Thursday 13 September 2012

RIVETZ GIANT HORNET


I was kindly sent the rivetz kit to test and review with my 7 year old son DJ.
In the box you get the rivetz gun, rivets, rivet centres, card pieces and instruction manual.
The set is recommended for children age 8 years plus and not suitable for children under the age of 36 months due to the small parts.
The instruction manual is detailed and easy to read and follow and once built the hornet is 45cm x 30cm, It is easy to place on show downstairs or in the child's bedroom on the window or top of draws.
The hornet has plenty of detail to it and looks amazing once completed.
You can also purchase rivetz dragon and rivetz racer which I have to say also look really good.
This is a product I would highly recommend to friends and family to purchase as a gift for christmas and birthdays, I have shown this of to a few friends who are really impressed with the item.
What I also like is that once you have completed the product you can easily take it apart and re build it by your self or with friends.


As you can see from the picture above, everything comes packaged well so that when you open the box you have no lose bits falling everywhere, which I think is fantastic, especially if you also have younger children at home with you.
Me and DJ sat down in the evening to do this once my daughter had gone to bed and I was surprised by how much he liked it and how quite he was putting it together.

DJ has said that he enjoyed putting this together and likes that he can take it apart when he wants to and build it again and show his friends how to do it, it was great to build it with my mummy their to help me when i got stuck, but after i did it with mummy, i tried again with my friend and didn't need any help at all.

The rivetz is available to buy for £12.99 from www.interplayuk.com

Friday 7 September 2012

DJ TURNS 7



On August 21st this year my son DJ turned 7, I can't believe how fast the years have gone by, it only feels like yesterday that i held him in my arms for the very first time.
For his birthday this year he asked if we could have a day out to Colwyn bay zoo ( welsh mountain zoo), I agreed to this and said he could take one friend with him.
On his actual birthday I did a little tea party in the house, did some food, put some banners and ballons up and made party boxes for all the kids and invited a few friends over, He loved it.


Here is the table ready with all the food, I decided not to do loads as most years I go overboard and have lots of waste, so this year I cut down and only had a little left over which we had as snacks later on whilst we were watching dvds.

 This is DJ'S birthday cake which was made by my next door neighbours daughter who is only 13, I have to say it tasted just as good as it looked. DJ was really made up with it and got a bit upset when we had to cut it to put some in the party boxes.
As I have mentioned above DJ had asked if we could go to the zoo, so the following day we were up bright and early to get the bus at 8am to get to the train station for 9.20am, we also had to pop into the shop to pick up a few bits.
We arrived at the zoo at just after 10am and didn't leave until 5pm that day, we wacthed a few of the animal shows that they put on during the day and also stopped so the kids could play in the park area for a while.


I got so many pictures at the zoo that I can't possiblly put them all on otherwise this blog post would go on and on, DJ has said it was the best birthday ever and what matters the most is that he had a good few days and enjoyed himself lots

JOHN LAWSONS CIRCUS



Every year during the summer holidays the circus comes to my local town and does 2 shows a day for 3-4 days before setting of to their next destination.
And every year we go, we normally go to the later show but this year we went to the one during the day, this was because I don't drive and public transport it much better during the day and also because my mum and step-dad were looking after ruby for me.
We got to the circus 30 minutes before it was due to start, this was so that we could make sure we got a good seat so that the kids could stay and also so we had time to get drinks and pop-corn before the show started.
John Lawsons circus has been coming to my local town for a good few years and each year we always have a good time, As you can see from the picture above DJ had his face painted, was surprised as it only cost £1.50, I was expecting it to cost quite a lot more.
This year myself and DJ went with my friend Kirsty and her son Dean, both boys behaved really well and laughed all the way through
I have to say I'm looking forward to them coming back next year as they are changing a few of their acts, although I'm wondering if they will be as good as the one's they already have.

Tuesday 28 August 2012

KIDS DAY OUT WITH NANA AND DIDI



My mum and step-dad recently had a few days off work and promised the kids they would take them out for the day, I was asked if I wanted to tag along, but said no, I thought it would be nice for the kids to have some time alone with them, and also for me to get some peace, although I only ended up staying in and cleaning the house from top to bottom.
They decided to go to chester zoo for the day and set of at 10am, and didn't arrive home until 8pm that night, DJ took my camera with him so all the pictures are taken by him,
The morning they left it was pouring with rain but DJ still wanted to go, but luckily once they arrived there the sun was shining.




