Friday, 31 July 2015

Easybelts - Review

C is at a very weird 'in between' size of clothing some 2-3 are small and some 3-4 are too big (he turns 3 in September). Chris had said to me a few weeks ago that we really needed to get a decent belt for him as more often than not, his trousers were falling down a little. I noticed that Easybelts were looking for reviewers and it couldn't have come at a better time for us. 

Easybelts range include belts for both adults, toddlers and children and you can choose from a range of different colours, even some with motifs on such as footballs or hearts. 

We opted for the grey belt with blue stripe from the children's section. You can get the belts in size 20, 22, 24 or 26 inch depending on your child's size. I chose the 20 inch as he is still quite petite. 


When it arrived, I instantly loved the colour. It would go with any outfit and they would even do older children for school perfectly too. I had to pull the 20 inch quite tight so I love that he will get the use out of it and it will be worn quite a lot over the next few years, I'd say!

The belt is super easy to use. You simply loop it through the belt hooks on your child's trousers, pull the belt through the D-link and fold it over and it Velcros down. You can choose from two different size D-links if your child isn't great with their co-ordination which is a great idea! 



C still isn't taking to potty training but what I love about this belt is that it is so simple to use and I know he will be able to undo and do it up himself when potty time comes. For something so simple, it has been such a great help! I would definitely recommend Easybelts for little ones. 

The belt I chose retails at only £6.00 which is such a bargain! You can browse the range at the Easybelts website and you can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter

(Disclaimer: We received this product for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)




Thursday, 30 July 2015

Bean Bag Planet - Review & Giveaway

I first heard of Bean Bag Planet through a Facebook post back when C was around 9 months old. I didn't think he was the right age for one so I quickly forgot about it. I was recently contacted about reviewing one and was informed that they are great for children aged from newborn to 7 years old. With two children now in that age range, how could I say no? 

Bean Bag Planet have lots of different designs to choose from. I opted for the beige zebra print one as I thought it was a great unisex colour for both C and E. 


When the bag arrived, I was a little surprised that the cover and beans were separate, I imagined it would arrive ready to use. I had to wait until Chris got home from work to help me as I knew me trying to put the beans in myself was a recipe for disaster. I needed him to hold the zip open whilst I poured. We did have a few accidents where beans ended up on the floor but they were easily put back in. You need to put the majority of the beans in the back part then a few in the front bit, where you sit. You can use as much or as little as you want, just as long as it is comfortable for your child to sit on.


The bean bag has a strap on the front to keep smaller children on it but you also get a piece of material without the strap that you can zip on for older children who don't need strapped in. The fact that this product grows with your child makes it amazing value for money. You get 7 years of usage and the quality is fantastic so I don't have any worries about it giving up on us any time soon!



Both my children (aged 10 months and almost 3 years) love the bean bag. It's a new favourite - I think it's the comfort factor! 

The Bean Bags RRP price is £64.99 but you can purchase them directly from Bean Bag Planet for only £29.99! You can also find Bean Bag Planet on Facebook and Twitter

We have very kindly been offered the chance to run a giveaway for you lovely people! To be in with a chance of winning your own bean bag just fill in the Rafflecopter widget below.

T&C's:

  • The giveaway will run from June 29th until August 28th
  • One winner will win a Bean Bag of their choice
  • Open to entrants aged 18+
  • UK residents only
  • Prize will be sent directly from the PR, please allow 28 days for delivery
  • No automated entries
  • One entry per person
Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway




UK competitions at ThePrizeFinder
SuperLucky Blog Giveaway Linky
Monday, 27 July 2015

Look in my Letterbox #16

Yay! It's Look in my Letterbox time again! I'm a little late this week as I had a lazy weekend but better late than never! Here's what I received this week:


Wins:
Bow from All Sweet Things
I won this on a game of tag - it's so cute!

A case of Bensons Juiced Apple Juice
I won this from Bensons on Twitter. C loves it!

