What would you do if you found out that your husband had been secretly planning to divorce you? This is the situation that Maya finds herself in, in Leah McLaren’s second novel. A Better Man* is the latest book in the Britmum’s Book Club and focuses around Maya and Nick’s marriage, which has been struggling since the birth of their twins a few years ago.

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REVIEW: A Better Man by Leah McLaren

What would you do if you found out that your husband had been secretly planning to divorce you? This is the situation that Maya finds herself in, in Leah McLaren’s second novel. A Better Man* is the latest book in the Britmum’s Book Club and focuses around Maya and Nick’s marriage, which has been struggling since the birth of their twins a few years ago.

a-better-man-image-396x600

We all know someone that is tricky to buy for at Christmas or on birthdays. That person who seemingly has everything they need or want already. It’s a struggle I face every year, however this Christmas I have found the perfect gift: The Book of Everyone. The Book of Everyone is a beautifully crafted 50-page book that can be created about anyone you wish. It is a timeless, thoughtful and unique gift which is available in paperback, hardback, deluxe and even digital formats.

REVIEW: The Book Of Everyone

We all know someone that is tricky to buy for at Christmas or on birthdays. That person who seemingly has everything they need or want already. It’s a struggle I face every year, however this Christmas I have found the perfect gift: The Book of Everyone. The Book of Everyone is a beautifully crafted 50-page book that can be created about anyone you wish. It is a timeless, thoughtful and unique gift which is available in paperback, hardback, deluxe and even digital formats.

J recently reached the weight and height limit on his group 0+ car seat so it was time to choose a new one. I know that he is now old enough and weighs enough to be able to go into many of the forward-facing car seats, but like his older brother I am keeping him rear-facing for as long as possible. Why? Well, in a nutshell extended rear-facing is the safest way for a child to travel. It doesn’t mean that forward-facing car seats are not safe – they absolutely are safe – it just means that rear-facing is safer.

joie ianchor extended rear facing

Why I Choose Extended Rear-Facing Car Seats

J recently reached the weight and height limit on his group 0+ car seat so it was time to choose a new one. I know that he is now old enough and weighs enough to be able to go into many of the forward-facing car seats, but like his older brother I am keeping him rear-facing for as long as possible. Why? Well, in a nutshell extended rear-facing is the safest way for a child to travel. It doesn’t mean that forward-facing car seats are not safe – they absolutely are safe – it just means that rear-facing is safer.

joie ianchor extended rear facing

I love adding new books to my boys’ mini library and these two modernised Miffy books are the latest ones to be added to their ever-growing collection. Miffy turned 60 this year and there are a whole range of exciting books, toys, clothes and accessories available from the Miffy Shop to celebrate.

Have you seen the modernised Miffy Books?

I love adding new books to my boys’ mini library and these two modernised Miffy books are the latest ones to be added to their ever-growing collection. Miffy turned 60 this year and there are a whole range of exciting books, toys, clothes and accessories available from the Miffy Shop to celebrate.

With the boys feeling under the weather – and me too for that matter – we decided to snuggle up on the sofa in our PJs and watch our new DVD, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom Elf and Fairy Party. The new DVD has ten fun filled episodes and there is an activity book to accompany it, too. And to make lunch a little more interesting that day, I followed one of the recipes from Nanny Plum’s cookbook to make some fun caterpillar sandwiches.

ben and holly elf and fairy party dvd book review

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom Elf and Fairy Party

With the boys feeling under the weather – and me too for that matter – we decided to snuggle up on the sofa in our PJs and watch our new DVD, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom Elf and Fairy Party. The new DVD has ten fun filled episodes and there is an activity book to accompany it, too. And to make lunch a little more interesting that day, I followed one of the recipes from Nanny Plum’s cookbook to make some fun caterpillar sandwiches.

ben and holly elf and fairy party dvd book review

I have to confess, for a long time I didn’t understand the fuss over Dyson vacuum cleaners and the obsession some people have with them. They couldn’t be that much better than the other brands on the market, surely? Last month I was invited to attend an event at the Dyson showroom in London to learn more about the renowned British company and their latest V6 cordless technology. I would never have thought that a cordless vacuum could be just as powerful as a corded cleaner. I left the event a total convert and couldn’t wait to get my hands on my own Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner. My Dyson V6 Total Clean is now here and I can’t stop telling people how absolutely brilliant it truly is. I am now one of those obsessed people.