They got to see lots of different animals with the meerkat being both their favourite, and had a burger and chips for dinner whilst they were there, and each came home with 2 little presents each,
I'm glad they both enjoyed their day and they have asked nana and didi when they can go again, although I don't think there in any hurry to take them any time soon

Tuesday 14 August 2012

MONSUNO STRIKE SECTOR REVIEW


I was sent the monsuno strike sector combat set and cores to review with my son DJ who is 6years old, 7 next week.
The monsuno strike sector combat set is aimed at children age 4 years plus and to be honest when we first got it and took it all out of the packaging I looked at it and felt really confused.
The strike sector combat set includes 1 strike sector base, 2 launch ramps and 2 rails, the box we got also included a bonus battle bag. We also got the extra cores and another set which included figures, cores and cards.
The strike sector set was easy to put together as you just needed to clip the rails in and open the base and put this down, so although at first it looked confusing it was actually really easy to put together and to share the cards, sort out the cores and figures it only took me around 10minutes.
Up to 4 players can play this at any one time, Below is a picture of DJ playing this with a friend of his (I have not included his friend in the picture as his parents don't like pictures of him being on the Internet)



I found the game went over my head but I don't really seem to understand these card games very well, Or if you ask DJ he would say it's because I'm not cool and young enough (I'm only 28)
The game can be played quite quickly or can last for an hour or so, I do think it depends on how many people are playing the game.

DJ has said that he enjoyed playing the game but it is not something he will play with often, but he likes how he can leave it set up as it is easier to play then and keep under the bed when not in use.
I do think that some of the reason he doesn't like to play this is because you have writing on the cards and DJ is dyslexic and suffers with his reading so often has to ask for help which he doesn't like to do.

This can be purchased from http://www.flairplc.co.uk/

The prices are

Monsuno combat set - £24.99
Four (4) cores - £27.99
Wild core - £14.99

Now I have to be honest and say that I do think it is expensive for what it is and for what you get and it's not something I would spend that much money on although I would let DJ spend his birthday/christmas money on it if it was something he really wanted.

GEOMAG WHEELS REVIEW



I was sent the GEOMAG WHEELS set by a pr company to review with my son DJ

The geomag set is suitable for children age 5 years plus and contains 68 pieces all together, This includes wheels, magnets, ball bearings and more, The set we received also has some parts that glow in the dark, You can purchase this from http://www.flairplc.co.uk/ and from http://www.smythstoys.com/ for £24.99 which in my opinion is well worth it.
The instructions that come with this are fairly easy to follow which is great for some one like me who can't seem to follow instructions, Although my son who is 7 didn't need them.

When the geomag set arrived for me to review my son got really excited when he seen what it was especially as you can crash the cars and helicopter into each other without the worry that they will break as if these do come apart they are easy enough to put back together.
I will admit that I struggled to put these together and started to panic so I sat with DJ and I pulled all the parts out and he sat their with pure concentration on his face as he put them together and within 15 minutes he had built the helicopter, admittedly the police car and jeep did take him slightly longer but he was quite happy to sit their doing it all.
This is something I would purchase as a present for my son if he didn't have this set and will also be keeping in mind as a Christmas and birthday presents for friends children and family members, I think that the recommended age for this is the right age as it may be a little hard for anyone younger, DJ is nearly 7 and has enjoyed playing with this and putting it all back together and pulling them apart.


In the picture above is the box when opened and the contents that come with it, the picture below is the helicopter after being built, unfortunately I don't have pictures of the others as they have been pulled apart again but I will add pictures of them in a few days when DJ has re-built them.


I have asked DJ what he thinks of the geomag wheels set and this is what he has had to say.

I have really enjoyed playing with this and putting it all together and smashing it all up and building it again as I don't have to worry about breaking anything and having my mummy shout at me and tell me off, My friends have been and played with this as well and they like it to, I like that it glows in the dark as it means when mummy turns the light of I can still play with them, I won't let my sister play with this though because I don't want her to lose any of the bits because if she does it might mean I won't be able to build everything together again, It was quite easy to do but mummy found it hard.

