Pampers New Baby Sensitive Nappies

A few weeks back we had THE best email ever!

Would you like to try Pampers New Baby Sensitive nappies, now you may not think that is the best product to be asked to test, but little Viggo was having trouble finding a nappy that didn't make his little bottom red.

For the first week of his life there wasn't a problem as you can see, not a mark in sight.

As the weeks have progressed we have tried various different brands of nappies, but none of them have been right, so I was very excited when a large box containing five packs of the sensitive nappies arrived. I had chosen two packs of size 1 and three of size 2, thinking as he was only a few weeks old this would be the best combination, however, on closer inspection of the packet, size 1 is suitable for babies weighing 4-11lb, at his 2 week check he weighed in at 10lb 3oz so I didn't hold out much hope of them fitting his rather solid frame, surprisingly they did still fit quite well and we used about half a packet before we moved up to size 2, the nappies have not gone to waste as my sister gave birth to my little niece two weeks after Viggo was born and she isn't quite as big as him yet!! 

Reports back from little Oriah and mummy is that she is extremely happy with them and they have cleared up her nappy rash.

Size 2 are 6-13lb, Viggo's six week check revealed a weight of 13lb 7oz, although i'm not sure where he is hiding the weight as the size 2 nappies look very big and both tabs nearly meet in the middle,so plenty of room to grow!

Here we have Viggo modelling the nappy...

which is my good side ?

How about this look ?

The nappy is very slim fitting and doesn't look huge under clothing, it feels very soft and even when full doesn't stick to him like I have found with other nappies.
It has a very clever yellow line down the middle when dry, which changes to a blue colour to let very observant ten year old sisters that the nappy is wet and needs changing!! Invaluable in our household, now they have no excuse not to change him...

The nappy fits well on the legs, nice and secure but not too tight, we have had no poo explosion leakage out of the legs, although a couple have managed to escape right out of the top like a rocket ! Where does it all come from, I don't think this has anything to do with the nappy, just Viggo and his amazing bottom ...

The only negative that I could find was that it is only available in nappies up to size 2, which means he won't be in them for long, hopefully Pampers will decide to make this fab nappy in bigger sizes.

This is definitely a must buy for anyone looking to make up a baby basket for pregnant friends.

For more information and to find out more you can visit the Pampers facebook page

This post and review are part of a sponsored project with BritMums. All opinions are my own

Hey Hey R U Ready To Play!

All of our children LOVE being outdoors and playing, one of the reasons we chose this house was the half acre garden for the children. 
When we first moved in we had four children, now we have seven!!
For the past six years we have been steadily growing plants around all of the boundaries to make it nice and private and to disguise the high noise level that comes from seven little people!!

We have a wonderful garden split into lots of different areas, a herb garden, a vegetable patch, the chickens home, the children's play shed, and a very green lawn, with lots of trees around it, unfortunately the trees are mainly Poplars so, no chance of putting a treehouse in them.

I would love to get some play equipment for the children to play on, they love playing football and badminton, although the slide that is laying down in the photo was left by the previous owners and has seen better days...so my next plan is to get some equipment to play on.

I love this Forest Villa and would certainly be a fantastic substitute for a treehouse, I am sure they would all have great fun in here!!

Next I would like something that is fun for them to play on, but at the same time giving them exercise, so this Wooden Swing Set with scramble net and Rock Wall would be just perfect

And finally we mustn't forget the little ones, by next Spring Viggo will want to join in too, I think this set of growable Swing with quadpod would be the answer!

If we had all of these in the garden it would enable all of the children to be occupied at once, with so many of them it is sometimes difficult to find activities that would suit them all, but playing in the garden together is something they adore and it is so lovely watching them interact together and the chickens joining in too!


This blog post is an entry into the Tots100/Activity Toys Direct garden makeover competition

Oral B Love Your Gums

I HATE teeth!! I am happy to freely admit that brushing my teeth is one of the worst experiences I go through every day. We all have something that we don't like, mine is the sound of a toothbrush, even thinking about it now makes my entire body go cold, which is quite a difficult problem when you have seven children whose teeth you want to help keep clean and healthy...

I don't recall having a problem when I was small, but I think it all began when my big teeth came through, I had so many teeth for my little mouth that I had to have lots removed and that is where my dislike for the dentist and whole teeth malarkey began!!

When I was 13 I was hit by a car, no broken bones but a week in hospital meant that they didn't realise  I had damaged my front tooth, which resulted in a black tooth and numerous follow up visits to the dentist to have it dealt with, followed by quite a few years of orthodontist visits and various braces...

AND having seven children hasn't helped, research shows that more than 1 in 2 women will develop gum problems during pregnancy such as swollen, bleeding gums, which is certainly what I have experienced throughout the last 15 years!!

Oral-B are looking to promote their Love Your Gums campaign to educate about the importance of healthy gums. Many people don’t realise that most people will get gum health issues at some point in their lives and it’s the biggest cause of tooth loss. By looking after yours, you promote better overall health and a winning smile. 

