I'm the first to admit that having a baby has often left me feeling overwhelmed, even third time around! It is such a huge change and I always seem to underestimate the impact that having a newborn can have. Graco put together a great list of to tips with parenting expert Sarah Renshaw from BabyCentre, to help make the early days a little easier.
Top tips for a new baby with Graco
I'm the first to admit that having a baby has often left me feeling overwhelmed, even third time around! It is such a huge change and I always seem to underestimate the impact that having a newborn can have. Graco put together a great list of to tips with parenting expert Sarah Renshaw from BabyCentre, to help make the early days a little easier.
And once again, I am so late in posting Essie's two month update that month three is now due! I can't tell you how quickly the time is passing, it feels like it has only been a matter of days, but before I know it the days have turned into weeks, weeks into months. She is such a joyous baby, I absolutely adore her and can lose hours simply playing and interacting with her!
Essie at 2 Months Old
And once again, I am so late in posting Essie's two month update that month three is now due! I can't tell you how quickly the time is passing, it feels like it has only been a matter of days, but before I know it the days have turned into weeks, weeks into months. She is such a joyous baby, I absolutely adore her and can lose hours simply playing and interacting with her!
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Happy Days: Friends, jokes & my new sling
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Last month I showed you the first product out of an amazing bundle of baby goodies that Cheeky Rascals sent to me when I was pregnant, to help me adjust to life with a new baby. In this post I'm reviewing the Meemoobaby Meelight, which has to be in my top ten, if not top five, best baby products ever! (I really should put a top ten list together some time!) I have raved about this product to my online baby group and several of those mums bought one, and they love theirs, too!
Review: Meemoobaby Meelight
Last month I showed you the first product out of an amazing bundle of baby goodies that Cheeky Rascals sent to me when I was pregnant, to help me adjust to life with a new baby. In this post I'm reviewing the Meemoobaby Meelight, which has to be in my top ten, if not top five, best baby products ever! (I really should put a top ten list together some time!) I have raved about this product to my online baby group and several of those mums bought one, and they love theirs, too!
You might remember a couple of months ago I wrote about how I had been decluttering and organising the boys' toys with the hope of creating a lovely play space filled with brightly coloured, wooden toys that will last for years to come. I'm terrible at completing anything in one go (and to be fair I did have a baby and get married!) but we have managed to get rid of anything broken or outgrown, and have been getting rid of any toys they just aren't interested in. The aim is to have quality over quantity; fewer but better quality toys, games and puzzles, and to have things that they will actually love playing with and make use of. I've not completely gone plastic-free - I mean, there are some pretty cool toys out there that are plastic - but I'm being more choosy about what they have and trying to put more thought into what I get for them.
Noah has this thing about jigsaw puzzles and I love that he loves them. And he is so good at them! He's been really into them since he was about two years old and amazed us with his ability to complete them. We bought puzzles with more and more pieces and he'd just do them without any help! This George Luck Ark puzzle from Hape Toys is really cool and really clever. It's like a piece of art, I almost didn't want to let Noah loose with it!
There are 62 beautifully crafted, colourful pieces, all made out of wood. It is completely child safe with non-toxic finishes and water-based paints. Each animal except for the elephant is a single puzzle piece. At first glance it looks really complex as it's not the traditional kind of jigsaw puzzle shape, but if you begin by fitting all the edge pieces you'll soon realise it's not as hard as it looks. It really gets Noah thinking: instead of trying to piece together a picture like a regular jigsaw puzzle, he has to match shapes, for example, looking for a space that looks like the ears of the rabbit, or searching for the space that will fit the whale's tail.
As well as helping Noah's dexterity and hand-eye coordination, we talk about the animals as we complete the puzzle which helps his speech and vocabulary. We're not sure what animals some of the shapes are, so we have fun sharing our ideas on what they might possibly be. It's also fun to count the animals, seeing how many of each colour we can find. Hape's George Luck Ark puzzle is recommended for ages 6-10 years old; Noah might only be coming up to age 5 but he really enjoys completing this puzzle and, actually, so do I!
Hape's George Luck Ark Puzzle costs £39.99 and you can find it here.
With thanks to Hape for sending the puzzle for review.