I have not been paid to review this product but I have been allowed to keep the geomag set that was sent to me free of charge, Opinions in this review are mine and my son's.

Friday 10 August 2012

SKINNY SPRINKLES


SKINNY SPRINKLES

I have kindly been sent a box of skinny sprinkles by the wonderful Jane to review so as it is going to be around 2 weeks before I write up a review giving my opinion on them I thought that I would write a little about them and my weight now so that myself and my blog readers will know how much weight I lose whilst using skinny sprinkles.
Skinny sprinkles can be used as a snack or half an hour before a meal and this will suppress your appetite
It is also recommended that if you exercise to have this 30minutes before and it will help you get more from your workout as they also give you extra energy. They do recommend though that you use with a weight loss programme or reduced calorie diet, These are also suitable for people who follow weight watchers as they are 0 pro points.
To make these up is simple you just add the sprinkles to water and stir well, it then starts to thicken ready to drink, They contain glucomannan which is a special fibre and this is what helps the stomach to think you have eaten and fills you up.

I have to say I am looking forward to trying these out and giving my full honest opinion, including before and after pics and weight loss in about 2 weeks time.
So now it's time to give you my weight and measurements
I am 8stones 9lbs and have measured round my stomach and if I have measured correctly it is 35 inches.
So from tomorrow I will be starting my skinny sprinkles along with some exercise and healthy eating, and will note down what I eat and what exercise I do and report back with weight loss and inch loss.

Why not check out skinny sprinkles on facebook, twitter and their web page, links below


Tuesday 7 August 2012

TEA PIGS REVIEW



Teapigs kindly sent me a box of 50 teabags to review and offer some for a competition,
I received 10 different flavours and 5 of each flavour.
The flavours I received are

1) Lemon and ginger
2) Chamomile flowers
3) Popcorn tea
4) Darjeeling earl grey
5) Liquorice and peppermint
6) Rooibos creme caramel
7) Mao feng green tea
8) Peppermint leaves
9) Chocolate flake
10) Super fruit

All the bags are biodegradable and unlike normal teabags don't contain what looks like dust, they contain whole leaf, real fruit pieces.
Each tea temple needs to be infused in boiling water for at least 3 minutes before being drunk, with some you can choose to add milk/cream if you like, or to allow to cool and store in the fridge and drink as iced tea, which is perfect on a hot summers day (When we get them).
Most of the tea temples are also caffeine free which is great as it means you can drink them just before bedtime without having a caffeine hit and being kept awake


Above is a picture of the Rooibos creme caramel flavour tea, I tried this as it is before adding anything to it and although it tasted quite nice it does say on the packaging to try/drink with milk so I added a dash of milk and have to say that it tasted like heaven then, This is my best one as it has a rich caramel taste to it.
I enjoyed all of them but the one that I liked the least was earl grey, but I don't normally like earl grey tea, so that could be the reason.
Chamomile flowers is a great one to have before bed, I had mine whilst having a relaxing soak in the bath and between the tea and the bath I felt quite relaxed and had a great nights sleep.
Why not check out the teapigs website at http://www.teapigs.co.uk/ where you can not only purchase the tea bags but also enter competitions, view there blog and buy gifts.
If you would like the chance to win some of the tea pigs teabags in 10 different flavours why not enter the competition below