I have been using the Oral B Pro Expert Premium Gum Protection Toothpaste for the past few weeks and I have to say I am quite impressed with it. Viggo is only 6 weeks old and my gums have certainly taken a battering during the pregnancy, the slightest knock near my mouth area results in a blood pool...

The taste isn't too overpowering and after using it, when I run my tongue over my teeth they feel clean.

The blood loss from my gums has decreased over the time I have been using it, hopefully this will continue and the next time I visit the dentist (in December) she will not give me a long lecture on the importance of looking after my gums!!

I shall certainly be continuing to use the toothpaste and recommend it to my sister who has also just given birth, so her gums need some love too!

This post is an entry for BritMums’ #ORALBLoveYourGums Challenge sponsored by Oral-B, promoting healthy gums – something especially important for pregnant women. Get tips and advice on www.oralb-loveyourgums.com. 

Loved Up Cooking !

The most tempting aphrodisiac recipes

Foods with supposed aphrodisiac properties range from the well-known oysters and chocolate to more surprising products like asparagus, bananas and almonds. Even if the ingredients don’t have quite the effect they're supposed to, cooking a sensual meal with your loved one is a great way to stir up some passion.

Oysters Kilpatrick

The ultimate starter for a night of romantic cooking, Oysters Kilpatrick is an easy dish to prepare. Fry three rashes of bacon and add two tablespoons of breadcrumbs, frying until browned. Mix a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce with four tablespoons of double cream and pour over the top of twelve oysters (remember to ask your fishmonger to open them for you). Add the bacon and breadcrumbs, pop under the grill until brown and serve with a lemon wedge.

Lobster Thermidor

A classic aphrodisiac dish, lobster is the ultimate main course for a splash-out home-cooked meal. Prepare the lobsters by breaking off the claws, halving them and washing the heads out. Put the heads to one side, then scoop out the claw meat and dice. Make the sauce by simmering dry white wine and finely chopped shallot in a pan until the alcohol has nearly evaporated. Mix in tarragon, parsley, paprika, Dijon mustard, Tabasco sauce, lemon juice, parmesan and softened butter. Place the lobster meat and sauce in the shells, and grill on a high heat setting for five to eight minutes until brown, serving with salad and new potatoes. 

Chocolate Fondant

Easy to prepare, the chocolate fondant is all about timing and precision. To get that perfect melted centre, bake the puddings at 200°C in a fan oven or at gas mark six. Getting the right temperature is crucial, so invest in one of a great range of cookers to make sure this tasty dish comes out right every time. Leave them for around ten to twelve minutes, until the fondants have formed a slight crust and come away from the moulds or ramekins. Sit for one minute before dishing them out, although if your cooking has worked, you might not even make it to dessert.

Brought to you by Kira.

Little Bird Told Me - Baby Bear On Board

Just before I had Viggo the lovely people at Little Bird Told Me asked if I would like to review one of their Baby On Board products. I have never had one of these in my car before, but I had always thought about getting one, but never got round to it, with seven children in the car most of the time, I decided to see why everyone has one of these in the car!

The one that I chose was a cute little baby bear, here he is...

I think you will agree he is rather sweet and much more fun than just a sign saying Baby On Board.

Little Bird Told Me have lovely Baby On Board Signs but this one is definitely my favourite, so how did he hold up in a car with seven children all trying to tug and pull him down or swing him as hard as possible...

Back window was good until I opened the boot!!

He didn't fit very well on the side windows as they have tinted glass, so you couldn't see him, the back window was great until I opened the boot to get the pram out and he fell on my head, so he now has pride of place on the side window at the front of the car, the surface has to be free of any dirt for him to stick well, but once he is on, it is a hard job to get him off!

His new place at the front of the car

Verdict:
This lovely sign is just perfect for letting the world know we have a little one on board, reasonably priced and a little different from the other signs with just words. The website Little Bird Told Me has some gorgeous items that will definitely be on Viggo's Christmas List, and I can't wait for him to get bigger, I have my eye on one of their fabulous Rocking Horses...(Too expensive and time consuming for a real one just yet!!)

Citroen C4 Picasso - The Car Must Have Been Made By Harry Potter!

During the Summer holidays we were given the opportunity to test drive the new Citroen C4 Picasso, not only did it look like a super duper car with lots of fab extras, but we were invited to the Harry Potter Studios to do so, which as you can imagine for my Harry Potter crazy kids was THE best Day out ever!

I was a little scared as we had six children to contend with and a very large 36 week pregnancy bump, but I needn't have worried, because it was amazing.
We are a couple of hours drive from the studios, so we set off bright and early with the children watching the first Harry Potter movie in the back of the car. When we arrived we were guided to the furthest car park, where we were greeted with lots of shiny new Citroens, an awesome marquee and lots of friendly people to make the day as perfect as possible.

The children were extremely impressed with the buffet of posh hotdogs, burgers and little fish and chip cones, and we only had one can of fizzy drink spillage!

The food was quickly put to the back of their mind when they were given the opportunity of a private spell casting session.

Stupefy

Expecto Patronum

They had great fun perfecting their wand technique, and hearing lots of insider information on the Harry Potter phenomenon, but the best was yet to come as they got to hold Tom Riddles Diary from the actual film, a moment they will never forget.

