Naptime Natter

Living with a mischievous todder {featuring outfits from the Disney Store baby collection}

Living with a mischievous todder {featuring outfits from the Disney Store baby collection}

*collaborative post*

Have you seen the original version of The Jungle Book? Of course you have, it’s an amazing film. Do you remember the song King Louie sings? The chorus goes ‘Oobe do, I wanna be like you. I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too‘ and so on. Well, I am pretty sure my toddler Alex is channelling his inner King Louie, but in reverse. Alex is already a man cub , so to speak, but he is desperate to show us all that he would love nothing more than to be a little cheeky monkey. My 16 month old is so mischievous and is always trying to get up to no good. View Post

Piccolo launches One for One campaign – help vulnerable families and WIN a month’s supply of Piccolo pouches

Piccolo launches One for One campaign – help vulnerable families and WIN a month’s supply of Piccolo pouches

Imagine not having enough money to feed your baby every day. Unfortunately, this is the awful reality for thousands of families across the UK. When my kids are hungry they are given food immediately, I can only imagine how heart breaking it must feel to see your baby crying in hunger and not have any food to feed them. So many British families are relying on food banks to be able to give their children the essential nourishment they need to grow up and develop and there are many charities who are also doing what they can to make sure no one has to go hungry. Organic baby food brand Piccolo are launching a brand new campaign to help families struggling to feed their children. The One for One campaign will launch in October and hopes to donate 100,000 pouches of Piccolo baby food to the children who need them the most.  View Post

21 things you can do with a Bullabaloo muslin blanket

21 things you can do with a Bullabaloo muslin blanket

There are so many things you need when bringing a tiny human into the world. There are the essentials, clothes/nappies and so on, and then there are the more luxury items, a nappy disposal unit that smells like flowers and a designer nappy changing bag for example. With an almost endless list of things to buy before you baby arrives, products that are versatile and do pretty much everything are a must, right? Let me introduce you to these amazing muslin blankets for new British brand Bullabaloo.  They come in amazing tropical print patterns and are super soft as they’re made from bamboo. The best thing though is that they are pretty amazing at multi tasking too. To prove my point, here’s a list.. View Post

A day out at the Roald Dahl Museum with Mr Kipling

A day out at the Roald Dahl Museum with Mr Kipling

If I had to write a list of all the things I love to do in life, two things that would make it pretty close to the top are reading and eating cake. I have been a massive book worm for as long as I have been able to read and my all time favourite author as a child was Roald Dahl. So, I am sure you can imagine how excited I was to receive an invite to an event celebrating the collaboration between Mr Kipling and Roald Dahl this summer at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. A chance to get to know more about my favourite children’s author and the opportunity to eat loads of cake? Obviously I said yes and this morning the kids and I headed off to Great Missenden, Roald Dahl’s home and inspiration for several years, to discover more about the wacky world of Roald Dahl and to find out all about the Mr Kipling Splendiferous Summer. If you are partial to a French Fancy (or 5), would like to find out how to win some amazing prizes this summer holidays and love the children’s literary mastermind that is the amazing Roald Dahl, then you are definitely going to want to read on.. View Post

5 reasons all busy mums need a pair of Converse

5 reasons all busy mums need a pair of Converse

Ever since my teens I have been obsessed with Converse All Star trainers. I am not sure where this love comes from but it probably has something to do with when I wanted to be a rock star and convinced my parents to buy me a guitar when I was about 12. Obviously dreams of rock star fame faded but my love of converse shoes has continued to grow and now, aged 25, I am a proud owner of three different pairs. My faithful converse have served me well since becoming a Mum and I am totally of the opinion that all busy mums need at least one pair of converse in their life. Here’s why.. View Post

WaterWipes review – the best wipes for little bums?

WaterWipes review – the best wipes for little bums?

If there is one thing every parent to be should buy in bulk before their little one arrives it is baby wipes. Babies seem to enjoy pooing a lot and it is surprising how many wipes you can get through in a single day. It can be difficult deciding which wipes to buy with so many different brands out there, most of which claim to be perfect for newborn skin, and it is also hard as you don’t know how sensitive your child’s skin is going to be. Alex is 5 months old now and we have been using supermarket own brand wipes up until recently. There have been a few occasions where Alex has suffered with mild nappy rash and we have had to use some Care&Protect to clear it up. Recently we were given the opportunity to test out WaterWipes, the only baby wipes out there made almost entirely of water. I was interested to review these wipes to see if using wipes free from any chemicals really made any difference to Alex’s sensitive skin. View Post

Baby’s first bath with HiPP Free From range

Baby’s first bath with HiPP Free From range

Ahh, don’t you just love the feel of a newborn baby’s skin? So soft and silky and perfect. With skin so delicate and sensitive it is no wonder us Mums can be a bit fussy when it comes to the products we decide to use on our baby’s skin. Unfortunately, Alex was born with seriously dry and flaky skin, it was so bad on his hands and feet that it was all scabbed and sore. The midwife banned us from using anything on his skin (not even water) until it had cleared up. After a couple weeks of no bath time, once Alex’s skin was better I couldn’t wait to get him in the water and try out the new Free From range from HiPP, a selection of baby care products free from all nasties and perfect for use on newborn skin. View Post

BellyBuds review

BellyBuds review

It is only 9 weeks until baby boy’s due date and I can really feel a strong bond forming between us both already. I love feeling him kick and wriggle around in my belly and often find myself rubbing my baby bump with a smile on my face. Oli and Leo are bonding with baby boy too, Leo likes to sing to my belly and Oli loves having a chat with his unborn son. For non immediate family though it can be a bit more difficult for the baby to get to know their voices before he or she arrive into the world. This is where the awesome BellyBuds sound system comes in, the baby friendly speakers allow you to safely play recorded messages from loved ones as well as music to your baby while he or she is still in the womb. I have been testing out some BellyBuds myself and I think they are a really great idea and a fun little product to have as part of your pregnancy journey. View Post

Do you know the law when it comes to car seats?