Playtime: Hape George Luck Ark Puzzle | Review
You might remember a couple of months ago I wrote about how I had been decluttering and organising the boys' toys with the hope of creating a lovely play space filled with brightly coloured, wooden toys that will last for years to come. I'm terrible at completing anything in one go (and to be fair I did have a baby and get married!) but we have managed to get rid of anything broken or outgrown, and have been getting rid of any toys they just aren't interested in. The aim is to have quality over quantity; fewer but better quality toys, games and puzzles, and to have things that they will actually love playing with and make use of. I've not completely gone plastic-free - I mean, there are some pretty cool toys out there that are plastic - but I'm being more choosy about what they have and trying to put more thought into what I get for them.
Noah has this thing about jigsaw puzzles and I love that he loves them. And he is so good at them! He's been really into them since he was about two years old and amazed us with his ability to complete them. We bought puzzles with more and more pieces and he'd just do them without any help! This George Luck Ark puzzle from Hape Toys is really cool and really clever. It's like a piece of art, I almost didn't want to let Noah loose with it!
There are 62 beautifully crafted, colourful pieces, all made out of wood. It is completely child safe with non-toxic finishes and water-based paints. Each animal except for the elephant is a single puzzle piece. At first glance it looks really complex as it's not the traditional kind of jigsaw puzzle shape, but if you begin by fitting all the edge pieces you'll soon realise it's not as hard as it looks. It really gets Noah thinking: instead of trying to piece together a picture like a regular jigsaw puzzle, he has to match shapes, for example, looking for a space that looks like the ears of the rabbit, or searching for the space that will fit the whale's tail.
As well as helping Noah's dexterity and hand-eye coordination, we talk about the animals as we complete the puzzle which helps his speech and vocabulary. We're not sure what animals some of the shapes are, so we have fun sharing our ideas on what they might possibly be. It's also fun to count the animals, seeing how many of each colour we can find. Hape's George Luck Ark puzzle is recommended for ages 6-10 years old; Noah might only be coming up to age 5 but he really enjoys completing this puzzle and, actually, so do I!
Hape's George Luck Ark Puzzle costs £39.99 and you can find it here.
With thanks to Hape for sending the puzzle for review.
Keira the jaguar cub was born at Paradise Wildlife Park back in April, as the Park celebrated the launch of its new charity the Zoological Society of Hertfordshire, and a few weeks ago she took her first ever steps outside!
Paradise is one of only two zoos in the UK, and one of six in Europe, recommended to breed Jaguars, as part of the EEP (European Endangered Species Programme). Jaguars are classified as ‘near threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) so Keira’s birth was a real cause for celebration. She is the first jaguar cub to have been born at Paradise Wildlife Park and currently the only jaguar cub in the UK. Paradise Wildlife Park is now working on extending the size of its Jaguar exhibit, creating more space for both mother, father and cub!
We are ambassadors for Paradise and as Noah is now on summer holidays from school we will be heading to the zoo soon. Hopefully we will get to take a peek at Keira as she spends time bonding with her mother, Kedera. I'll share any photos of her that we take along with the rest of our visit to the zoo when we are back, so watch this space!
Paradise Wildlife Park / The Zoological Society of Hertfordshire is situated 20 miles north of London, 7 miles from Junction 25 on the M25 and approximately 25 minutes from London Liverpool Street by rail. You can find out more information or book tickets here.
Images provided courtesy of Paradise Wildlife Park
Keira the jaguar cub takes her first steps outside at Paradise Wildlife Park!
Keira the jaguar cub was born at Paradise Wildlife Park back in April, as the Park celebrated the launch of its new charity the Zoological Society of Hertfordshire, and a few weeks ago she took her first ever steps outside!
Paradise is one of only two zoos in the UK, and one of six in Europe, recommended to breed Jaguars, as part of the EEP (European Endangered Species Programme). Jaguars are classified as ‘near threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) so Keira’s birth was a real cause for celebration. She is the first jaguar cub to have been born at Paradise Wildlife Park and currently the only jaguar cub in the UK. Paradise Wildlife Park is now working on extending the size of its Jaguar exhibit, creating more space for both mother, father and cub!
We are ambassadors for Paradise and as Noah is now on summer holidays from school we will be heading to the zoo soon. Hopefully we will get to take a peek at Keira as she spends time bonding with her mother, Kedera. I'll share any photos of her that we take along with the rest of our visit to the zoo when we are back, so watch this space!
Paradise Wildlife Park / The Zoological Society of Hertfordshire is situated 20 miles north of London, 7 miles from Junction 25 on the M25 and approximately 25 minutes from London Liverpool Street by rail. You can find out more information or book tickets here.
