Swing High, Swing Low

We had a lovely afternoon at the park today. Everyone keeps talking about Autumn but despite being cooler this morning, by the time we got to the park it was gorgeous. In fact I had to take the girls tights off. They had great fun running/ crawling around, on the slide but most of all they both loved the swings.

This was the first time Poppy has been really excited by the swings, screaming "higher, higher, I want to go higher". It was lovely watching her so happy and care free so I just had to record it.

I love my girls and I love happy, carefree days like these.

Karen x

The Gallery - Animales

This weeks topic over at the gallery is all about animales.

I have blogged many times about how we have yearly passes to the Zoo and go all the time. It is such great value and every time we go we see something new. I have some great photos of animals we have seen but here are just a few of my faves:

A cheeky penguin let me get up close & personal

A very old elephant

 

A hungry peacock

 

A cheeky pregnant goat

I love animals at Zoos, safari parks and farms. I used to ride horses and love nothing more than a long hack out in the countryside but I am not one for pets at home. If the girls later decide they want to have pets they will have to settle for ginuea pigs and rabbits as I am not a dog or cat lover.

To check out more posts and photos, then head over to the Gallery at sticky fingers.

Karen x

Weaning For Beginners

Okay, I am no expert on this but a conversation I had on twitter recently about whether you should or shouldn't mash beans for a baby has really got me thinking. When you start out on this journey with your first, you are bombarded with information from friends, family, health visitors and the web. Everyone does it differently and will have their opinion on what you should and shouldn't do.

I have two daughters and did it slightly differently for each. All I can is my daughters both eat really well and I'm sure some of of that has to do with me and my relaxed attitude to it. I therefore wanted to share my experiences and some of my tips with you.

For Poppy we introduced food at 6 months. I was organised and had brought lots of the little baby food ice cube trays. As with everything else, I followed the Baby Whisperer's guide.

I introduced a teaspoon of puréed pear twice a day for a week, followed by butternut squash and sweet potato etc. gradually increasing the amount and introducing a new food each week.

It went well, she took to it straight away and we didn't have any trouble.

It was when she was 8 months old and we were on a road trip that we first introduced finger food. Being in a car for a long time meant I had to keep her interested when awake. Mini rice cakes came in very handy for this and led to us being more daring. For breakfast we then introduced blueberries/ melon and other small bits of fruit and she loved it. The bits gradually got bigger and by 10 months she was eating proper meals.

Rosie was slightly younger when we started. At five and a half months she began waking in the night. I knew she was ready for food. I discussed it with my health visitor who agreed it was time so we started. I planned to do the same for her as I did with Poppy but after two weeks of eating puree it was obvious she was much more interested in what was on her Sisters plate than her spoon, as she attempted to grab it at each meal.

I had heard a little bit about baby led weaning (BLW) so looked it up. Basically it means letting your little one feed themselves from the very beginning. After reading a few blog posts about it too including The Grumpinator  I decided to go for it. I started with cereal soaked in milk (shreddies/cherios and small bits of fruit like peach or berries and just went from there really.

It was amazing. I could not believe what a baby could eat with no teeth. I found she was happier if I sat back, so I would wash the dishes and potter around clearing the kitchen while the girls ate. Rosie would always check she had the same as her Sister and it wasn't long before they were eating exactly the same.

I was pretty relaxed and didn't worry too much about choking. I discovered that babies have a gagging reflux after noticing that sometimes Rosie would kind of cough, bringing the food to the front of her mouth and therefore preventing choking...so clever!

At eight months old, Rosie was eating family meals like pasta bake or pork chops, potatoes and peas with no teeth or trouble and continues to eat like this. She is not fussy at all, eating everything and anything. Husband jokes if we offered her marbles she would say "mm mm yummy, thank you".

8 months old and tucking into pasta and blueberries

I am not saying what is right or wrong, just what worked for us.