Personalised Cubbie Blankie from Teds and Threads
This was a like and share competition over on Facebook. E loves it!

My 'Look in my Letterbox' prize!
Alice, I cannot thank you enough for this. I definitely wasn't expecting so much and I am honestly speechless. This was so kind and generous of you. C was so excited when I showed him the Post Box game! xxx

Twirlywoos headbands
I won these headbands on the Twirlywoos Twitter page. Twirlywoos is one of those shows that when the theme tune comes on, both kids stop what they're doing to watch. It's a definite favourite so these went down well!

Blink time band
50Fifty Gifts were giving away 500 (I think!) of these bands. They're quite cool!

I won these back in June and they were made to E's size. I'm so chuffed with them! They're so beautiful.

Reviews:
Easybelt
C has desperately needed a good belt for a few weeks now and I was so lucky to get the opportunity to review an Easybelt. We're loving it so far!

Jacob's Cracker Crisps
I'm trying these via BzzAgent. It's my first campaign in a while - and a yummy one!


Purchases:
Headwrap from Aurora Couture 
Aurora Couture on Instagram was getting rid of her old stock and had this headwrap on sale for £3 (free P&P). I had to snap it up!

Did you receive anything nice this week?




Thursday, 23 July 2015

Milton Antibacterial Surface Wipes

I am a huge fan of the Milton range and I have previously reviewed a few of their cold water sterilisers which were used daily when E was born. My mum also used Milton when myself and my sister were babies so I knew they would be a brand I could trust. 

In addition to the sterilisers, they also do Sterilising Fluid, Sterilising Tablets, Antibacterial Surface Spray, Antibacterial Hand Gel and Antibacterial Surface Wipes. We received some of the wipes to test out for ourselves. 


Each pack contains approximately 30 wipes and the first thing I thought was how great the size of the pack was. It is smaller than a pack of baby wipes so it hey will fit into your changing bag for when you're on the go. 

The Milton Antibacterial Wipes kill 99.9% of germs including bacteria and fungi. They are fragrance free but I do find they have a little bit of a chemical scent but it doesn't put me off. The wipes themselves are very thin but upon wiping things like the highchair tray, they don't rip. 


The wipes can also be used on changing mats and toys and are perfect for when using public transport and toilets. They are 100% biodegradable too which is a huge plus! 

A pack of Milton Antibacterial Surface Wipes retail at £2.29 and you can purchase them from Asda, Babies R Us, Boots, Sainsburys, Superdrug, Tesco and Precious Little One. 

You can find out more about the range at the Milton website or you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter

(Disclaimer: We received some Milton wipes for the purpose of this post.) 


Wednesday, 22 July 2015

C at 34 Months

Yesterday, C was 34 month old. I'm  a day late with this post and funnily, my 22 month update from last year came up on my Timehop - I was a day late with that too! 


C is changing from a toddler to a proper little boy before my very eyes. Every month, I say his speech is getting better and that very true this month too. He has his own little set phrases that he loves to say like, "oh no, XYZ is in a bad mood again!" and "come on, XYZ, we're friends!" when we won't do something for him. 

The good weather meant he could play outside more and we got the paddling pool and sand pit out. He absolutely loved them and refused to come back inside when it got late! 



He was a great eater as a baby then as he got older that changed and be became more fussy. He's finally eating better but only at home. He's still a little defiant when we are at my parents house. 

Before E was born, C and I always used to stay over at my parents on a Saturday night. A few weeks ago, C, E and I stayed over again for the first time in about a year. He enjoyed himself so much. He adores my dad and every day without fail, C will ask, "Can I see granda tomorrow?" He is his favourite person ever. 


C is completely in love with his little sister. He is always over taking care of her and making her laugh. He even told me once, "Baby needs a sandwich. I'll make it better baby". 


He is so funny. I touched on this last month but he honestly is the funniest kid ever. He will come out with some really hilarious thing without even needing prompting at all. Last night, he put his daddy's boots on and said, "I'm daddy. My tummy's full of cookies!" Chris and I couldn't breathe for laughing. 