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Monday 6 August 2012

WRIGGLY RASCALS

I thought I would write a post about a website I have done a guest post for but also a website that I use often.
Wriggly Rascals is a web site that is for parents and parents to be where you can read posts by guest bloggers and get advice about parenting, pregnancy and other issues you feel you may need some help and advice.
You can choose to ask a quick question or to get a more detailed answer, and this question will then be asked to the members who will include some details and advise for you to go by, The form to fill in for this is quick and easy to use.
You can also choose to offer questions and advice as a member or non member, but as a member you will earn points for each one you answer and give advice, These points can be saved until they open a pop up shop which is open once a month for approx 3-5 days with so many items and brands to choose from, You don't have to purchase anything you can choose to save your points until you have enough to get what you want, upon purchasing an item points will be deducted from your account and your item will be with you within 14 days.
You will also be sent regular news letters to your email address and be notified when the pop up shop is opening and closing, your points are also clearly stated and if you go into your account you will be able to see how much these points are worth.
At the top of the page their is a contact us tab that gives you an email address should you need to contact wriggly rascals at all, I will say I have contacted them a few times and always had a reply within 24 hours that has been friendly, helpful and polite, I now feel like Shona is a very good on line friend.
Wriggly Rascals is run by husband and wife, Shona and Mike who have twins and the reason the site was set up was because whilst pregnant Shona found it difficult to find help and answers on the web and found that the most helpful advice was given to her by other mums.
I also like that whilst trying to offer my help and advice to other mums I am earning points which I will use to get an extra treat or 2 for my own children, and it is nice to know that their is somewhere to turn and ask and be given a range of advice.
I have included the links below for the wriggly rascals web site, facebook page and twitter, why not take a look and join yourself.

http://www.wrigglyrascals.com/

http://www.facebook.com/wrigglyrascals.UK

https://twitter.com/wrigglyrascals

Sunday 5 August 2012

DJS SCHOOL TRIP

On July 16th DJ had his school trip, parents were also given the option to go with their children this year so I decided to go with him, Ruby had been ill the week before so my auntie offered to look after her for me and I'm glad she did as the weather wasn't good at all, As you can see from my jeans in the picture above I'm soaked, this pic was taken at around 1pm.
The morning of the trip I asked DJ if he would like to go and do something else instead but he said he didn't and he wanted to go to greenwood especially as this would be his last trip with this primary school as I'm transferring him to another.
It was pouring with rain so we both made sure we were wrapped up warm with waterproof coats and are packed lunch wrapped and packed well.
Greenwood forest park is all outdoors, their are 2 indoor areas, this is a small gift shop with a variety of gifts starting from just 99p and a cafe area which also has a small soft play area.
There is quite a lot to do and see and although it rained all day and we were soaked to the skin DJ still said he had a good day which is good and what matters.
We had a ride on the pedal karts and a walk around the crocodile maze to see if we could find the crocodile, we even climbed the big wooden climbing frame and came down the plastic slides.
Although my friends son lost his boot climbing over the ropes, so I had to make my way down to find it and then all the way back up, Just so he didn't get his sock wet.

DJ with his pink brolly to try keep him dry, it's a picture to keep and show his girlfriends when he's older, in the next pic is DJ again with my friend and her son, We had fun posing for this and took it in turns.


DJ on the pedal karts, I had to pedal us around the circuit and managed it just 3 times before my legs started to hurt, they hurt for the rest of the day, and DJ again after he had found the crocodile in the maze


Coming down the slides on the smaller climbing frame and a bees nest which was massive, I've never seen a nest before so was amazing to see all the bees and the honey.
If you live in wales or are visiting north wales at all I would recommend visiting greenwood as it is a lovely place with so much to do and see, but I would advise you to go on a day when it's not raining.

Thursday 2 August 2012

Personalised Teacher Cup

Find me a gift kindly sent me this cup to review for them, What makes this cup more special is the fact that it is personalised and delivery is still fast.
The cup came packaged well and arrived within a few days of me supplying them with the information I required to be placed on the cup.
The cup itself is well made and has a picture of books, pens and rulers on, Then on one side of the cup it has the wording I requested.

I like the fact that there is some colour on the cup so it's not just plain white with some writing on.
My son couldn't wait to give this to his teacher and it made it all the more special as Mrs Owen has been fantastic with DJ over the past year.
Mrs Owen actually gave me a call at the end of the school day to say thank you so much for the cup, it was one of the nicest gifts she had received in all her years as a teacher

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/personalised-gifts/

Sunday 29 July 2012

LJ COUTURE IS LAUNCHED

LJ Couture is a newly launched online boutique, who is owned by the fantastic Lisa Hendy, They specialize in making crystal encrusted dresses in over 90 colours, a range of materials and all dresses are fully lined and boned.
The dresses can be made for any occasion and in all sizes, It takes between 6-8 weeks to make and design each dress, and of course each dress will be a one off, To purchase a dress it costs from £190.
On Saturday July 21st 2012 LJ Couture had their official launch night at the Prestigious Luxe in Loughton where people could view some of the dresses made by Lisa, Place orders and goodie bags were given out to all who attended.
Lisa studied art at school and collage before doing various jobs, It was only when she needed a dress for a special occasion and couldn't find what she wanted that she decided to design and make her own and from here LJ Couture began.
In October 2012 this year they are hoping to showcasing in Essex fashion week, You can contact Lisa in three ways if you would like to find out more.