 Here are my Top tips:

• Be as relaxed as you can and try not to panic. Babies can sense when you are anxious so become stressed too
• Do a bit of research and speak to your health visitor in advance
• Enjoy this whole new experience with your child, it should be fun not stressful
• If you choose to puree it doesn't have to be really watery, leave it slightly lumpy and then gradually increase the lumps
• Do try making your own. It is so cheap and easy and we really enjoyed doing it
• If you chose BLW then just choose soft foods that dissolve easily at first and then just keep experimenting
• If your baby wants to try something from your plate that you think is suitable, then let them

Products to buy:

• If planning on going for the puree option then you will need a blender and some ice cube trays as well as little bowls and spoons
• If trying BLW you will just need a few small plastic bowls and spoons
• As your child gets bigger you will need plates and bowls. I personally have found the Tomme Tippee range invaluable as they have a little mat that they all stick too but there are lots of different ranges to choose from.

So there you go, my top tips for weaning. Hope it help you and eases some of the confusion. Good luck with it all and enjoy your baby entering this new phase.

Karen x

MUMenTUM

I really am not sure what has happened to our little group but I am going to continue to write my weekly post anyway. This week it takes a different form, it is a letter to myself.

Dear self,

Somewhere along the line you appear to have lost your motivation (or mumentum). I am therefore giving you a kick up the bottom to tell you to get on with it.

• Just because a few people people told you you were looking good does not mean you should stop, you still have a way to go.

• Just because you have the slimpods does not mean you will continue to lose weight, you have to listen to them.

• Just owning the hotpants will not help you lose weight, you need to actually wear them.

• Just owning a cross trainer does not mean you will be fit, you need to get on it and exercise 

• Oh and stop eating rubbish too, its not good for you

You need to find your motivation this week and get back on it.  You know you were feeling really good, had more energy and  were even starting to look better too. So just do it!!

Get yourself on that cross trainer this week, you can do it!

Karen x

Dear So and So .....

I have never joined in with this meme before but always enjoy reading the posts. So today after spotting one on twitter, I decided I would have a go myself. If you didn't know it is run by Kat over at 3 bedroom bungalow every Friday. I know I will be joining in more often.


Dear motivation,

Please come back as I appear to have lost you. I was doing so well on my diet and fitness plan but somewhere along the line I have had a blip. I know what I need to do but cannot do it without you. I need you so please stop hiding and come back soon.

Love Karen x


Dear children,

I really do love you both very much but please can we have less of the winging and tantrums. It really does hurt Mummy's head and makes my ear drums throb, as well as making me very grumpy. I would appreciate it very much.

Big squishy hugs and sloppy kisses

love Mummy xx



Dear house,

Please can you just clean yourself. I seem to spend a huge amount of time doing it but it never looks clean and tidy. Running after a husband and two children keeps me busy enough so I would appreciate it if you could just do this one little thing for me.

Karen x


Dear sun,

Please, please come out to play. This is meant to be the Summer. Living near the coast, I had visions of our family spending lots of sunny days at the beach with our buckets and spades. Instead you seem to have hidden for much of the summer and Husband has not got much leave left.

A forever hopeful Karen x


Dear baby/ toddler groups,

Please, please can you keep running in the Holidays. My girls like routine and love their groups. When you stop, the days feel long and Mummy is running out of ideas to fill them. This doesn't help with the winging and tantrums mentioned above.

Karen x

Of course I do not expect a reply, i'm just saying.

Karen x

It Ended With A Bang

Last night marked the end of the Dartmouth Regatta. After an exciting few days of non stop, action packed rowing, races, market stalls, fair ground attractions and air shows, it ended with a bang. I managed to capture the moment on camera.

If you were there I hope you had fun.

Karen x

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silent Sunday

Karen x

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Make Me Yummy From The Inside

Each Saturday I bring to you a new beauty, fashion or fitness product/ accessory that I believe will make us mummy's feel a little bit yummier. Some are items I have been sent to review and others are things I use and love. Whether I have been sent the item for free or not though, items will only make it in this page if I believe in them.

This weeks product is something I have blogged about a lot but never written a real review on. It's Boots re-energize energy boost vitamins.

These really are my amazing little secret which I am now sharing with you. They helped me turn from an exhausted Mummy who was just about getting through each day, into one who has time to play, clean, cook, exercise and blog. Okay they have not managed to turn me into a super mum and they do not get rid of the huge ironing pile I have but they do give me much more energy and make me feel good.

You can read some of the posts where I mention the vitamins and my increased energy levels here, here and here.