REVIEW: Dyson V6 Total Clean

I have to confess, for a long time I didn’t understand the fuss over Dyson vacuum cleaners and the obsession some people have with them. They couldn’t be that much better than the other brands on the market, surely? Last month I was invited to attend an event at the Dyson showroom in London to learn more about the renowned British company and their latest V6 cordless technology. I would never have thought that a cordless vacuum could be just as powerful as a corded cleaner. I left the event a total convert and couldn’t wait to get my hands on my own Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner. My Dyson V6 Total Clean is now here and I can’t stop telling people how absolutely brilliant it truly is. I am now one of those obsessed people.

I love L’Occitane, their products remind me of summers spent in the south of France. Their range of beautiful Christmas gifts features new limited edition scents, stylish gift boxes and timeless gift collections, all carefully crafted with natural ingredients. Here are six of my favourite L’Occitane gift sets for giving the magic of Provence this Christmas.

christmas with l'occitane

Christmas 2015 with L'Occitane

I love L’Occitane, their products remind me of summers spent in the south of France. Their range of beautiful Christmas gifts features new limited edition scents, stylish gift boxes and timeless gift collections, all carefully crafted with natural ingredients. Here are six of my favourite L’Occitane gift sets for giving the magic of Provence this Christmas.

christmas with l'occitane

Joules is a brand of clothing that I absolutely adore, especially for my boys. Made with super soft cotton, their exclusive prints and motifs are utterly gorgeous and their pieces are made to last. Little touches like ribbed cuffs, popper openings, envelope necks and button fastenings mean that Joules clothes not only look wonderful, they are comfortable and easy to wear, too. And best of all, their current winter range of clothes and accessories for 0-3 year olds features lots of my two favourite things when it comes to fashion: stripes, and plenty of foxes! Here are 9 of my favourite foxy pieces from Joules.

joules fox baby boy clothes

Mini Style: Top Fox ft. Joules Baby

Joules is a brand of clothing that I absolutely adore, especially for my boys. Made with super soft cotton, their exclusive prints and motifs are utterly gorgeous and their pieces are made to last. Little touches like ribbed cuffs, popper openings, envelope necks and button fastenings mean that Joules clothes not only look wonderful, they are comfortable and easy to wear, too. And best of all, their current winter range of clothes and accessories for 0-3 year olds features lots of my two favourite things when it comes to fashion: stripes, and plenty of foxes! Here are 9 of my favourite foxy pieces from Joules.

joules fox baby boy clothes

baby 12 month update

How big? Last month Baby J celebrated his first birthday, and he weighed in at 22lb 3oz. He’s about 78cm, though it’s hard to say exactly as he won’t lie still for long enough for me to measure his height, nor will he do it standing up! He’s wearing size 12-18 month in clothes and is size 4G in shoes.

Baby J is 12 Months Old

baby 12 month update

How big? Last month Baby J celebrated his first birthday, and he weighed in at 22lb 3oz. He’s about 78cm, though it’s hard to say exactly as he won’t lie still for long enough for me to measure his height, nor will he do it standing up! He’s wearing size 12-18 month in clothes and is size 4G in shoes.