Email- customerservice@ljcouture

Web- www.ljcouture.co.uk

Twitter- @lj_couture

Below are some pictures of part of the colour chart, and drawings Lisa has done and some of the fantastic dresses she has designed.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish Lisa all the best in the future and her success with LJ Couture.




Organza Chart 2 L J Couture.jpgDress Willow.jpgMaryanne Sketch.jpgHarlow mix ad pink fade.jpg 


Monday 9 July 2012

Oak and Rattan ( Rattan Garden Furniture )






Oak and rattan furniture have a web page, facebook page and a twitter account, They are currently running a competition between facebook and twitter to win an amazing piece of furniture.
Oak and rattan provide themselves on offering elegant designed furniture, They provide you with indoor oak furniture and rattan garden furniture.
They have a wide range to choose from including dining sets, accessories, mini sets, day beds and patio sets,
To name a few of the pieces they have, Texas 3 piece lounge set, LA oval table set, Geneva sofa set, Jupiter patio heater, Banana parasol and much much more.
Many of the sets are maintenance free, weatherproof free and uv light resistance, and also come with free delivery. There are sets that will fit 2 people, sets to fit 4, 6 and even 8 people.
Oak and rattan website is well set out and looks very professional, I like that it is easy to navigate and find details that you require.
The terms and conditions are set out well and easy to read and understand, Their contact details are also set out and provide you with a telephone number, address and email address. You can choose to set up an account if you wish, your details if you do this will be saved and you will also be able to set up a wish list.
You can view each picture well and by clicking on a picture you will also be giving a choice of colour if their is one and item specification and the price.
If you order you also have the choice of paying by card or via paypal.

Why not check out oak and rattan website and view the amazing choice of rattan garden furniture, and maybe order something for yourself.

www.oakandrattan.com (webpage)

oakandrattan.com (facebook page)

@oakandrattan (twitter account)

I have taken the above pictures from oak and rattan facebook page with their permission




Sunday 8 July 2012

The Victoria Chart Company


The Victoria Chart Company have kindly sent me one of their charts to review, They have also offered me one to giveaway, The chart that will be given away is the same as above, and the same I am reviewing.
I have not been paid and all opinions are my own.

The reward chart is large and wipe clean, it comes complete with stickers numbered 1-20 and some well done stickers that are star shapped, It also comes with 10 activity stickers and 6 blank stickers for you to choose how to use, it also comes with an information sheet, a black pen and 4 sticky fixing pads which allow you to stick the chart where you choose.
We have placed our chart in our living room so we can see DJ'S progress and I allow him to place the stickers on the chart each time he gets one.
On DJ'S chart we have used 5 of the activity stickers that came with the chart and 2 blank ones, at the bottem of the chart we have put what reward he will get.
Me and DJ decided together that each time he gets 10 stickers in each activity he will get money to put in his money box, we decided this as he is saving money ready for when he goes to stay with a friend of his in the holidays for a week and also because he wants new games for his nintendo wii and ds.
The chart is easy to use and wipe clean, the stickers are also reuseable.
We have the growing up chart and these retail at £12.50, They are avalible from the website and from amazon.
Since having the chart DJ has started doing all his tasks and is excited each time he gets to place a sticker on their, The Victoria Chart Company also have other charts avalible and I myself will be purchasing one soon for my daughter as we are nearly at potty training age.
This chart has so far been fantastic and will be getting used well into the future, I like the fact that the stickers and chart are re-useable and wipe clean so we can change the tasks as and when we choose.


WHY NOT ENTER MY COMPETITION TO WIN YOURSELF A CHART, THE CHART WILL BE SENT DIRECT FROM THE COMPANY, SO WHEN THE WINNER IS ANNOUNCED ALL I NEED WILL BE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TO PASS ON.


