Skin Blossom Care and Protect Hand Cream

I was kindly sent a tube of Skin Blossoms Care and Protect Hand Cream to review, made with 91% organic ingredients and certified to the Soil Association organic skin care standards. The special blend of plant oils fight dryness and work with restoring Shea Butter to leave hands in tip top condition.

As all mums know we seem to constantly be doing things that require us to wash our hands, which leaves them incredibly dry. I have especially dry and flaky skin on my hands, so anything that is going to make my hands feel slightly less like a scouring pad was going to be a hit with me. I am pleased to announce that this hand cream did in fact make my hands feel lovely and soft.

It has a very light, almost runny consistency, which means that it went into my skin very easily, the smell of Rose Geranium was quite strong, but not unpleasant.

It is a vegan product and registered by the Vegan Society, meaning that anyone can use it.

The Skin Blossom range of products are available from ocado.com, health and beauty stores nationwide or from the website www.skinblossom.co.uk

I must admit to keeping this tube of handcream in the changebag whilst I am out to use each time I have washed my hands, as it really does seem to moisturise my dry hands.

The Princess and The Sleep Stealer

A magical tale of fantasy and adventure . . .  
sweet dreams guaranteed!

Princess Luna is the Sleep Keeper of the little town of Papier. Every night, she leans out of her castle window and sprinkles sleepy dust down to the houses below, sending everyone gently to sleep until morning. But disaster strikes when the dust disappears! Where has it gone? And with time rapidly running out, will the princess get it back before bedtime?

With sleep-stealing pirates, a friendly dragon and a heroic princess, not to mention a moonlit race over sugar mountains and through liquorice trees, this book has all the ingredients for the perfect bedtime story!

Elissa Elwick graduated from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth in 2008 with a pencil firmly fixed in her right-hand and she hasn’t stopped drawing since. In addition to her illustration work, Elissa makes greeting cards and plush toys and also runs illustration workshops at schools. When not thinking up stories or inventing new characters, she’s usually making a cup of tea, buying yet another book or gluing googly eyes onto inanimate objects. Elissa lives in London and THE PRINCESS AND THE SLEEP STEALER is her first picture book.

When we first received this book to review, I was a little apprehensive, Eowyn is at the age where she enjoys `happy' stories, and I was worried that someone doing something bad would not go down very well.

We have certain episodes of television programmes that feature witches or naughty goblins that she immediately turns off, so I read the story myself first just to make sure.

However, it did not prove to be a problem, the illustrations are fun and there are some very funny characters called Bobwobs  and the three zees, added to that liquorice trees and sugar mountains and Eowyn was transfixed.

A very unique story that made a change from the traditional, and without giving too much away, it does have a happy ending!

The book is not too long and is a perfect bedtime story, that will make the reader feel very sleepy and somewhere in the distance maybe Princess Luna will be sprinkling her sleepy dust...

We Saw The Dolphins!

We have just returned from a lovely week in Wales, staying in a fairly remote cottage between New Quay and Aberystwyth, it was very quiet with no phone or internet signal, which was surprisingly quite nice, although attempting to make a phonecall whilst Asa was driving along little narrow roads in our family bus was quite entertaining!
We had stayed in New Quay eight years ago and we were amazed by the dolphins just swimming around the harbour, we had promised to take the children again, so eight years later and three more children we did!
I do feel that I have to publicly apologise to my children as I was not the most happy mummy on our holiday, mainly due to sleep deprivation, a little to do with feeling ill with swollen glands and quite a lot to do with the constant scrutinisation of other people. I did feel like getting a T-Shirt made saying Yes I have Six Children, Yes it was our choice to have a large family, No I do not live on benefits and Yes my husband works very hard in a fairly well paid job....
I'm sure people don't mean to stare, but I constantly felt like I had to ensure the children were on their best behaviour at all times, which of course is ridiculous, but it was just how I was made to feel. I would like to add that they were in fact brilliant and did behave themselves.
so A BIG FAT SORRY for not being funny mummy and more like moody mummy! But I can't be chilled and relaxed every day of the year xxx
Anyway, we went out on a lovely boat trip for just an hour, reasonably priced and very pleasant, we did of course see the dolphins, but by the time we had ended our trip they were swimming happily in the harbour so as Xene pointed out we could have just stood and watched without going on the boat!
The entire week consisted of going to different beaches and doing the children's new found favourite pasttime Rock Pooling, they caught numerous crabs of varying size, shrimps, fish and the Beach Hoppers proved entertaining hopping all over the beach, although I have to admit to one crab disaster, I had only taken my eye off the bucket for a second to look closely and realsie that the bigger crab had in fact eaten the smaller crab and it was not hiding underneath as I had promised the younger children! Obviously crabs do not all live happily together...
Now we are back home and working our way through a mountain of washing thinking that the school holidays are passing far too quickly and I do not want the children to go back to school.

