free and all pendants come with a breakaway clasp as an added safety measure.

I wore my necklace over the weekend and received some fantastic comments about how pretty my necklace looked. Most people were shocked to discover its multipurpose and also thought it was a fantastic idea.

For me, being able to wear jewellery is a novelty since I had babies. I did attempt a necklace a few months ago but Dennis put pay to that by tugging it and breaking it, before I left the house!

Smart Mum UK is the sole distributor of Teething Bling products, why not pop over to its website and have a look. http://smartmumuk.com/

There is also a range of teething bangles available, I personally prefer the necklace as I would probably lose the bracelet. I would lose my head if it wasn't screwed on. (awful joke, but I couldn't resist)

Available in a selection of colours and designs, Teething Bling really is my product of choice for any teething baby and fashionista mummy!

Smart Mum UK, kindly sent me the teething necklace to try. No money had been exchanged for this review.

Thursday 19 July 2012

Weirdo Magnet

For those of you that know me, it's fair to say that I have a canny knack of attracting weirdos. Not content with staring, they actually like to make conversation with me and tell me their entire life story.

One particular place I find is a 'hot spot' for picking up these socially inept and quite frankly crazy people is the train.

Let me take you on my latest train journey, where I'm sat minding my own business and was joined by a male passenger. No talking at all to start with, result I thought. Then we get stuck on the train line and he strikes up a conversation. Here we go...

He decided to tell me he was in the process of breaking up with his wife, how his mum had invested money in his house and he had to pay her back from the proceeds of the sale, the size of his garden, why he was getting divorced, how many times he had been to Disneyland, all about his daughters and his bike accident.

My personal highlight of that journey was being shown his entire collection of holiday photos from his recent trip to Mexico. I could barely contain my excitement. That and him breaking out into song - yes Disney songs.

Only a week before this I endured the same journey from Southampton to Bath with a lady who told me she had contracted an incurable disease from a blood transfusion whilst unconscious and without consent. She then asked for my advice on her legal battle for compensation, how she was bought up in an orphanage, all about her job and why she was going to Bristol for dental work. Crazy lady, but actually lovely.

On an alternative route from Southampton to London I was stalked by a stranger via bluetooth. I can't even begin to write down the Sexually perverse message I received during that journey. The worst part of that was not knowing who was sending the messages. See what I mean, I am clearly a weirdo magnet.

Now, this isn't actually a recent thing. When I was around 14 I had my first stalker, let's call him Mr F for the sake of identity. His family ran the local Indian restaurant and was in the same year at school as my older brother. Mr F took more than a liking to me and became a little obsessed to say the least. He said he would open me a bank account if I went out with him, sent me flowers, letters and sweets. Now my family were incredible supportive. Not!

My brother used to sell him photographs of me and my Dad would to take me to the restaurant to collect our takeaway as we got free food and beer! Bonus. Cheers for that then.

It did turn a little bit more serious when he told me he would slit his wrist and write my name in his blood. Yikes! Following that he was made to come around to my house and apologise to me and my parents.

Transport does seem to be a bit of a theme for my hobby of weirdo collecting. On a flight back from Kenya, one old lady took a shine to me. I couldn't do anything, every time I tried to read she would strike up conversation, if I watched a film she would nudge me and ask a question, I think you get where I am going with this, Kenya is also a 9 hour flight so it did get annoying. The final straw was when she asked to share my wine over the in-flight meal. I don't share wine with anybody! Plus I needed it all after her incessant chatting.

I am writing this on the train, so let's see what weirdos I can pick up on this journey!

Xxx

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Why Meme

I've been tagged by the lovely blogger Emma over at the miniMesandMe to join in with the 'Why' meme. This meme gives you the chance to share all of the questions you would love to ask your children. I wonder how many of these you have thought about too!

So here goes mine.......

Why won't you sit still when we go out to any restaurant?

Why do you feel the need to climb on every table in said restaurant?

Why do you think it's acceptable to randomly shout in said restaurant as loud as you possibly can?

Why won't you eat macaroni cheese yet if I call it penne cheese you will wolf it down?

Why won't you eat a bagel unless I call it a roll with a hole?

Why do you always ask for sweets for breakfast?

Why do you get up at 5am and want to play fire stations?

Why do you insist on getting naked at any given point and anywhere with no shame?

Why do you never go to sleep when I need to work in the evenings?

Why are you always sick on your clothes just before we leave the house?

Why can't I go to the toilet on my own and why do you want to wipe my bum?

Why do you have selective hearing?

Why do you think I am a fireman's pole?

Please feel free to share the 'why' questions you would like to ask your little ones.

Friday 6 July 2012

Nothing beats a cuddle

Like many Mums I know, there is no better feeling than cuddling your baby, soothing them with love and affection and receiving it back, really is the best feeling in the world. So why do so many of us, especially new mums feel as though they are spoiling their babies?