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Sunday 24 June 2012

Summer Holidays

Well the summer holidays are nearly here, Where we have 6 weeks of trying to entertain the kids and stop them from feeling board.
I was hoping to take the kids to haven on holiday for a long weekend but have started doing the house up, So far I have done my daughters room in pink and white with hello kitty, My son's room is blue and white and he wants me to do it up in angry birds. So now I want matching toy boxes etc for both rooms and a few extra bits then I can start on my room, Because of this a holiday is out of the question :(
So we are going to have a nice few days out and will also do some other activites with them, hopefully we will get some nice weather.
My son also has his 7th birthday in august so have started planing that already and buying little bits.
I thought I would write what I have planned and hope to do with the kids.

1) Day out to llandudno, where we will have a walk along the pier and visit the arcades and have a shop around and some dinner.

2)Day out to rhyl, where we will go and visit the sea aqaurium there and go to the suncentre where we will go swiming and have dinner

3)Day to chester zoo, My son loves going here so hoping Ruby will also enjoy this as last time we went she was a baby.

4)Bangor fun centre where the kids can play and climb and also have some dinner

5)Hoping that we have nice weather a few visits to the beach, which is free and take our buckets and spades and a home-made picnic

6)Again if the weather is nice I will get out our sandpit and paddling pool so we can have a few hours fun in the garden, and hopefully have a few bbq's

7)Dvd days, were we will sit in the house, watch what-ever dvds the kids want and have some cuddles

8)DJ'S birthday we are having a small party in the house with a few friends, so that will take up a few hours, he has asked for a mario party, so have got some bits ready, and some presents,

Can anyone else recomend anything to keep the kids busy? if so let me no, includes free days and days out xx


Thursday 14 June 2012

britmums

KIDS AND NUTRITION


I am blogging for the pineapple lounge regarding food, nutrition and kids so thought I would also put a photo of my children on.

****HOW DO I SHOP FOR MY KIDS FOOD?****

I don't go out and do a special shop for my kids, I do the family food shopping all together and buy foods that we all like, I'm quite lucky as the kids will eat most foods that I eat, but I do buy extras for them such as certain fruits and veg that I don't eat myself and puddings and jucies.

****WHAT ARE MY PRIORITES?****

My priorites are that my kids get to eat a wide range of foods, making sure that they try different things, I do like them to try healthy foods but to also have pizza and burgers sometimes, As long as they get some fruit and veg each day and are generally healthy then i'm happy.

****WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT****

I do worry that they don't always gets enough vitamins and eat all there food, especially with my son as he has school dinners so I can't control how much and what he eats, I do know that they prepare and serve healthy food and puddings but I don't know how well he eats.
I also worry that both my children will pick up my eating habbits as I don't eat much fruit, veg or salad as I don't like it. Because of this I am constantly tierd and lack vitamins and iron and have to take iron tablets are have vitamin b injections and I would hate for my kids to end up the same.

****WHAT DO I LOOK FOR****

I look for foods that I believe and know that my kids like, but also for foods that are fun, healthy and colour full as I find these seem to appeal to my kids.
I also look for foods my kids have said they don't like or won't eat but that is packaged and prepared differently.

****WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTENT THINGS TO ME WHEN IT COMES TO MY KIDS AND NUTRITION?****

To me it is importent that my kids get a variety of nutritions from a variety of foods, it is important to me that they get all of these as nutrition as by getting all of these it helps them grow and develop, I also believe that it is important to teach my children about nutrition as by doing this they will learn what is good and what is bad for them and why these things are good and bad for them, I believe that it is important to teach them this from as young age as possible so they learn early enough and by doing this they can also helping their younger brother and sisters and also there cousins and friends.

****WHICH BRANDS GET IT RIGHT****

To me their is no set brand that gets it right or gets it wrong, each brand does their own thing, Some may get a higher salt content than others and have a lower sugar content but then another brand will have a higher suger content and lower salt content.

****WHAT DO BRANDS SAY/DO THAT ANNOY ME****

I hate when brands say they are better than other brands, I don't no how they can say this as everyone has different taste buds, and it annoys me that some brands charge ridiculous prices for their products when you can by a shops own brand that often tastes just as nice, if not nicer for a lot less.