Baby J loves to drink water, but it has been a bit of a struggle finding a cup that he can use confidently. He struggled with the traditional hard spouted sippy cups, and even struggled with the soft spouted sippy cups that his big brother was a fan of. I couldn’t help but think, if only there was a baby cup with a straw. It turns out that there is! Tommee Tippee have put a lots of thought into their selection of cups for babies and toddlers, and their current range includes several different types for each stage of weaning!

tommee tippee straw cup 6M - weaning (lifestyle)

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Tommee Tippee Cups

Baby J loves to drink water, but it has been a bit of a struggle finding a cup that he can use confidently. He struggled with the traditional hard spouted sippy cups, and even struggled with the soft spouted sippy cups that his big brother was a fan of. I couldn’t help but think, if only there was a baby cup with a straw. It turns out that there is! Tommee Tippee have put a lots of thought into their selection of cups for babies and toddlers, and their current range includes several different types for each stage of weaning!

tommee tippee straw cup 6M - weaning (lifestyle)

Baby J started walking just after he turned 11 months old, but I haven’t been in a rush to get him wearing shoes. In fact, the opposite, as I have learned that being barefoot is best for little feet. Growing feet need plenty of room for muscles to strengthen, toes to be able to spread and learn to grip, and bones to form in their natural position.

Allowing children to be barefoot as much as possible, especially in the first few years of life, is the best way to allow this to happen. It’s not always practical, especially now that J wants to walk and explore outside, so shoes like Bobux protect those soft little toes but also mimic the freedom of being barefoot.

bobux barefoot micro trainers review

Mini Style: Bobux Shoes

Baby J started walking just after he turned 11 months old, but I haven’t been in a rush to get him wearing shoes. In fact, the opposite, as I have learned that being barefoot is best for little feet. Growing feet need plenty of room for muscles to strengthen, toes to be able to spread and learn to grip, and bones to form in their natural position.

Allowing children to be barefoot as much as possible, especially in the first few years of life, is the best way to allow this to happen. It’s not always practical, especially now that J wants to walk and explore outside, so shoes like Bobux protect those soft little toes but also mimic the freedom of being barefoot.

bobux barefoot micro trainers review

Did you know there are certain foods that can help you get a winning smile and prevent things like tooth decay? Simplyhealth put together a brilliant infographic on six superfoods that are great for your smile, and then challenged me to come up with some recipes featuring some of those foods.

I used some of them to create a Waldorf salad with a twist, spinach, tomato & chilli pasta, and simple cheese & apple cracker snacks for the boys. All three creations are super quick to make, really easy and so good for your teeth as they feature four out of the six superfoods recommended by Simplyhealth. Read on to find out how I made them…

Cook your way to a healthy smile pin

Cook Your Way to a Healthy Smile

Did you know there are certain foods that can help you get a winning smile and prevent things like tooth decay? Simplyhealth put together a brilliant infographic on six superfoods that are great for your smile, and then challenged me to come up with some recipes featuring some of those foods.

I used some of them to create a Waldorf salad with a twist, spinach, tomato & chilli pasta, and simple cheese & apple cracker snacks for the boys. All three creations are super quick to make, really easy and so good for your teeth as they feature four out of the six superfoods recommended by Simplyhealth. Read on to find out how I made them…

Cook your way to a healthy smile pin

I have two children, two gorgeous and amazing little boys. They are my whole world, the centre of my universe, the apple of my eye, the anchors to my life. I am so proud of them and I love them beyond measure. But as much as I adore my beautiful children, I'm full of self-doubt and hate for my post-baby body.

I loved my pregnant body. I felt absolutely wonderful and embraced my growing bump during both of my pregnancies. But my post-baby body is proving a little harder to love.

I look in the mirror and this is what I see:

I see hair that is limp and fine. Hair that is recovering from the post-partum moult and has those fuzzy downy bits of regrowth that create a frizzy-looking halo around my head.

When You Hate Your Post-Birth Body

I have two children, two gorgeous and amazing little boys. They are my whole world, the centre of my universe, the apple of my eye, the anchors to my life. I am so proud of them and I love them beyond measure. But as much as I adore my beautiful children, I'm full of self-doubt and hate for my post-baby body.