Firstly, I think in society we listen to too many myths and old wife's tales. Hands up those of you who have been told the following when rushing to pick up your baby; "You're making a rod for your own back", "Crying is good for them it helps strengthen their lungs", "They'll never settle themselves if you keep picking them up!"

What I personally feel is worse than all of the above cliches, is the accusation you are 'spoiling them'. What utter nonsense, if you think about it logically, how can you spoil a newborn baby?Remember, crying is the only way they can communicate.

Many Mums, especially first time around don't have the confidence to go with their gut instincts and do what feels right for their babies.

A new mum at my local breastfeeding support group, Bosom Pals said: "I feel guilty holding her so much, I think I should put her down more."

It doesn't help that baby 'experts' reinforce this 'spoiling' notion. Ms Ford, who sells millions of books each year explains her take on these precious cuddles:

"On page 106 in The New Contented Little Baby book I stress the importance of physical contact and affection with your baby. However, I do say that parents should make sure that the cuddling and affection they give is to satisfy their baby’s needs before their own. The baby's emotional needs should be put before the parents’. And, crucially, there is a difference between cuddling your baby and cuddling him to sleep. If he gets used to being cuddled to sleep, it will create a dependence that you will have to break at some point – and it is much easier to get him used to settling himself to sleep at three weeks of age than three months or three years."

Sorry Gina, what utter trash. What really gets me about the comment above is the insinuation that if you settle your baby by cuddles you are being selfish and putting your needs above your baby, I mean come off it.

I am afraid you make more mummies cry than babies with the content of your books. Lucie, a lovely mum who attends Bosom Pals said: "When Robs was a baby, I read her book, I got halfway through it and had to stop as I was crying so much. I knew then that was not how to treat another human.

"What is really sad, is that when they are really small you don't realise just how little time you have to get those precious cuddles in."

Mum to twins and a toddler Maria added: "She has also written a book on training twins too! My two had such different personalities from day one. It's hard to see how a non-parent can sell so many books.

"I love cuddles with my monkies, I just wish I had an extra pair of hands."

Emma, another lovely mummy from the group also pointed out: "The more you cuddle them, the quicker they learn to do it back. And that's the best feeling in the world. Ever!"

Studies show cuddling newborns not only keeps them calm, but regulates their temperature, fights infection, and improves social, emotional and physical development.*

Theories around creating attachments through physical contact have been around for years. Harlow (1962) did a series of experiments with monkeys and isolation, there is a link below for details, he found those who didn't receive the attention and affection from their mother carried traits of not being able to form attachments into adult life.

So in conclusion, next time you worry you are spoiling your baby with cuddles, throw the book out the window and snuggle away.

I think we should start a cuddle campaign and spread the word! Why not add a comment to the post and a lovely picture of cuddle time.

*Read more: http://www.wcvb.com/Local-Hospital-Makes-Cuddling-A-Regular-Part-Of-Care/-/9849586/13025914/-/127mdlu/-/index.html#i

For those of you that fancy some psychology read this, it's really long but so interesting.
http://brainmind.com/AttachmentMaternalLoveInfancyChildhood.html

#Sat cap

I can't believe it's Saturday again. Where are the weeks going? Today my cap, was from a picture I saw on Facebook and it really made me chuckle so I thought I would share it with you all.

Enjoy!

Wednesday 4 July 2012

I spy

Right I thought I would give something crafty a go today and make binoculars, I was planning to do a step-by-step guide until I realised you only had to stick two toilet rolls together, therefore it will be mainly illustrated with pictures. We aren't great so don't expect too much from us.


Step One: Unroll the entire toilet roll until you are just left with the cardboard. I would like to point out, that this was not my finest idea as I didn't have any saved loo rolls. Before, I knew what I was saying I told Damien we would make binoculars and then it dawned on me what was coming next. He isn't old enough to know about the Fairy advert where you have to wait till the bottle has finished before you can turn it into a rocket...


Step Two - Continue to cover younger brother in said discarded toilet roll, thankfully Dennis found this highly amusing! My very own little Andrex Puppy. Not an essential step I must add.


Step Three - Hold up your cardboard toilet roll to the camera and say cheese. This shot may look simple but getting Damien to stay still whilst I took it was probably the longest process in the entire activity. I am pretty sure, I had to bribe him with sweets.


Step Four - Choose your method for decorating the binoculars. We choose wax crayons, not the best choice actually. Damien couldn't press hard enough and Dennis just wanted to eat them.


Step five - Colour in your toilet rolls, Damien gave it all of a minute before getting bored.


Step Six - Check out our masterpiece


Step Seven - Run a glue stick down one side of the toilet roll and then press together. Wait until it doesn't stick, like in our case and then just get the sellotape.


Step Eight - The finished project - now have fun with your new toy!

N.B - I don't think Mr Maker, Tony Hart or Rolf Harris are going to feel threatened by our work today. However, we had a good time doing it and that is what matters really!

Would love to see if this post inspires anybody and if so, please feel free to add a photo of your creations.