Images provided courtesy of Paradise Wildlife Park
This is an advertorial post
This week we have been having fun with The Super Yummies to come up with fun and tasty ideas using their delicious toddler snack products. Jude loves his snacks and I am always looking for new things for him to try. It can sometimes be a challenge for parents to come up with creative snack ideas, so Jude and I have been busy creating some yummy snacks for you to try with your toddler! In this post I'm using Breadsticks from The Super Yummies and have created two really easy but really delicious snacks for you to try.
The Super Yummies range of toddler snacks have been developed with mums and nutritionists. The Super Yummies Breadsticks are tasty baked snacks that are the perfect size for little hands to hold for nibbling and dunking. They come in two delicious flavours: Tomato & Herb and Pumpkin & Rosemary. They are a source of fibre and have no added salt. The breadsticks are perfectly yummy on their own and they also work well with other foods. The Breadsticks have been created for little ones aged 12 months and over, but I have to admit that even I am quite partial to the Pumpkin & Rosemary ones! Here are our snack ideas for you to try with your toddler.
Hummus Dip with Carrots & Breadsticks
Jude absolutely loves hummus with pitta bread and carrots to dip in it. I've found that The Super Yummies Pumpkin & Rosemary Breadsticks are a great alternative to pitta bread for dipping. He has a tablespoon of hummus, five breadsticks and a chopped carrot. Instead of cutting his carrots into sticks I sliced them into coins so that he has a variety of textures and shapes on his plate.
Smashed Avocado on "Toast"
Smashed avocado on toast is all the rage at the moment, so I just had to have a play with it to make a toddler version! It's really tasty with the Tomato & Herb Breadsticks. I used half a small avocado and mashed it up with nothing else added. I then topped one end of five breadsticks with some avocado and served it with a couple of quartered cherry tomatoes. Jude really enjoys this snack and wolfs it down in seconds!
The Super Yummies Breadsticks come in 100g bags costing £1.67. You can find The Super Yummies range of toddler snacks at Morrisons and other retailers.
Toddler Snackspiration with The Super Yummies Breadsticks
This is an advertorial post
This week we have been having fun with The Super Yummies to come up with fun and tasty ideas using their delicious toddler snack products. Jude loves his snacks and I am always looking for new things for him to try. It can sometimes be a challenge for parents to come up with creative snack ideas, so Jude and I have been busy creating some yummy snacks for you to try with your toddler! In this post I'm using Breadsticks from The Super Yummies and have created two really easy but really delicious snacks for you to try.
The Super Yummies range of toddler snacks have been developed with mums and nutritionists. The Super Yummies Breadsticks are tasty baked snacks that are the perfect size for little hands to hold for nibbling and dunking. They come in two delicious flavours: Tomato & Herb and Pumpkin & Rosemary. They are a source of fibre and have no added salt. The breadsticks are perfectly yummy on their own and they also work well with other foods. The Breadsticks have been created for little ones aged 12 months and over, but I have to admit that even I am quite partial to the Pumpkin & Rosemary ones! Here are our snack ideas for you to try with your toddler.
Hummus Dip with Carrots & Breadsticks
Jude absolutely loves hummus with pitta bread and carrots to dip in it. I've found that The Super Yummies Pumpkin & Rosemary Breadsticks are a great alternative to pitta bread for dipping. He has a tablespoon of hummus, five breadsticks and a chopped carrot. Instead of cutting his carrots into sticks I sliced them into coins so that he has a variety of textures and shapes on his plate.
Smashed Avocado on "Toast"
Smashed avocado on toast is all the rage at the moment, so I just had to have a play with it to make a toddler version! It's really tasty with the Tomato & Herb Breadsticks. I used half a small avocado and mashed it up with nothing else added. I then topped one end of five breadsticks with some avocado and served it with a couple of quartered cherry tomatoes. Jude really enjoys this snack and wolfs it down in seconds!
The Super Yummies Breadsticks come in 100g bags costing £1.67. You can find The Super Yummies range of toddler snacks at Morrisons and other retailers.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Happy Days: I'm a Mrs!
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Over the years there have been many baby products that I've felt were just totally pointless (tiny baby shoes, I'm looking at you) and others that have been utterly amazing. The Lulla Doll by Roro falls into the latter!