Gone are the days when I crawl into bed once the girls are asleep, now I can stay up till past ten o'clock! (check me out).

These little babies cost £9.19 for 20 tablets but they are often on Boots 3 for 2 offer so keep a look out. All you have to do is drop one fruity little tablet into a glass of water, watch it fizz and dissolve before drinking. They taste quite nice and I noticed a huge difference in my energy levels after only three days.

So over to you now, what tips, products or accessories do you recommend. Please leave me a comment to let me know.

Karen x

More Than Just A Card

Meet Mister Waffley. He is a lovable, fun and adventurous Little character who has lots of stories to share. I have been fortunate enough to be introduced to him and wanted to share this with you.

Now I love buying cards for the special people in my life, whatever the occasion. For some it is all about the words but for me it is all about the picture. I absolutely love buying cards with cute pictures on them. I was therefore delighted to be asked to review a range of greeting cards by Smiley Eyes.

Smiley Eyes are a new Company based in South Wales. They currently have a small range of unique, high quality products including greeting cards, notecards, posters and prints but will be rapidly expanding over the next few months to include Christmas cards, notebooks, bookmarks and eventually story books. All products are produced locally, something this Company are very proud of.

I was sent a selection of six gorgeous greeting cards to review, each featuring the lovable Mister Waffley:

What I really like about these cards is the size and quality of them. Bigger than the average card in a high street shop, they are hand drawn and digitally printed onto high quality, A5 glossy white card. Definitely something I would happily send to the special people in my life. They look expensive yet cost a very reasonable £2.2o each.

Inside each card you will go on to find a short story about the characters adventurous exploits. A lovely touch I think:

Personally, I believe these cards are pretty special. You can just tell they are made with love as well as attention to detail. They really are very cute and I can't wait to discover more of their products.

To find out more and meet the other characters then check out www.smileyeyes.co.uk for yourselves. Also watch this space for more reviews/ giveaways.

Thank you Smiley Eyes and good luck with your growing business.

Karen x

Getting Older & Not Happy About It!

Before children I would have celebrated my birthday with a party, with friends or a meal out. I would have got dressed up, drunk too much wine, eaten too much food and generally had fun.

Nowadays after two children and no baby sitters on tap, Birthdays are different. For starters, no lie in for me. Yes it was adorable that Poppy gave me a box of chocolates and sang happy birthday to me but then she proceeded to jump all over my head and I was not allowed to go back to sleep (not so adorable).

We Planned a family day out to celebrate and chose to do the Dartmouth River Boat Round Robin Trip. This involved a trip to Paignton on a steam train and a walk along the beach:





Followed by an open air bus trip to totness where we enjoyed a pub lunch and finally a boat cruise to Dartmouth:





We had a great day and arrived back in Dartmouth just in time to grab an ice cream and sit back to watch an air show over the River Dart. It was a lovely end to the day and I felt as though they had laid it on especially for me but of course they hadn't. It was to mark the start of the Dartmouth Regatta.




Despite having a lovely day out with my family I couldn't help but feel a little sad though. You see I don't want to get any older. In my head I am only 28 but the reality is I am now closer to the dreaded 40 than 30! That's a scary thought. I think I might be one of those women that lie about their age or at least stay the age I am now for a while. What do you think? Are you one of those women? Is it normal to feel like this? I really don't want to get older!

Karen x

Birthdays Are Fun But Exhausting Too

Its my Birthday today. I have enjoyed a lovely full and busy day out with my family and will tell you all about it tomorrow.

In the meantime I wanted to share this photo with you to sum up how We all felt by the time We got in.

Karen x

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"Silly Mummy, Milk Doesn't Come From Cows...."

......."it comes from Sainsbury's". Oh dear!!

A few weeks ago I asked my little girl where milk comes from and this is what she told me. Oh no, I am sure I have told her all about milk coming from cows and eggs coming from hens. This week we have been away for a few days and have gone back to basics, teaching Poppy where all our fruit and vegetables come from.

First she picked, washed and tasted pears fresh from the tree in Nanny and Gramp's garden. She thought they were the most "delicious" pears she had ever tasted!

Then it was on to her Grandma's house where they have a vegetable plot at the back of the garden.  Here Poppy helped dig up, collect and wash potatoes and onions from the ground and saw how runner beans grow. She ate them with no fuss and said "these potatoes are really yummy, they taste like the ones from Sainsburys" hee hee.