He has the best imagination. He is always making up games, stories and songs and he loves role play toys. I will definitely have to get him more adult imitation toys and dressing up costumes for his birthday and Christmas. 

C has always been one for not wanting to go to bed. He always wanted to stay up with us in case he missed something. Now he's getting older he knows when he is tired and asks if he can go upstairs to bed. It makes my life easier! 




Tuesday, 21 July 2015

NatraSan First Aid Spray - Review & Giveaway

As a busy mum of two I know all to well the daily life of a child. My almost 3 year old is pretty clumsy and is forever falling over his own feet. My ten month old cruiser is always falling over as she learns how to use her feet and her crawling means everything goes on the floor and in her mouth.

We were given a bottle of NatraSan to try out. At first I thought it was only to use on cuts and scrapes but it is so much more than that!


Uses of NatraSan include:

  • Preventing infections in cuts and wounds
  • Using as a skin care product to reduce acne and spots
  • Controlling the fungus that Athlete's Foot and fungal nail and skin conditions cause
  • Nappy rash
  • Mosquito and insect bites
  • Minor burns 
  • As mouthwash
  • As a disinfectant to sanitise all hard and soft surfaces such as baby toys, highchairs and dummies
  • Deodorising shoes and soft furnishings 
I was a little blown away when I first read the list of uses. How can that be? NatraSan is pH neutral so it won't sting, it's safe around your eyes and mouth, it's safe for your skin and claims to be more effective than the best branded disinfectants. NatraSan is so good because it contains hypoclorous acid. This is a mild but effective antiseptic that is produced by the human body to kill germs. Many other products on the market claim to get rid of 99.9% of bacteria. NatraSan kills 99.9999% meaning that for every million bacteria, only one isn't killed compared to the 1000 that others leave. 

NatraSan is really easy to use due to its spray nozzle. We have had a toddler accident where C was left with a cut knee. I told him it was just water and he was fine with me spraying it on. There is no chemical smell so it could definitely just pass as water! He didn't flinch or whinge at all so I'm guessing the "no sting" claim is correct. We have also been using it to clean the kids highchairs tray and it has given us peace of mind that E can eat her food off of it without coming into contact with any of this nasty bacteria. 

The usages for NatraSan are pretty amazing and I honestly believe that it should be a staple in everyone's medicine cabinet. A 250ml bottle of NatraSan retails at £10 or you can pick up a Travel Buddy (100ml) for £7. 

If you, like me, think NatraSan sounds great, here's your chance to win one! All you have to do is fill in the Rafflecopter widget below. 

T&C's:
  • The giveaway will run from July 21st until 4th August
  • One winner will win one 200ml bottle of NatraSan
  • Open to entrants aged 18+
  • UK residents only
  • Prize will be sent directly from the PR, please allow 28 days for delivery
  • No automated entries
  • One entry per person
Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


SuperLucky Blog Giveaway Linky
More competitions at ThePrizeFinder
Monday, 20 July 2015

Dog Owners to Rebel Against New Microchipping Laws?

A survey of pet owners carried out by online retailer MedicAnimal has revealed that many pet owners will rebel against compulsory microchipping legislation – of those whose dogs are not chipped only one in four intend to comply by the April deadline. Comments made by pet owners about the move included complaints about ‘government dictatorship’, an attack on ‘freedom of choice’, ‘big brother’ mentality and anger that the initiative penalises responsible dog owners.

Welfare was another big concern, with worries over adverse reactions to chips, the wisdom of chipping a dog that was old or debilitated and an objection to chipping a much loved member of the family.

An additional area of rebellion is the requirement to keep contact details relating to the microchip up to date. Of those that had cause to change their details, 31% confessed they have never updated them. Some commented on what they said was the unreasonably high cost to change address details which in some cases is about 75% of the original cost of the chip. As one pet owner commented, “This is totally unacceptable. I can change my bank details etc without charge.” Another said, “I found it extraordinarily complicated and long winded to change my address.”