I actually remember reading about the Lulla Doll in the news last summer, as it sold out within days of launching and desperate parents were willing to pay triple the price on eBay to get their hands on one. Last month Essie received her very own Lulla Doll for us to review and I have to admit I was really excited about it arriving as I was intrigued to find out why babies and toddlers love them so much and why parents were willing to pay over the odds to get one.
I actually remember reading about the Lulla Doll in the news last summer, as it sold out within days of launching and desperate parents were willing to pay triple the price on eBay to get their hands on one. Last month Essie received her very own Lulla Doll for us to review and I have to admit I was really excited about it arriving as I was intrigued to find out why babies and toddlers love them so much and why parents were willing to pay over the odds to get one.
Baby Loves: Lulla Doll by Roro | Review
Over the years there have been many baby products that I've felt were just totally pointless (tiny baby shoes, I'm looking at you) and others that have been utterly amazing. The Lulla Doll by Roro falls into the latter!
I actually remember reading about the Lulla Doll in the news last summer, as it sold out within days of launching and desperate parents were willing to pay triple the price on eBay to get their hands on one. Last month Essie received her very own Lulla Doll for us to review and I have to admit I was really excited about it arriving as I was intrigued to find out why babies and toddlers love them so much and why parents were willing to pay over the odds to get one.
I actually remember reading about the Lulla Doll in the news last summer, as it sold out within days of launching and desperate parents were willing to pay triple the price on eBay to get their hands on one. Last month Essie received her very own Lulla Doll for us to review and I have to admit I was really excited about it arriving as I was intrigued to find out why babies and toddlers love them so much and why parents were willing to pay over the odds to get one.
This is an advertorial post
Is it just my toddler that seems to have a bottomless pit for a tummy? Jude loves to snack all day long so we've been having fun with The Super Yummies to come up with fun and tasty ideas using their delicious toddler snack products. In this post I'm using the new Dairy Pots from The Super Yummies to create three fun snack ideas, so if you often find yourself stuck for creative snacks to make your toddler then give these a go!
Toddler Snackspiration with The Super Yummies Dairy Pots
This is an advertorial post
Is it just my toddler that seems to have a bottomless pit for a tummy? Jude loves to snack all day long so we've been having fun with The Super Yummies to come up with fun and tasty ideas using their delicious toddler snack products. In this post I'm using the new Dairy Pots from The Super Yummies to create three fun snack ideas, so if you often find yourself stuck for creative snacks to make your toddler then give these a go!
This post contains affiliate links.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Happy Days: Bees, Blasters & "Boffee"
This post contains affiliate links.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Essie's first month really flew by, so much faster than it did with her two older brothers. My hands are so much fuller this time round and my time is even more limited. I'd had lots of plans for spending time cuddling, avoiding visitors and taking lots of photos, but all of that soon went out of the window and I've taken way fewer photos than I had hoped to! I'm also really late in posting her updates and her second one is already overdue as well! But I'd much rather post them late and actually enjoy my time with her, so I hope you'll excuse my tardiness.
Essie at 1 Month Old
Essie's first month really flew by, so much faster than it did with her two older brothers. My hands are so much fuller this time round and my time is even more limited. I'd had lots of plans for spending time cuddling, avoiding visitors and taking lots of photos, but all of that soon went out of the window and I've taken way fewer photos than I had hoped to! I'm also really late in posting her updates and her second one is already overdue as well! But I'd much rather post them late and actually enjoy my time with her, so I hope you'll excuse my tardiness.
One of the things I have struggled with the most with Essie recently is knowing what to dress her in to suit the temperature, especially at night. Both Noah and Jude were born in the autumn so it was easy to keep them warm, but keeping a baby cool in hot weather is an entirely different struggle! To start with, I used blankets at night time to keep Essie warm, but now the weather is much warmer we have been using a gorgeous Grobag that The Gro Company sent us to review, along with a Boppy the Bunny from the Gro Friends range of breathable baby toys.
Baby Loves: The Gro Company Grobag & Gro Friends Breathable Toy
One of the things I have struggled with the most with Essie recently is knowing what to dress her in to suit the temperature, especially at night. Both Noah and Jude were born in the autumn so it was easy to keep them warm, but keeping a baby cool in hot weather is an entirely different struggle! To start with, I used blankets at night time to keep Essie warm, but now the weather is much warmer we have been using a gorgeous Grobag that The Gro Company sent us to review, along with a Boppy the Bunny from the Gro Friends range of breathable baby toys.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
Happy Days: New Babies & Wedding Plans
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
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