Check out our little photo slide show:

Finally, she saw apples growing on a tree, tasted fresh blackberrys and enjoyed a roast dinner with all of the food she had collected:

So there you have it. We have explained to our Daughter that yes we do all our shopping at Sainsburys but fruit and vegetables grow outside in the fresh air. We have also gone through it all again about milk coming from cows and eggs coming from hens.

Phew, I feel like a much better Mummy now.

Karen x

MUMenTum Weekly Update

Well I am not sure what has been happening for the past two weeks but out of our little group that seemed to be growing each week all of a sudden it is just little old me! Have I missed something? Never mind though, I will let you know how I have been getting on anyway!

I have been away for a fabulous few days with family.  I have eaten, drank and not done any exercise.  I even stupidly left my ipod behind with my Slimpods on them so am not feeling my best right now. In the past few weeks we have had friends to stay, visited others but am now back home.  This week I am back on my mission!! 

Husband is off and we have lots of fun things planned but I am going to do my best to eat healthily, do my exercise and start listening to my slimpods again.  I really have no excuse, I have all the gear including slimpods, hotpants, dvds and a cross trainer. I just need to throw myself back into it again. The good thing is I want to do it and I know I feel good when I do so watch this space!!

Karen x

"Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside...."

..... that's me getting in the mood for a long weekend away at a traditional British family holiday resort, yes its Butlin's.

I am thrilled to announce that I have been officially selected to be one of the Butlin's Mum Ambassadors. Very exciting news for our family. That's means that Husband, Poppy, Rosie and I will be going on not one but two short breaks away during the next year courtesy of Butlin's and will be letting you know what we think of them.

I went to Butlin's years ago when I was younger but looking at it on-line it all seems to have been updated and changed since then, with lovely looking shiny new hotels. Watch this space as are planning our first trip away pretty soon and cant wait to let you know what we think.

Karen x

Silent Sunday - One Picture, No Words

I have A New Yummy Mummy Bag and Its Gorgeous x

Each Saturday I let you know about a beauty, fashion or fitness product that I have trialled and believe will help make us Mummy's feel a little bit yummy.

This week I am feeling like one lucky lady, as I have been sent a gorgeous new Pink Lining Yummy Mummy Bag to trial and review...spoilt or what?

With a 1 year old and a 3 year old, I have been carrying a Mum bag for three years now.  Long gone are the days when I can grab an itsy bitsy teenie weenie bag that matches my outfit, along with my mobile, keys and switch card.... no, nowadays I need a tardis for all the paraphernalia children require.

I did consider a pink lining one first time round but eventually settled on one that was slightly cheaper (silly me). It has done well but the zip has recently been playing up and it was time for a new one. This one arrived just in time.

Even the way your parcel is wrapped in delicate pink tissue paper and tied with ribbon before being carefully placed inside the huge white box with Pink Lining on the front, makes you feel special:

Beautifully gift wrapped: fit for a Princess

I have the been sent the Yummy Mummy Grey Doves Laminate which is from the Spring/Summer 2011 range and costs £75:

As you can see it is absolutely gorgeous.  It is a very pale apple green colour with grey doves, red hearts and daisy print. Really pretty and girly. It even has tiny little bows on the elasticated side pockets... adorable. Then of course is the inside, my favourite bit. The shocking pink wipe clean, signature lining:

Truly gorgeous! It also comes with the standard cupcake folded padded changing mat and zip wet bag which are very cute too:

Not only does this really pretty bag make me feel like a yummy mummy, it is also very practical. It has plenty of room for everything I need, in fact it is the most organised bag I have ever had. This bag is going to change my life!

Inside there are pockets for wipes and nappies, 2 insulated pockets for bottles, a zip up bit for my purse, room for my hand gel and all sorts. On the outside are also two elasticated side pockets which are great for sippy cups (or bottles) and a front canvass pocket which is where I keep my lipgloss. I love that it also has a key ring on a long ribbon which means I will never lose my keys again and a detachable mirror (another signature feature).

This Mummy definitely feels much more yummy with this on my arm and would recommend them to everyone.  So what are you waiting for, go on  treat yourself!