Limited Edition LOVE Fragrance

The exclusive LOVE fragrance by the Gorilla Perfumers at LUSH is launching in all stores NATIONWIDE on Monday 15th August for one month only!

Inspired by young, flirty love and the heartache that can sour it, this tempting fragrance smells of fresh bitten apples and zesty lemongrass evoking the exhilarating feeling of a bright new romance. As the scent warms to the skin and develops throughout the day the spicey notes of cinnamon, ylang ylang and jasmine bring a long lasting sensuality to the perfume, evoking feelings of a deeper romance whilst still hinting at flirty excitement with refreshing lemon notes.
Love is an instantly bright and bubbly fragrance with a vivacious green apple fruit scent and sweet citrus innocence. As the initial burst fades, it's replaced with a sugary sweet apple pie note while maintaining a sharp lift.”
Main notes: Lemon, lemongrass, bergamot, apple, cinnamon, cassia, jasmine, rose

Love will be available in LUSH shops NATIONWIDE from 15th August 2011 for a limited time only. Order online at www.lush.co.uk  or www.gorillaperfume.com
 I must admit to being an absolute nigtmare to buy perfume for as I am extremely fussy and very rarely wear any extra smells. Although the thought of something other than perfume ala baby milk is quite appealing at present!
I was sent a sample of this perfume and was surprisingly excited, it isn't too flowery or too strong, It has a real citrusy smell about it and smelled very summery, but at the same time very warm.
I have to admit defeat and say that this is actually a perfume that I like, my husband will be so pleased that he can actually purchase a perfume for me, altough as it is only on sale for a month, I had better drop large hints for a Christmas Present that he will have to buy early...

OzBozz My First Scooter Review and Giveaway.

My First Scooter by Ozbozz is a terrific pre-school 3 in 1 trainer scooter, specifically designed with the younger child in mind. This excellent scooter is a wonderful way to encourage learning through active play. This clever and sturdy little My First Scooter grows with the child. The large 4 wheels provide extra support for the little ones as they learn to develop coordination and balance. As the little ones become a bit more confident the My First Scooter can be changed easily to become a 3 wheel scooter and then onto 2 wheels when the child is ready. It's so easy and comes with a small tool kit and detailed easy to follow instructions. The My First Scooter can be folded down when not in use and has been designed in cute, bright colours with co-ordinating soft grab hand grips. The My First Scooter is recommended for children aged 2 years+

Eowyn was sent this lovely scooter to review. It arrived in a fairly small box, we tipped out the pieces and picked up the instructions!

The putting together of the scooter was very easy, the only thing to note is that when using all four wheels, there are two different sizes, so be careful to put them on the correct place, or it could result in a wobbly scooter...

The scooter is very sturdy and perfect for a toddler, Eowyn immediately looked grown up on her first scooter, just like her brothers and sisters smaller scooters, she had tried one of Nevas old scooters but had found it far too big and wanted a little one!

The excellent design means that the scooter will grow with her, transferring from the four wheels, onto three and eventually just the two small wheels. I think it represents excellent value for money as there is no need to buy another scooter as she becomes more confident, you just change the configuration.

It is a fun looking scooter with bright colours and will also be suitable when Tyrus reaches the toddler stage.

Eowyn is able to whizz around the patio - I say whizz, more like trundle as toddlers do, but she is perfectly happy and appears confident when moving the scooter around. I would definitely recommend this for any toddler to learn the skills of scootering.

The lovely people at OzBozz have kindly given me a My First Scooter to give to one lucky blog follower. 

If you'd like the chance to win this fantastic scooter, heres what you have to do ......

1. You must follow the blog with google friend connect or Networked Blogs.

2. Pop over to OzBozz Outdoor Toys and RETURN here

3. Then leave a comment with the outdoor toy you like best from their website, your facebook / twitter name so i can contact you if you are the lucky winner .

That’s the mandatory entries done , but if you want extra credits you can do any of the following or all ....