Nearly 150 pet owners responded to the survey and 26% of dog owners said their pet was not chipped. Of those, 53% said they had no intention of having their dog chipped and 20% are currently undecided, meaning the vast majority of the unchipped have no positive plans to comply. Around half of those surveyed said they did not know that microchipping of dogs was to become compulsory until informed by MedicAnimal.

Although it won’t be compulsory to microchip cats, 60% of respondents said their cat was already chipped. Of the remainder, only one in four are likely to microchip in the future.

However, microchipping can be hugely beneficial, both in terms of reuniting pets and owners and reducing the burden on animal charities. Losing a pet is relatively common and 24% of respondents said they had lost a pet. In most cases (47%) the pet had just disappeared, where the reason was known it was most common for the pet to escape from a home or garden (22%) and another 16 per cent had run off during a walk. Five per cent said their pet has been let out of the house or garden maliciously. Of those who had lost a pet, 14% said their pet was returned to them as a result of being chipped.

Andrew Bucher, Vet and MedicAnimal founder, says the company feels it is important to give pet owners a voice, “While some people have positive experiences of microchips and appreciate the benefits, there is clearly a group that feel disenfranchised by having microchipping enforced upon them and some genuine concern over the wellbeing of pets. Whilst I understand there are occasionally some reactions to the microchip, I believe strongly that the risk is very much outweighed by the benefit of finding your lost or stolen dog. Any dog charity in the country will tell you how common it is to have an animal put to sleep as a result of no owner being found. The bigger issue here is how enforceable this new law will be and the fact that non-responsible dog owners may ‘get away with it’. Veterinarians can also help with dog theft by ensuring that all new client dogs are scanned prior to registration at their clinic and more pressure has to be applied to the microchipping industry to reduce the disproportionate cost of updating owner details.”

Thoughts from current pet owners include:
“I don't trust the government. They could be putting anything into our pets”.

“I doubt that microchips do not have negative side effects on cats or dogs mainly as this technology interacts with radio frequencies emitted by cell phone towers, just to give one example. We simply don't know what the long-term effects on behaviour, endocrine and immune system will be.”

“I was out in the woods with my dog and we heard hunting shots fired in the distance, my dog freaked out and ran off. We spent three hours looking for her. As it happens she had run straight home and a neighbour had seen her run down the road and so opened our back gate and let her into our rear garden. But it could have been so different especially as she ran down the middle of the road until she reached our house and could have been injured and taken away before she reached the garden and we had returned. Microchipping is a life saver as far as I am concerned and I am glad it is becoming law. They should also bring back the dog license too!”

“I think there should be system that scans animals in vets as people who take other people's pets often do not tell vet it was found, maybe make it a logging in for appointments system, that way there is no more pet stealing.”

“I would like to update my details for the microchips on my dogs but want to charge me £16 per dog. This is totally unacceptable. I can change my bank details etc without charge so why ? A tax on responsible pet owners perhaps?”

“I do Not agree with compulsory micro chipping, micro chips can migrate and cause problems as in one of my own pets, this law will have no effect on irresponsible pet owners. A suitable collar and information tag is still the best way forward, and as this is the law at the moment how many people adhere to this? Any future dog I have will not be microchipped by me.”

“I found it extraordinarily complicated and long winded to change my address with . The complications are entirely unnecessary and very time consuming. Obviously many pet owners just give up!”

“she will be 15 years old and i can crawl faster than she walks she does not like vet get very stressed so do not want to put her through that.”

Jack (RIP)

When I was little we had a cat that just disappeared one day. Thinking back to how heartbroken I was, it's something that I never want happening to my children. They both adore animals and I hate for something to happen to one of their animals and for them to be upset. 

Pop over to MedicAnimal and take a look at their #Smiles4Pets campaign.

Do you have your animals microchipped? What are your thoughts? 

(Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.)