I loved my pregnant body. I felt absolutely wonderful and embraced my growing bump during both of my pregnancies. But my post-baby body is proving a little harder to love.

I look in the mirror and this is what I see:

I see hair that is limp and fine. Hair that is recovering from the post-partum moult and has those fuzzy downy bits of regrowth that create a frizzy-looking halo around my head.

With the weather turning colder, much colder, I am favouring more carby dishes and particularly ones with a bit of spice. Ian and I love chilli in our food, so this healthy pasta dish satisfies both the craving for carbs and the need for some heat! It’s a really quick dish too, it will take no more than 20 minutes to get it on the table.

RECIPE: Tomato, Spinach & Chilli Rigatoni

With the weather turning colder, much colder, I am favouring more carby dishes and particularly ones with a bit of spice. Ian and I love chilli in our food, so this healthy pasta dish satisfies both the craving for carbs and the need for some heat! It’s a really quick dish too, it will take no more than 20 minutes to get it on the table.

I had never tried a Waldorf salad before. It’s a classic but because I’m allergic to walnuts, it isn’t something I would ever order. So I came up with a Waldorf salad – with a twist! I’m not allergic to pine nuts so I often use them as a substitute, and that’s exactly what I did to create this delicious salad. It is such a tasty salad and it could not be easier to make!

RECIPE: Waldorf Salad with a Twist

I had never tried a Waldorf salad before. It’s a classic but because I’m allergic to walnuts, it isn’t something I would ever order. So I came up with a Waldorf salad – with a twist! I’m not allergic to pine nuts so I often use them as a substitute, and that’s exactly what I did to create this delicious salad. It is such a tasty salad and it could not be easier to make!

We all know that breastfeeding is perfect for a baby, but did you know that breastmilk is also great for toddlers? In fact, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF recommend breastfeeding continue until at least the age of two and beyond. Breastmilk continues to provide vitamins and nutrition to toddlers, protection from illness, and comfort when they are poorly.

Breastfeeding a toddler is a whole different ball game to breastfeeding a baby though, so here are my top 5 tips.

5 Tips for Breastfeeding a Toddler

We all know that breastfeeding is perfect for a baby, but did you know that breastmilk is also great for toddlers? In fact, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF recommend breastfeeding continue until at least the age of two and beyond. Breastmilk continues to provide vitamins and nutrition to toddlers, protection from illness, and comfort when they are poorly.

Breastfeeding a toddler is a whole different ball game to breastfeeding a baby though, so here are my top 5 tips.

One of our favourite things to do on a rainy day is to bake. This year saw Dick Bruna’s loveable bunny Miffy turn 60, so Little N and I decided to bake some special cakes to celebrate Miffy’s 60th birthday! Using a simple fairy cake recipe and some super cute Miffy rice paper toppers, we came up with these scrummy little cakes.

RECIPE: Miffy Fairy Cakes

One of our favourite things to do on a rainy day is to bake. This year saw Dick Bruna’s loveable bunny Miffy turn 60, so Little N and I decided to bake some special cakes to celebrate Miffy’s 60th birthday! Using a simple fairy cake recipe and some super cute Miffy rice paper toppers, we came up with these scrummy little cakes.

Over the summer months Baby J has happily slept under a thin blanket, but now the weather is getting cooler and the nights are turning cold, a blanket isn’t enough. He is far too wriggly for a duvet, so going back to using a baby sleeping bag is the obvious choice. Now that he is walking, most baby sleeping bags would restrict his little feet, however Slumbersac have the perfect solution: a baby sleeping bag with feet!

REVIEW: Slumbersac Sleeping Bag with Feet

Over the summer months Baby J has happily slept under a thin blanket, but now the weather is getting cooler and the nights are turning cold, a blanket isn’t enough. He is far too wriggly for a duvet, so going back to using a baby sleeping bag is the obvious choice. Now that he is walking, most baby sleeping bags would restrict his little feet, however Slumbersac have the perfect solution: a baby sleeping bag with feet!