~ follow Hex Mum on facebook

~ follow OzBozz on facebook, who are also going to have their own giveaway at 1000 likers

~.follow @Hex_Mum on twitter

If you have done any of the extra entries please let me know in a separate comment.

Thanks and Good Luck xxx

Comp closes 21st September 2011

And The Winner Is ....

The winner of the Baby Bjorn Cup is Maya Russell.
Congratulations, could you please send your details to mandijmorrison@aol.com and I shall arrange for your prize to be sent to you.
If you are not a winner this time plaese enter my other giveaways and look out for new ones on the way.

What I Dream Of Owning the Most ....

I have been tagged by the lovely mymummyspennies to share what I dream of owning the most and here it is

A Farm Park, combining my love of children and animals, I dream of owning a place that families can come and spend the day with the animals stroking and feeding the animals and handling them, lambs, goats, rabbits, pigs, chickens and maybe a couple of ponies.

We are fortunate to live in a quite rural village and have eight chickens, although I keep trying to persuade my husband that we could have some more! When I was a teenager I used to own a horse, and my love for them has never faded.

How this will happen I can only imagine, but everyone has to have a dream, and that is mine.

I'm tagging  bubbaloves, Here Comes Trouble and BusyMumof3 to share what they dream of owning the most and link back to The Wonderful Adventures of Spud & Spike!

Zoobles are so cool

Zoobles are collectible, colourful balls that spring to life and magically transform into fun and cute charaters when placed on their happitat.

Neva age 8 adores Zoobles and was very excited to received their new `Mama and Zoobling Pack,'not just a zooble but one that has a special surprise waiting inside. We were lucky to have a yellow and green set called Unga and Bunga.

The baby fits nicely inside mummy, or can rest in the hammock or play on the swing.

They are for ages 4+, although Eowyn did like them too! Neva used to call them Bakugan for Girls before she knew their name, because of the way they pop open on a magnetic surface.

There are hundreds of different Zoobles to collect, and I think more of these will be on Neva's Christmas list!

Zoobles have a facebook page and you can visit their website and play lots of games.

Armouron - Its Awesome !

Armouron is the brainchild of Sue Lipscombe, an animation set designer and mother to two young boys. After an unsuccessful mission to find a knight’s costume for her son, Sue decided to go one step better and embarked on creating one herself.

Sue came up with the idea of constructing a futuristic looking lightweight suit of armour that children could easily build and customise themselves for an individual look. Just attach the pieces together with `snapperons’ to create your armour! Add the accessory packs to your Armour suit to customise and unleash the hidden warrior within.

Kaide and Lochlan were sent a set of Armouron each to review, Kaide had red, Lochlan blue.

They were extremely excited when the boxes arrived. We tipped out the pieces and looked at the instructions. In our household I like to follow the instructions to the letter, on the other hand my husband Asa doesn’t bother looking at instructions and just begins putting pieces together. In all fairness both sets looked great, but it’s just `my thing’ that it has to be correct!

It did take a little while to put the basic helmet and chest piece together, but once this was completed, the boys were able to customise it to their own specification.

The snapperons are easy to clip together and have two different lengths, depending on how many pieces you are fixing together. Warning –they really hurt if you tread on one, so I would recommend they be put away after play!

The Armouron sets worked brilliantly for both boys, which is great, especially as there is a five year age gap, the brilliance of these sets is that they can be adjusted to fit many different sized children.

There are numerous accessories including swords and daggers, and the accessory packs can be added to the armour set to enhance it.

Both boys when asked have said it is “awesome”.

For more information and to purchase Armouron visit http://www.bandai.co.uk/

Six Children Already, What's Another Six !

Last night Xene the Teen had a sleepover, originally it was supposed to be nine of them including Xene, but two were unable to make it, so just six extra bodies.

Usually when Xene has a sleepover it is about four or five friends, which means they can sleep in our playroom, but I thought that nine teenage girls, with half of them bigger than me, would never fit in the playroom, so we decided that the sleepover would take place outside in the tent!

They began arriving at 7, just in time for the heavens to open...luckily they didn't get too wet, they put all their belongings in the tent and came back in to watch Vampires Suck, with three large bags of crisps, two bags of popcorn and a couple of bottles of fizzy drink (apparently it keeps them awake all night!)

I pumped up a few airbeds for those sensible enough to bring them and they took them out to the tent, two minutes later they were back followed by screams and shrieks-the canopy had been left open and had gathered a large pool of water on it, which ended up on the airbeds and the inner compartment, so numerous towels later and a whole Sunday Telegraph and the floor was dried!