****WHERE DO TREATS AND PUDDINGS FIT IN? AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THERE FOR ME?****

I do buy treats and puddings for both my children, but have rules as and when they can have them, I have done this with both my children from the age they started having solid foods.
I like my kids to eat all their food before I allow them to have a pudding, I don't go out and buy proper puddings, I get custard and yogurts, and occasionally doughnuts and cakes. I do also buy crisps, biscuits and chocolate bars as I believe every child deserves to have these.
At the moment I only have a problem with my eldest as he is 6 years old so will often moan for a pudding even when he hasn't finished his dinner.
What I have now started to do is when he say's he is full and can't eat all his food I now put it to one side for 5 minutes and tell him that if he can eat it then he can have a pudding/treat and he does.
I do treat both the kids to mcdonalds and kfc, once a month we go to the play center and for food afterwards as it is nice for them to go out and have something different and they don't expect this all the time which is good.
At the weekend we also have a few hours where the 3 of us will sit and watch a few films whilst having tea and cuddles before bed and on this day we have sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps and cakes which they enjoy more because it's not something they get every day.

****WHAT DO MY KIDS SAY/THINK? DO THEY COMMENT ON THEIR DIET? DO THEY ASK ME FOR CERTAIN THINGS? AND NO ABOUT NUTRITION?

I have spoke to my eldest about this before writing this part of the blog, I believe that he is old enough to have his say as he is 6 years old, 7 in a few months, My youngest is 19months old and can only say a few words so I can't really ask her.

DJ- I like my the food that I get to eat,at home and in school, in school we have something different every day, the only thing I don't like that they give me in school is cabbage, its urghhh.
I do sometimes wish that I could have more sweeties like my friends and sometimes I ask my mummy but she say's no. But because I don't have sweets all the time and get them as treats mummy buy's me a comic instead which I like getting.
I no mummy does this because she wants me to grow up big and strong so i can look after her when she's old and because if I eat lots of good things like fish, fruit and vegetables I will be clever and have a good job when i'm older and it will make me not get lots of nasty colds and tummy aches.
I no that by eating healthy food I will have lots of energy, big strong bones and learn lots of things at school.

So that is exactly what DJ has said to me, so I have found that he does no a little but I do think he should no more, and will try and teach him a little more than he know's now.

Please guys if you have any comments I would really like to hear your opinion on kids, nutrition and their eating habbits

ADD ON- I have had a conversation with friends mentioning that I have done this post and have asked them what there opinions are on kids and nutrition and what they believe is the next new thing to come with nutrition, we spoke about this in are regular monthly meet up without are kids.

A friend who has no children stated that she thought it was ok for kids to eat what they wanted that she would be happy for her kids to eat burgers, crisps and junk every day, not actually realizing how important nutrition are to our children and was actually quite shocked when we told her that they are important and help the kids grow, stay healthy and help them learn.
My other friends all with children of their own also have the same views as myself and have said that they think in the near future that they will have nutritious chocolate and crisps, sweets so that kids can have them more often and enjoy them whilst at the same time getting energy and vitamins from them.
They have also said that they believe that health visitors and doctors will soon have more contact with kids to keep and eye on them and if they believe that their diets are not good enough that they will speak to parents offering advice on how to change these diets and offer vitamins.
I agree with them that in the near future that sweets, chocolates and crisps may be healthy and nutritious but I don't think the doctor/health visitor will get involved unless a child is morbidly obese.

Thursday 24 May 2012

PAINT YOUR OWN CANVAS KIDS SET (REVIEW)



Findmeagift.com were kind enough to get in touch to see if I would like to review a product for them and this is the item I choose to review.
Within a few days of them contacting me and giving them my details my chosen product arrived in the post, packaged well in cardboard packaging.

The kids create canvas set comes with 4 canvasses, 1 paint palette, 6 paint pots, 2 glitter tubs, 1 paint brush, 1 ribbon and 5 sticker sheets, I choose to do this with my eldest son DJ and he couldn't wait until we were able to do it, (I thought it was best we waited until Ruby was in bed).
This is all packaged really nice and is aimed at children age 3years plus.