Sunday, 19 July 2015

Look in my Letterbox #15

Yay! It's time for another Look in my Letterbox! This week has been completely dominated by competition wins!


Wins:
Moon Cloth
The ladies on my birth board with C were absolutely raving about these but I've always been a bit grossed out about reusable sanitary towels even though C did used cloth nappies for a while. KTBoo Baby had a giveaway for one so I entered on a whim and won!

Knee High Baby Socks from Iyla's Closet
I won these in the first game of tag that I've ever joined in on. The aim is to tag a friend in the comments (as many as you'd like) and when the company writes STOP the name above wins! I had to include a gratuitous pic of E wearing them as they're so darn cute!


Felt Rose Hair Clips from Roaring Stitches
This is another Instagram win! I had to answer a question and tag a friend. Aren't they adorable!? E is a lucky girl.

Wooden Date Block from A Passion for Homes
I won this about a month and a half ago but only received it today as they were waiting on more stock. I have been after a nice date block for a while so I'm very chuffed with it!

Have you received anything nice this week?

Friday, 17 July 2015

Siblings: July 2015

I actually forgot all about my Siblings post and I was so sure that I hadn't taken any photographs of C and E this month. After browsing, I realised that I did have a few but nowhere near as many as I normally do. I always like to have natural photos of the kids playing together. They make me feel so happy. 

This month they have been closer than ever. E is crawling very quickly and can pull herself up on anything she finds. This means that she's always over wanting to join in with whatever game her big brother is playing. He enjoys it most of the time but depending on what toys he has, he can get a little annoyed. On one occasion he pushed her the whole way to the other side of the room and whilst she was crawling, he picked up her two feet like she was a wheelbarrow and tried to drag her to her pram because she "had to go in it" as she was annoying him so much. She takes it in her stride, bless her, and just laughs as she thinks he's playing. Sometime C will even go play in another room just to get some peace but I suppose that's the joy of having a little sister. 

It's not all annoyance though. C is very interested now in the fact that she is becoming more mobile. He laughs when E is standing up and his favourite thing to do it hold her sides and try to wiggle her. It must be so strange for him to see her grow and not just be a tiny baby anymore. He loves his morning cuddles with her and still loves to give her tickles. He is learning to share his toys which is beautiful to watch. 



C trying to help his little sister learn to walk




dear beautiful
Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Hello Kitty's Kindness App to Combat Online Negativity

It's no secret that I am addicted to the internet. I'm logged on one at least one device every day. When I log into Facebook or Twitter. I see all of my friends updates alongside some negative posts. Be they statuses from my friends who have been treated badly or news items that make me feel sad.

With technology usage on the up, it is inevitable that my children will be using the internet a lot as they grow up and I don't want them seeing some of the things that I see. If we inspire this generation to be kind to one another, maybe it will continue on in the future.

Hello Kitty has develeped a new Twitter app in order to combat negativity online. Scientific research shows that 46% of Brits have experienced unkind messages online and being kind to others can actually reduce stress. Hello Kitty is campaigning for the nation to do #OneKindThing either by using the #OneKingThing app to share messages of kindness over social media or to do small acts of kindness.

To access the app, users sign up to Twitter and the free web app shares friendly messages on their Twitter feed, helping to inspire others to also do #OneKindThing for a friend or stranger. Users can share an image of Hello Kitty alongside the post or change their profile and cover photos in support. As I mentioned before, being kind can reduce stress levels so Hello Kitty wants you to spread the kindness while also keeping yourself healthy.




"People who are kind to their friends, family and strangers become happier and healthier in the long run. These simple acts of kindness can benefit the heart, reduce anxiety and make everyone a much happier human being. Our country flourishes when people look out for each other and that is what Hello Kitty hopes to inspire with the One King Thing campaign."
- Clara Wooller, Hello Kitty Brand Manager


To use the #OneKindThing app, visit http://onekindthing.eu/

Get spreading kindness!

(Disclaimer: We have received some product samples in exchange for this post.)