I have to admit to the best nights sleep on a sleepover ever, usually I am still kept awake til 4am with the noise, but this time I heard nothing, so much so that apparently Xene came in during the night and asked if they could watch the rest of the film and I said "Yes, just be quiet" I have no recollection of this whatsoever...

I came downstairs at 8am to find seven very bleary eyed teenagers, made some cups of tea and got breakfast for those that wanted it and the rest of the morning passed very peacefully, I will definitely be doing that again!

Pilot Fashion - A Teenage Must

Pilot is one of the UK's leading young clothing brands for the fashion-conscious teen to twenty-something young woman. With over 40 stores across the UK and a new relaunched online shop at http://www.pilotfashion.com/, Pilot is dedicated to delivering the hottest fashion trends straight off the catwalk at fabulous fashionista prices that just can’t be beaten. Pilot’s extensive range of clothing, footwear & accessories, provides fast-fashion and wardrobe essentials to suit every style.

Xene was sent some fabulous clothes to review for Pilot Fashion. As a parent of a young teen, it is sometimes difficult to find clothes for her that are trendy and up to date, but at the same time, affordable and fit for purpose.

She is growing quite rapidly at the moment and is now in a ladies size 8, therefore she is looking at clothing that is more suitable for women, but at Pilot they cater for younger teens as well as young women.

 

 

The first outfit she reviewed was a floral playsuit, she felt very comfortable in it and said it was easy to move around in, she was pleased with how it looked and loved the material which is perfect for a nice sunny day.

 

 

 

The black long sleeved heart top, she teamed with the black and white shorts, which complimented each other nicely and looked very trendy. Great for a day out with her friends bowling or a theme park. She thought the shorts looked very feminine, as they were shaped more like a skirt, and the sleeves on the top were tight fitting, meaning they did not get in the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The floral one sleeve dress looked very pretty and would be perfect for a special occasion, it was a very light material and the ruffles on the shoulder gave it a uniqueness.

 

 

 

 

The wide neck flower top is great for everyday wear, but at the same time looked very smart and could be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion.

 

 

 

 

All of the clothes are reasonably priced, all of Xene’s friends were impressed with the clothing and have checked out the website, it is definitely worth a browse, especially if you have a teen in the family or need inspiration for a birthday present

Caboodle Bags Review and Giveaway

I was kindly sent two Caboodle Bags to review, a Fun & Funky and an Active. They are both brilliant!
The Fun and Funky is a great change bag for putting both Tyrus and Eowyn’s stuff in, as all of you with a baby and toddler know you need so much stuff, well this bag certainly can hold it. It has a great funky spot design and I enjoy using it. There are so many pockets to put everything in. It comes with a changing mat, a grubby stuff bag and an insulated bottle holder that is attached via a Velcro piece so can be removed if not required. The end pockets are more than ample to hold Eowyn’s drink cup, and with five inside pockets all of their belongings can be stored so that you know where everything is! One of the pockets is especially for mum, with a mobile phone holder-if like me you always seem to spend at least five minutes routing around in your bag for car keys, well with this bag, you can put them in the mum pocket and know exactly where they are.
The bag looks so cool, it would also be great as an overnight bag, Xene has already asked if she can use if for her next sleepover.

The Active is completely different, but just as great. It doesn’t really look like a change bag, more like a rucksack, which is definitely the appeal, as my husband actually carries it, something he probably wouldn’t do with many of the change bags on the market. The cross-body strap is extremely comfortable and features a mobile phone pocket, which can be easily reached when wearing it, instead of trying to locate in my handbag! A fantastic webbed pocket on the back of the bag is perfect for storing the included change mat. The insulated bottle pocket is discretely hidden inside the bag, and the grubby stuff pocket is great for storing Eowyn’s muddy trousers when she slips over – I know this for a fact!
The front pocket is reserved just for me, with purse, key clip and even penholders.

The Caboodle Giveaway

The lucky winner will receive this exceptionally useful and fashionable,Charcoal Stripe Fun and Funky bag which any Mum would be lucky to have.

If you'd like the chance to win this gorgeous bag, heres what you have to do ......
1. You must follow the blog with google friend connect or Networked Blogs.
2. Pop over to Caboodle Bags and RETURN here
3. Then leave a comment with the bag you like best from their website, your facebook / twitter name so i can contact you if you are the lucky winner .