Do you know the law when it comes to car seats?

As a parent, there is nothing more important to me than the safety of my child. I don’t wrap Leo up in cotton wool, far from it, he is allowed to explore the world around him as much as he wants under my watchful eye. However, when it comes to car safety there really is no room for compromise. Car accidents can happen at any time, you could be the best driver in the world but you can not, unfortunately, control how everyone else drives around you. If the worst was to happen, having the correct car seat for your child will make sure they are as protected from injury as possible. The laws surrounding car seats can be pretty confusing. To help you navigate your way around this essential yet sometimes mind boggling part of parenting, here are all the basics you need to know about car seats, including links to further reading if you need it. View Post

Belly Bandit Preggo support tank top review

Belly Bandit Preggo support tank top review

When it comes to buying maternity clothes, I am all about finding pieces that look good but, most importantly, are comfortable. During this second pregnancy I have purchased a few key pieces of maternity wear and have also been buying regular clothes in a bigger size. I am now in the third trimester and any clothes that can offer my ever growing bump some support get a big thumbs up from me. When the team at Belly Bandit contacted me and asked if I would like to review something from their maternity range, I jumped at the chance. If you read my pregnancy updates you will know that I am feeling massive this time around and my bump is only getting bigger! View Post

Kidloland children’s app – Review and giveaway

Kidloland children’s app – Review and giveaway

Being nearly 3, Leo is at an age now where his brain is like a little sponge. He is absorbing new information all the time and learning new skills pretty much every day. At the minute Leo enjoys reciting the alphabet and trying to count past 10 and, as his Mummy, I love to see him learning and I try to help and encourage him in any way I can. When Kidloland, a nursery rhyme educational app for preschoolers, got in touch I couldn’t wait to see how this app could help with Leo’s learning and development. View Post

Pregnancy milestone cards from Babyblooms

Pregnancy milestone cards from Babyblooms

I have mentioned before how much I am enjoying documenting my second pregnancy. I love writing regular bump updates and taking lots of photos of my rapidly growing baby bump. Pregnancy is such a special time and I know from experience, that once it is over, it can be forgotten all too easily. Maybe writing a pregnancy blog isn’t for you but there are lots of fun ways you can document your pregnancy. When Babyblooms got in touch and asked if I wanted to review their pregnancy milestone cards, I said yes straight away, I couldn’t think of a more adorable way to record all those important moments that happen when you have a baby on the way. View Post

How to save money when shopping for a new baby

How to save money when shopping for a new baby

Having a new baby is an exciting time for every parent, be it first time around, second time or if you are expecting your tenth baby. As most of you know by now, I am expecting my second little boy and I can’t wait for us to become a family of four in October. I am very unprepared though and with just 14weeks to go it is about time I started doing some shopping for baby. Bringing a new little life in to the world can be quite an expensive business, babies just need so much stuff.  If you are looking to bring the cost of shopping for a new baby down, here are my tips on how to save yourself some money. View Post

Online shopping, every parents hero?

Online shopping, every parents hero?

There are lots of things I enjoy much more now I’m a parent. Trips to the beach, walks in the countryside, film days cuddled up on the sofa are all just a few examples of activities that are more exciting when you have a little one in tow. An experience that hasn’t been enhanced in the slightest by having a child is a trip to the shops. Ever since becoming a mum I am much happier sitting at home doing some online shopping than I am when out dragging my reluctant toddler up and down the High Street. Let me tell you, there is nothing therapeutic about retail therapy when you have to take your child along with you, unless you count torture as a form of therapy – for the record, I don’t.

Here are some reasons why I can often be found doing online shopping rather than hitting the shops.. View Post

Fabulous footwear by Chatham

Fabulous footwear by Chatham

Who doesn’t love a bit of retail therapy every now and then? Since becoming parents, Oli and I don’t really go out of our way to spend money on ourselves anymore. After we have spent a small fortune on bills, the food shop, petrol and general life, there is not always much left over to fund a shopping spree. Whatever spare cash we have is usually spent on doing things for Leo, spoiling him with new toys and going on adventures. If we had the money, I would love to treat myself to a brand new summer wardrobe, full of pretty maternity clothes all bursting with bright summery colours. Oli does not get so excited by shopping, so the idea of spending any disposable income on clothes does not appeal, however, he has been talking about buying himself some new shoes for a while now but we keep spending money on other things. This is where Chatham, a Great British footwear company, came to my hubby’s rescue and he finally got some brand spanking new shoes, without having to even set foot on the local High Street. Result! View Post

Where to next?