Karen x

10 Things You Don't Know About Me

I have been tagged into this wonderful meme by the lovely Mummy Mummy Mum. The idea behind this is is that I share 10 things about me that you didn't already know so you can get to know me better.

Okay here we go:

1. I hate the colour green (except for on my new Pink Lining Yummy Mummy bag)
2. I am a terrible driver and had quite a few crashes.  Once I even drove off my driveway and turned right. Blinded by the sun I pulled in to find my sunglasses and crashed into a car...whoops!
3. I love travelling and would love to live abroad again
4. Husband and I are childhood sweethearts aaahhhh!! We got together at 17 and have been stuck together ever since (19 years)!
5. I loved my Wedding Day and would love to do it again...same man of course!
6. I am a little OCD, I have been known to hoover and mop x3 a day (after meal times) and have banned dogs from visiting our home
7. I was once holding a ladder so my landlord could put a big box of my stuff in the attic for storage, I let go and he fell and broke his collar bone .... (whoops again!)
8. I have a degree in Psychology and wanted to be a Clinical Psychologist 
9. My little girl has Dual Nationality as she was born in Canada
10. I hate the sight of blood or sick, hoping my daughters are never ill as Daddy isn''t any good either

So there you have it, 10 things you now know about me that you didn't before.

I am a bit late in doing this so lots of people I know have already done it, hoping these four lovely people haven't yet:

@mummydaddyme

@theboyandme

@newmumonline

@Edspire

Karen x

Baby Sensory Cleanse and Protect Nappy Balm

I have been asked by Baby Sensory to trial and review this new 100% natural and ethical nappy balm.  It is handmade in Scotland from locally sourced ingredients. As a Mum with two children who suffer from eczema I am always keen to try products that are natural and of course the words "ethical" and "naturally sourced" make me look twice too too.


It contains No: alcohol, parabens, SLS, steroids, lanolin, petroleum, artificial colours/perfumes, mineral oil and is not tested on animals. Sounds good to me!


It comes in a 50ml tub with a screw top lid. No fancy packaging here but then that wouldn't be appropriate for such a natural product. It costs £5.99. Excellent value I would say.

It looks a bit like Vaseline but is much lighter to touch. It smells gorgeous too...must be the beeswax! Its not an overwhelming scent, more of a subtle aroma but it is lovely.


It is easy to rub in to the skin. It does leave a slight residue but this is not unpleasant at all and once it has all soaked in it leaves the skin feeling silky smooth. 


Not just for bottoms, this nappy balm can leave other areas of your skin feeling silky smooth too. I used it on the tops of my 3 year old's daughters arms where she has patches of eczema and noticed a definite difference in them.


I would definitely buy more and would recommend to others. We give it a huge 9/10.


Karen x

The Gallery -Black and White

This weeks Gallery topic from Sticky Fingers is Black and White.

Now I love black and white photographs, they can be so flattering and make pictures look very different by softening them. 


I have used a few black and white photos on my blog before of my Grandparents here and us on our Wedding Day here but I decided to use this one of my girls for this particular post.  Its a fairly recent one I took on my mobile when they were playing so its not the best quality. It didn't look that great in colour but I when I was playing with the effects on my phone I decided it look great in black and white. I think their cheekiness really pops out:

For more black and white pictures head over to Sticky Fingers and why not join in while you are there.

Karen x

New Car Seat & Both Good and Bad Examples Of Customer Service

This is not a sponsored post, we have just experienced good and bad customer service when ordering a new car seat and I wanted to share our experiences with you.


Poppy is quite tall for a 3 year old.  She is the size of the average 4 year old.  Recently she has been looking a bit big for her car seat even though it is supposed to last till the age of four. As with any new products for our girls, I took to the internet.  I love Briatx seats so started there first. A bit confused about which seat would be best for Poppy due to her age, size and weight, I approached Britax directly on Twitter and got some advice. They were very helpful and based on their recommendations we went on to pick this one: The Kidfix SICT from Britax:

This is a new and improved group 2/3 car seat with advanced side impact protection. Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT) is comprised of air-filled, energy management cushions that reduce side impact crash energy by over 25%* for the child in the seat. Here is  a video on it to tell you all about its features:

So that's the seat we chose, now for the Customer Service bit.