That’s the mandatory entries done , but if you want extra credits you can do any of the following or all ....
~ follow Hex Mum on facebook
~.follow @Hex_Mum on twitter

If you have done any of the extra entries please let me know in a separate comment.

Thanks and Good Luck xxx

Comp closes 10th September 2011

Sony Children's TV Remote Control

Imagine the scene, I have taken Tyrus upstairs with me to put away the clean washing, Eowyn is happily watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, three minutes after going upstairs I get shouted because she has pressed a button and put the TV on the shopping channel, I run back downstairs and put her channel back on, run back upstairs to continue putting away the clothes, two minutes later “Mum” - you get the picture, well I now have a solution...
The Sony Children's TV remote features new parental control features, simply assign up to 7 parent approved channels to the kids remote for worry-free channel surfing. Universal remote works with any TV, with hidden buttons to programme channel choices. Easy-to-grasp, child-friendly size with bright coloured body and fun shaped buttons for little hands. Splash proof. Expanded IR signal range up to 11m and volume limiter.
This gadget is the answer to my prayers! It was very easy to program, and Eowyn aged two and a half can use it easily. It has a panel that you unscrew which has buttons underneath that you use to set up the channels and link it to your TV freeview or Sky+, I was unsure that it would work with our television because it is quite old, but the instructions have a whole list of television makes and models with the corresponding codes, you th then screw the panel back on and the children are unable to change the settings, pure brilliance.

I found this TV remote so handy, especially as Eowyn has now learnt to use the Sky+ controller, meaning she is able to change the channel over very easily, but isn't then able to change it back. With this controller I programmed in 7 of her favourite channels – Disney, Disney Jnr, Nick Jr, Nick Jr 2, Cbeebies, Tiny Pop and Boomerang, and she was able to happily press each of the corresponding pictures to turn over the channel.
It proved invaluable and I would definitely recommend this to any family with a child old enough to enjoy television, but too young to read the channel names, just brilliant.
If you would like to purchase this very handy gadget it is now available from Argos

Win Aquasolari Bed Pad - The pad for all uses.

The very kind people at Aquasolari have kindly donated one of these fantastic Bed Pads as a prize. Read my review and check out its multitude of uses.

All you have to do to win it is like Aquasolari on facebook saying that Hex Mum sent you
Like my page on facebook Hex Mum
And finally follow my blog
If you would like to follow me on Twitter that would be great too @Hex_Mum
Once all 3 of them are done (or four if you're feeling generous!) please comment here and make sure you leave some form of contact details.
The competition ends 5/09/2011
Good Luck xxx

Aquasolari Bed Pad - So Many Uses.

I was kindly sent a couple of  Aquasolari Bed pads to review. What a surprise !

When my older children had been learning to go through the night I used the disposable bed pads, but always felt bad about adding more rubbish to the landfill sites, plus they never seemed to stay in place, so I was interested to see how this new type of washable bed pad would step up to the test, and it certainly does.

When I first opened the box I was immediately drawn to the plush feel of the product, it was very padded and didn’t really feel like a pad for catching liquid. It has very pretty labels actually sewn onto it, so you never have to worry about losing the washing instructions or the label falling off.

The tuck in wings are more than ample, meaning that it has a nice secure fit on a single bed, but it can also be used in a cot or Junior Bed.

My son actually commented that his bed felt much more comfortable with his new `fluffy bit’ which was a surprise as he isn’t the most observant boy when it comes to furnishings!

The pad is so soft it can actually be used on top of the sheet, so if you are trying to attempt a dry night with your toddler and it fails, there is no need to strip the entire bed, just take the pad off and put it in the washing machine.

If, like me you can’t stand the thought of drying out a mattress after an accident, leave one of the bed pads permanently under the sheet, just in case!

It can absorb 2 litres of liquid, a whole bottle of fizzy drink, maybe I should put one on my car seats as they always seem to spill the fizzy in my car!

I also have to admit stealing one of the pads and placing it under my own sheet as I am currently leaking milk everywhere and it is so much more comfortable than placing a towel on my bed.

The pad really does have a multitude of uses. If like me you are terrified that your children will have an accident whilst sleeping in someone else’s bed, such as on holiday, then just fold up the pad and take it with you, if one of the children do have an accident, then you can just pop it in the washing machine and it even tumble dries.

Another benefit to this pad is that it really can be used for lots of things, I wish that I had known about the pad before I gave birth, then I could have placed it under my sheet, just on the off chance that my waters broke whilst in bed, also would have been handy after the birth, or even when I gave birth.