My boys love yogurt and fromage frais. I introduced them when they first started weaning at 6 months old, and now they are 3 and 1 they still love them just as much. They like to have a pot of fromage frais as a healthy snack or pudding after a meal, and I have often thought that they would be a great snack to take when we are out and about for the day. Except for one thing… the mess!

oxo tot roll up bib review

Snack Time with Little Yeos & OXO Tot

My boys love yogurt and fromage frais. I introduced them when they first started weaning at 6 months old, and now they are 3 and 1 they still love them just as much. They like to have a pot of fromage frais as a healthy snack or pudding after a meal, and I have often thought that they would be a great snack to take when we are out and about for the day. Except for one thing… the mess!

oxo tot roll up bib review

Little N has been a bit of a fusspot with his food of late, but one thing he absolutely loves is milk. It’s a great source of protein, vitamin D and calcium so even if it’s a battle to get other food into him, at least I know he is getting a lot of goodness from milk. We took part in the #MilkDrinkersMilk Challenge with Britmums and Cravendale to show how we enjoy milk. I don’t drink milk so Little N was more than happy to take up the challenge instead!

cravendale

A Teddy Bears’ Picnic with Cravendale

Little N has been a bit of a fusspot with his food of late, but one thing he absolutely loves is milk. It’s a great source of protein, vitamin D and calcium so even if it’s a battle to get other food into him, at least I know he is getting a lot of goodness from milk. We took part in the #MilkDrinkersMilk Challenge with Britmums and Cravendale to show how we enjoy milk. I don’t drink milk so Little N was more than happy to take up the challenge instead!

cravendale

I have always had a love of books, right from a young age, and I am trying to instil that love of books in my boys. They already have a large collection of bright and beautiful books, and the latest addition to their little library is City Atlas (£20.00)* from the Wide Eyed books series.

City Atlas Wide Eyed Editions

REVIEW: City Atlas by Georgia Cherry & Martin Haake

I have always had a love of books, right from a young age, and I am trying to instil that love of books in my boys. They already have a large collection of bright and beautiful books, and the latest addition to their little library is City Atlas (£20.00)* from the Wide Eyed books series.

City Atlas Wide Eyed Editions

The great thing about baby-led weaning is that you and your baby can eat the same thing, so you don’t have to worry about making separate food for your child. As long as you’ve gone easy on the salt and there aren’t any whole nuts or honey (for under ones) then you can enjoy meals as a family! One of the other great things about this is that it makes me more aware of what we’re all eating, and so we’ve all been eating more healthily.

hummus houmous recipe

Baby-Led Weaning: Easy Peasy Hummus

The great thing about baby-led weaning is that you and your baby can eat the same thing, so you don’t have to worry about making separate food for your child. As long as you’ve gone easy on the salt and there aren’t any whole nuts or honey (for under ones) then you can enjoy meals as a family! One of the other great things about this is that it makes me more aware of what we’re all eating, and so we’ve all been eating more healthily.

hummus houmous recipe

Like a lot of children his age, Little N is a big fan of Thomas & Friends. Not only is it fun to watch, it has also helped him to learn his colours and numbers. He was very excited when we received the Thomas & Friends My Push & Learn Thomas* from KD UK. It’s described as the ultimate train for fun and learning, as it helps children discover numbers, letters, colours, shapes and characters from the Thomas & Friends!

REVIEW: Thomas & Friends My Push & Learn Thomas

Like a lot of children his age, Little N is a big fan of Thomas & Friends. Not only is it fun to watch, it has also helped him to learn his colours and numbers. He was very excited when we received the Thomas & Friends My Push & Learn Thomas* from KD UK. It’s described as the ultimate train for fun and learning, as it helps children discover numbers, letters, colours, shapes and characters from the Thomas & Friends!

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