Tom Riddles Diary!

We then had a family photo Harry Potter style!

We then ventured outside, and the children played 'Hunt The Haribo' the C4 Picasso has so many storage spaces, they had trouble located the sweets, there were actually 10 packets of sweets hidden in the car and it took all six of them quite a while to find them as there were so many places they could be hidden. This car is perfect for trips out or holidays as there are so many places to store everything.

Obviously we can't all fit in the C4 Picasso, but it would make an excellent car for me to drive during the hours of 9am and 3pm when I only have a toddler and baby, there is certainly enough room to transport everything needed for those two.

I guess for the school run, which requires a 7 seater we will have to wait a bit longer to see whats coming up from Citroen!!

Next was our test drive! Asa took to the wheel first...

Citroen C4 Picasso

When he returned to the marquee he said I HAD to drive it, because it drives itself, although I was a little concerned whether I would fit my rather large bump behind the wheel and still be able to reach the pedals!!
But I fitted just fine, and I was curious to find out about this driving itself. I have been driving for 19 years and I have always been complimented on my ability to park a car and get in the smallest of spaces, so when the Citroen team told me that the car was going to park itself without me even touching the steering wheel, I wasn't sure how I felt. First was parallel parking, something I mastered a long time ago, simply pull the car up next to the space, press a button to tell it to parallel park and move your hands away from the steering wheel....

This was a real challenge for me, I like to be in control when driving and I didn't feel like I was in control anymore. However when it came to bay parking I have to admit I was extremely impressed, when I was shown the space we would be reversing into I wasn't convinced, but the car did it effortlessly, the only problem was, my big fat bump couldn't get out, so we did have to pull forward for me to exit the car!

Bay parking in reverse

Unsure of no hands!

Amazing parking ability, not sure I can get out!

I would definitely recommend the car to anyone who isn't too confident parking a car, I can think of a few friends that I have actually gotten out of the passenger seat and parked it for them, and looking at a few parents at school trying to parallel park, this would be the perfect car for them.

After I had driven the car, it was time for our tour of the Harry Potter Studios, which certainly lived up to our expectations.

Xene at the entrance to The Great Hall

All of the children are huge Harry Potter fans, Xene had visited the studios when they first opened as part of a school trip and she had given an excellent review, so they were all keen to see for themselves, and now that Xene is studying Media as one of her GCSEs this certainly gave her an insight into film making.

Neva and Eowyn inside the Great Hall

Kaide with all of the potions

All aboard the flying car

On the Bridge with Privet Drive in the background

We would like to thank Citroen for an amazing day that none of the children will ever forget for our first taste of Butter Beer, and a car that has certainly got my attention!

Kids Capture The Colour #KIDSCTC

When we saw the Kids Capture The Colour challenge, Neva immediately took possession of the lovely new camera we had been sent.

Everywhere we go, Neva can be found snapping away, although most of her photos contain animals!!

We had a very hectic Summer Holidays this year and Neva had a hard time deciding which photos to use, but here they are..

Blue - Out To sea

Green - Funky Bowling Man

Yellow - Eowyn The Mermaid.

White - Pretty flowers

Red - My New Baby Brother

Neva loves taking photos and has had a great time snapping all summer!

Circus Winner

AND THE WINNER IS ...

Liz Tumbridge

Please contact me at mandijmorrison@aol.com

CONGRATULATIONS XXX

Cravendale Experience

Lovecravendale is the exciting new rewards club that offers you the chance to try new experiences and have fun as a family.

We were asked to choose an activity to try out, being very heavily pregnant I thought it best to try something slightly less adventurous than scuba diving, so we opted for a Bowling Experience, that we could all enjoy as a family.

For our Cravendale Experience the entire family went along to a fabulous Ten Pin Bowling Alley, that we actually didn't know existed in our own town! It is situated at the end of the pier, so we had a great view out over the entire beach and the younger children were fascinated by the sea being underneath them!!

When we arrived we all gave our shoe sizes, unfortunately one of the children had forgotten to bring a pair of socks in the chaos of getting eight people ready and out of the house, however the bowling had socks available to purchase which saved a trip home to get some!!

They took all of our names and which of the children would like bumpers on the lane to assist them with their bowling efforts.

We were on lane one, and by then time we had walked over to the booth our names were already up on the screen ready to start.

The children had great fun, even the little ones with the help of the bumpers and the ramp they were able to get really good scores, although I was a little scared that they would make dents in the floor, with some of the dubious throws/bounces!!

The session was for two hours, which gave us enough time for two games, the winner of the first game was Neva with a winning score of 91, she beat Lochlan by just two points, it became very competitive towards the end of the game! The second game descended into complete chaos as the two year old attempted to have his first ever game of bowling, with the assistance of his older siblings...

It was a wonderful family night out, and as a complete bonus, three hours after going bowling I went into labour and gave birth to a very healthy baby boy, so thankyou Cravendale for a wonderful evening and an even more eventful early morning...

I would now like to pass the Love Cravendale Baton onto my fellow blogger Clare at  www.emmysmummy.com/

This is a Sponsored Post