It says on the box it has been washed in the tests 200 times, that’s a lot of washes, so once you have used it for one child, you can just fold it away and use next time round!

The cost of the Bed Pad is £39.99 with free P&P, which I originally thought sounded quite a lot, but when I saw the quality of it, I thought it was worth the money, plus if I purchased 200 disposable ones it would cost me £123, and that would be a lot of rubbish to throw away.

I would definitely recommend this bed pad to everyone.

The wonderful people at Aquasolari are so keen to show you how great it is, that they have given a special discount, by using the link below you can purchase the Aquasolari bed pad for just £35.99, a 10% saving, I am sure you will find it invaluable.

 http://www.aquasolari.com/hexum

It really does have many uses

Thrupenny Bits THE Ultimate Cushion for Breastfeeding Mummies

Thrupenny Bits is a stylish, highly portable breastfeeding cushion or pillow devised by mother of two Melissa Wyatt-Fosbury

"When I had my first child breastfeeding was not something that came easily, mainly I struggled with positioning and latch. When eventually someone suggested I try a breastfeeding pillow, feeding my son became much easier. However the breastfeeding pillow I was using at the time was too big to be portable, baby kept disappearing down the gap when the cushion slipped off my lap and it was severely lacking on the style front. This was when I was inspired to create something better that suited my own needs. 

By the time I had my second child I had devised a breastfeeding pillow addressing the issues I felt were lacking in other pillows.

a/ Portability – it carries like a bag

b/ The fact that it ties on so doesn’t slip off you lap like some others.

C/ Attractiveness – Gorgeous soft-to-touch fabrics aimed at the Mum rather than at the baby.

An added bonus I stumbled upon during the early production stages was that those in the Ultimate and classic ranges could easily be converted to a bag for continued use, I still use mine today as a bag when I’m out with the kids.

 Inside the outer bag theres a removable crescent shaped inner cushion filled with the virtually weightless foam-beads. With a strap that ties at the top, it can be carried over your shoulder like a bag, or hung over the handles of a pram. In short it looks more like a fashionable bag or cushion giving you the freedom to breastfeed anywhere... Arguably the best breastfeeding cushion around it is made from beautiful soft-to-the-touch fabrics that would not look out of place amongst your scatter cushions on your sofa or bed.

When you've just had a baby you don't always feel the most glamorous and don't necessarily feel like buying clothes. With these you can actually feel like you''ve got something gorgeous for you which just so happens to be enormously practical! When you and your baby have decided to stop breastfeeding for good,  you can simply take out the inner sack and voila - you have a lovely bag to carry all your baby paraphernalia around in. Of course until the next one comes along in which case re-insert the inner beanbag and away you go!”

I was kindly sent one of these cushions to help me feed Tyrus comfortably, and he loves it, so do I.

It is easy to put on and tie around your waist, enabling me to have hands free to be able to do other things, such as read with Eowyn or Kaide, or type on the computer with Tyrus supported and not moving about, I am not worried that he will slide in between myself and the cushion, and the beads move around enough that you can mould the cushion to the exact shape you need.

This cushion gives me at least one hand free, which is essential when dealing with more than one child.

The fact that it ties round the waist also means that it stays in place when I stand up, meaning I have some support when carrying Tyrus around the house and feeding at the same time. (which happens quite often!) My arm doesn’t tire because it is supported and he is able to latch on easily.

The cushion that I was sent is a lovely pink and mint green striped, very trendy and the fabric is gorgeous. The foam bead bag removes easily for washing or to turn it into a fashoinable looking bag, both Xene and Neva have already eyed it up for themselves!

I would definitely recommend this cushion for any breastfeeding mums and  am sure that once breastfeeding has stopped the bag will be used by all the females in this house!

To take a look at these fab cushions visit Thrupenny Bits 

Help Disney Junior Support Great Ormond Street Hospital

Help Disney Junior support Great Ormond Street Hospital

Help be one in a million by sharing your first Disney memory on Disney Junior's Facebook page here

Once 1 Million Disney memories have been shared Disney Junior will donate £1 million to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital (GOSH).
So please help by speading the word for this fantastic cause by sharing your first Disney memory and then Disney can do their magic once again and support such a fantastic Hospital.