Here is DJ waiting for me to get a drink before we got started, on the palette is an extra space for you to mix your colors which I thought was a good idea, I also learnt whilst doing this that DJ know's how to mix and make various colors. Both of us really enjoyed doing this and it was nice to spend some quality time together doing something that he loves.
We spent a good 45 minutes doing a picture each and talking whilst doing it, After painting we allowed them to dry and decorated them with some stickers and glitter.


Here are 2 of the pictures that we have painted, we will be painting the other 2 at the weekend.
I really enjoyed doing these and asked DJ his opinion on them also.
DJ'S OPINION- I really liked doing this it was nice to do some painting different to what I normally do, I also like that I was able to stick stickers and glitter on them as well, I can't wait to do the other 2 with my mum again and hope that my mum will buy some more of these for me to do with my friends.

As I have already said I enjoyed doing this, and think that this kit would make a brilliant gift for friends and families children for birthdays and christmas, I for one will certainly be ordering some as gifts in the very near future.

Below are the links for find me a gift, there is a link for there website, facebook and twitter page.

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/   http://www.twitter.com/findmeagift   http://www.facebook.com/findmeagift

Wednesday 23 May 2012

NATURALLY POWERED


I am a member of www.bzzagent.co.uk and am an official bzz agent, so sometimes I am sent products free of charge to review.
For this I was sent the naturally powered toilet cleaner (full size) and 2 samples of the washing up liquid and some money of vouchers. I have handed out the money off vouchers and washing up liquid samples to friends and have tried and reviewing the toilet cleaner myself.

Naturally powered all in one toilet gel has a lovely citrus scent to it, It claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria as well as disinfect, cleans, freshen and remove limescale from your toilet. It is recommended you leave in the toilet for at least 2 hours or overnight before flushing. I have done both

After leaving this for just over 2 hours I went to flush the chain and was surprised as it had cleaned and removed the limescale from the bottom of the toilet.
I left it a few days and again tried this but leaving it over night, when I woke in the morning I woke to the lovely smell of citrus in my bedroom and on the landing, After flushing the chain I was really surprised with the results, again it had cleared the limescale and my toilet smelt fresh and was sparkling.

Naturally powered also make other products and are produced for tesco and for sale in tesco stores.
It comes in a recycled plastic bottle with a green screw top lid that is suitable for recycling.
The only problem I have had with this is that the neck of the bottle is straight, I think it would be better if it was curved. This toilet gel isn't as thick as other brands of toilet cleaner I have used so I didn't expect it to work as well but it did, I still have a little of this product well and will be buying this in the future

Thursday 17 May 2012

Crazy Soap

Crazy Soap were kind enough to send me a few of their products to review.
I was sent 5 items in total from them
1)mousse (white)
2)mousse(green)
3)bath time goo (yellow)
4)bath time body paint(red)
5)bath time paint (blue)

My son was really excited to try them out, so that day the products arrived he asked if he could have a bath after his tea.
We went upstairs and started to run the water(cold) so that he could do the bath goo himself so he took a handful and placed his hand under the taps and watched the goo start to dissolve into the water making loads of bubbles, and was really impressed by the fact that it also turned the water yellow.

Next DJ played with the mousse, this you can do what ever you like with, you can make it into shapes, use it on your body to wash with you can even mix 2 colors up together to make another color.
What DJ loved best was the body paints, he loved the fact that he could paint himself with them and draw on the bath and bath tiles without getting told off.
Both the bath paints have a nice clean fruity smell to them that lingers on the skin and in the bathroom for a good while afterwards, which I liked.


As you can see in the pictures above is DJ playing with the mousse making it into shapes and drawing on himself and the bath.
The bath paint is easy to rinse of the bath and body and lathers up well, We still have some body paint and mousse left but have run out of the bath goo and he has asked if we can get more, he now spends ages playing in the bath, compared to the 15minutes he used to spend in there.
Crazy soap is available to buy from Tescos and Morrisions, and prices start from just £2.00.
You can follow crazy soap on twitter and facebook.
There twitter name is @CrazySoap_Kids
Or you can follow them on facebook   facebook.com/Crazy.Soap.Kids.