Great Ormond Street Hospital is a fantastic place, no child wants to be in hospital but as we all know this is sometimes inevitable and GOSH do a fantastic job of not only caring so brilliantly for poorly children but make it feel like a home from home while you are there. A close friend of mine has been a nurse at GOSH and they do a wonderful job.

I have donated my memory - Going to see Snow White with my dad, I can remember sitting right at the front of the cinema and hiding behind him when the wicked queen turned into the old woman, I was scared, but had to keep looking, I still love Snow White now.

Please head over to Disney Junior’s Facebook page and donate your Disney memory too, I would love to see them reach 1 million memories very quickly.

Well done Disney this is a brilliant thing to do!! I hope you reach your goal.

To help spread the word I was tagged by mymummyspennies and Busymumof3so I am tagging 3 mummy bloggers and hope they will share this with their followers too:

Wonnablogger

Mummy Vs Work

Emma and 3

Keep this going and spread the Disney love.

If you would like to donate to GOSH you can do so directly here.

The Things Toddlers Do and Say !

This post is dedicated to Eowyn, child number five and currently in the terrible twos!
However my children never seem to stick to that and their terrible part usually takes place at age three...
This weekend we had planned to have a barbecue on Saturday evening, but after consulting the met office - my husbands favourite friend, we decided we would wait until Sunday evening - Roast dinners get reserved for the winter in this household.
Asa said to Eowyn that we would have the barbecue on Sunday to which she replied YAY and flung her arms around his legs and gave him a big squeeze. He then went on to tell her that instead we would go to the pub on the river for a short time on Saturday, she yelled at the top of her voice HOORAY and smothered daddy with kisses, she then stopped, looked at dad with a slight frown and said "Daddy, what's the pub ?"

Last night whilst Asa was rugby training, all of the electric went off, this happens quite often in our old house when the children leave too many lights on and overload the circuit. A quick flick of a switch in the electricity cupboard and normality is restored, but not last night! It was indeed a powercut. So mine and Asa's plans of a lovely Indian meal when he returned were scuppered! Luckily my sister had just turned up with a gigantic sponge cake, that had lovingly been baked for us, in return for a tray of our Free Range eggs, think I get the best deal!
It was out for quite a while, so I found all of the torches and then went in search of the candles, which I found and lit, there lies the problem... any candles that are lit in our house means a birthday cake, so Eowyn proceeded to spend her time blowing out the candles everytime I lit them - not helpful...
Asa returned and located the tube of glowsticks, which the children enjoyed snapping and turning into bracelets, they then placed them on all the door handles and on the stairs, which resembled an aircraft runway by the time they had finished.
As if on cue, bedtime approached and the electricity came back on, hooray xxx

Green Nippers Harry Hood What an Outfit!

 

Introduction into Green Nippers and their products:
Green Nippers are a relatively new company specialising in organic baby clothes and organic children’s clothes. They launched their Debut Collection (0 to 12 months) in December 2009. In August 2011, Green Nippers launched their brand new Junior Collection for boys and girls aged 0 to 5 years!

Tyrus was sent a Harry Hood all in one outfit, it is a gorgeous bright yellow colour with green piping and a fantastic hoodie.

Since he was born Tyrus has had relatively dry skin and I do worry what to put on him, but this suit was perfect, it is soft and comfortable, it is not restrictive on his legs and it looks very funky.

The Harry Hood is available in Citrus yellow, lime and boy blue, in sizes 0-3mths up to 9-12mths.

It washes beautifully and Tyrus can be put in and out of it easily without any fuss.

As you can see from the bright and vibrant colour, Green Nippers have proven that using organic cotton does not mean that you have to limit the colours J Green Nippers uses bright colours that have been created using azo free, non toxic dyes without the use of heavy metals, which are natural and biodegradable. 

This Harry Hood organic baby grow was from Green Nippers Debut Collection. Their collection consists of colourful organic baby grows that are designed as “little outfits”, which are practical, comfortable and suitable for all year round.

Green Nippers Junior Collection (0 to 5 years) was launched in August 2011. The range includes smart and practical dresses, smock tops, t-shirts and leggings for girls. For the boys there are a wonderful range of t-shirts, stylish trousers and dungarees. They have carried on their ethos of been bright and colourful for their Junior collection, using a great range of warm and rich colours such as rustic red, chocolate brown, navy and forest green.

All Green Nippers products are certified by the Soil Association and manufactured in a Control Union certified factory in Turkey, under the Global Organic Textile Standard. The Soil Association organic symbol is the UK’s largest and most recognisable trademark for organic produce. The Soil Association certification gives the consumer peace of mind that what they are buying is 100% organic.

There are so many benefits of clothes which are made from organic cotton; the most noticeable benefit is that they are so much softer. Here we have listed some of the advantages of Green Nippers Organic Clothes:
- Made from soft 100% organic cotton
- Contains no nasty chemicals and pesticides
- Eczema friendly
- Only nickel free poppers fastenings are used
- Soil Association certified
- High quality, durable and easy to care for
- Cool and Comfortable
- Environmentally friendly
- Generously sized to fit around cloth nappies
- Range of practical all-in-one outfits are ideal for babies suffering from reflux
- Designed in England
- Ethically made in Turkey

The lovely people at Green Nippers have set up a discount code: ‘ORGANIC’ for you to receive 15% off their website: www.greennippers.co.uk until the 31^st October 2011.

Hooray I've Hit the target breast pump winner announced

Thankyou to all my new followers and facebook likers, the winner of the Breast Pump is ....

Kelly Faggle xxx  Congratulations

Please send your address to mandijmorrison@aol.com

If you are not a winner this time, don't forget to check out the Blog for more competitions, more to be added soon

Lansinoh Electric Breast Pump Twice the Milk Half the Time

Introducing the Lansinoh Affinity™ 2in1 Double Electric Breast Pump - the pump that's easy to use, kind on your wallet and gentle on your breasts.

The light and portable Affinity™ can be used as a single or double pump, and is mains or battery operated.  Effortless to assemble and easy to clean, our BPA-free pump features ComfortFit™ breast cushions for a soft, secure fit.  You control the 8 suction and 6 cycle settings to the level you find most comfortable without any compromise of effectiveness

Product Features:

• 2 separate phases to simulate your baby's natural sucking pattern
• Quick change button to switch easily between the let-down (stimulation) phase and the expression phase
• As effective as a hospital grade pump*
• Guaranteed against milk back-up in tubing and pump
• Express more milk in half the time**
• Compatible with most standard neck baby bottles
• Informative, back-lit LCD screen - also suitable to use under low light conditions

http://www.lansinoh.co.uk/products/two-in-one-affinity-double-electric-breast-pump

I have always Breastfed all of my children, and followed the advice of not expressing too early and letting breastfeeding get established before giving bottles, but with every child they have never taken to a bottle, and would refuse to feed if anyone else tried to feed them, which was rather difficult if Asa and I ever wanted to go out!

This time I spoke with the Health Visitor at Tyrus's six week check and she said that now he was six weeks old and he was gaining good weight (above the 75th centile!) it would be OK to express some milk and try him on a bottle.
So I was extremely excited (yes, we mums do get excited over strange things!) when I was given a Lansinoh Electric Breast pump to review. I have never used an electric pump before and was excited but nervous at the same time.

I have always expressed using a manual pump, although I have to admit it was always rather awkward and you could guarantee when I wanted to express quickly I would sit and pump for what seemed like an eternity to squeeze out 2oz, and get extremely frustrated.

The Affinity is a double pump, so I didn't have to worry about uneven breasts - yes ladies we have all been there one looks like Jordan and the other is half the size...

It had very easy to follow instructions on how to set it all up, which took me seconds and then I switched it on. It begins with a two minute let down phase which stimulates the breast and then it moves onto the pumping cycle. The rhythmic cycle is very soothing and relaxing, it isn't too noisy and doesn't feel like a cow being milked..
It has many different settings to suit each individual mummy. A lovely lilac colour that isn't too in your face, plus it doesn't take up much space, which is a bonus in this household.
It was very easy to take apart and clean, I was a little unsure when I saw some of the tiny tubes, but they do not come into contact with the milk, so do not have to be taken off and sterilised.
There are no tiny bits that can be lost when trying to reassemble.

I was amazed at how quickly the milk containers filled with the milk and although I could feel the suction it wasn't uncomfortable, and I didn't feel like I would lose half of my breast in the process.

It was easy to work and could be stopped with a simple pressing of a switch.

Within a very short space of time I had two containers full of milk that I transferred into the milk storage bags and I have frozen them, just in case some brave person offers to babysit all six children (highly unlikely) or someone else in the family can feed Tyrus when he gets a little bigger, I am going to wait a little longer to try him with a bottle.

I would definitely recommend this Breast Pump and think it would be fantastic for mothers who are returning to work and need to express quickly and efficiently.