Once we had picked the seat we wanted we went looking for the best price (as you do). We went for Kiddicare as they were coming up the cheapest (£119 as compared to £164 in some shops). However, after almost three weeks we had not received the new car seat or had any correspondence from them at all.  We chased it up and were told it was not in stock but they were expecting it tomorrow. Husband asked that someone call him back the following day but no one did! The following day I rang.  I was advised they did not have it in stock in the colour I wanted but they could tell me what other colours were available. 


Now I do not mean to be fussy but first I did not want another colour.  I wanted pink (of course) or Elena as its called!  Secondly Kiddicare took our money three weeks ago knowing they did not have the item in stock and thirdly Kiddicare did not bother to tell us it was not in stock. Appalling customer service I do believe.


I think that when parents want to purchase a car seat for their little ones, they want it now, they do not want to wait. Often, as in our situation, your child suddenly has a growth spurt so you need it quickly.


I told Kiddicare that I was dissatisfied with their customer service and gave them tips on how to improve it, I also told them I wanted an immediate refund.


Of course I still needed a car seat so I got back on the internet immediately and found Precious Little Ones. Priced at £124.99 (only £5 more than Kiddicare) you would not believe the difference in customer service. Next to the item it said 1 left in stock and same day dispatch with free Parcelforce 24 hour service. Unbelievable.  I was to receive the car seat the very next day. I clicked on it and brought it. Minutes later I had an email telling me it was being dispatched and I received it the very next morning! We even received a free set of cute pink sunshades for the car ....wow, what a difference in customer service!


I therefore do not rate Kiddicare at all but would like to thank Precious Little Ones for their fantastic and prompt service.


The seat was really easy to install. It uses an ISOFIT system which anchors the seat directly into the cars ISOFIX point. It is therefore very safe and sturdy as well as stylish. Your child is then secured in the seat with the car’s 3-point seat belt, which is correctly positioned over their shoulder and pelvis. There are guides so it cannot possibly go in the wrong place. It has an adjustable headrest which allows the seat to grow with your child. It also has a multi recline position which is great for the younger ones.


Poppy loves it.  She feels very grown up and special. She can climb in and out of it by herself which makes my life easier when I have Rosie in my arms. She has even fallen asleep in it a few times and looks very comfortable. Here she is looking happy:

I love it because I know my little girl is safe and secure when we are out and about, she loves it because she feels very grown up.


We give it a huge 9/10.


Karen x


For the record this was not a sponsored post. We brought this car seat for our little one and love it. All opinions and comments are my own.

MUMenTum - Week 15

Wow, week 15 already..I feel as though I should be super skinny by now but I am not.

Okay here's the confessions: 

Last week I had friends to stay, good friends I have not seen for ages. Of course this resulted in me drinking far too much wine (I don't drink very often), eating too much food and of course having treats like ice-cream! Why do we do that to ourselves? During these few days I also forgot to listen to my slimpods (shock horror, it must have been the wine)! I have also not done any exercise for two weeks.  

Wow, written down like that, it looks bad.  No wonder I am feeling so tired, sluggish and grumpy recently. I have also noticed my jeans are getting a bit tighter again.

I have given myself a big kick up the bum and today I  am starting again. Still not on a diet I will:

• Listen to my slimpods every night
• Contact Sasha from Thinking Slimmer to discuss my lack of progress
• Make sure we have lots of healthy food in 
• Start exercising again

Hopefully, I will be able to report back with good news next week.

Hope you are all doing better than me.

Karen x

Pretty Hair With A Bit Of Flair Review & Giveaway

As you may already know I love everything girly especially hair bows and ribbons for my little girls. Therefore I was delighted to be approached by Kraft Work Boutique to trial and review some of their new hair accessories. I didn't really know what to expect but was thrilled to open up the package to find this:

There was a mix of colours, size and patterns to go with a variety of outfits. All of which are gorgeous.  In fact our bow holder is getting quite full now so the little tub they came in would be handy to keep some of the clips in too. 


Poppy's favourites are these clips.  She thinks they are fantastic:

She also loves this hair bow and couldn't wait to get it in and model it for me.  As soon as it was unwrapped it was in her hair:

Kraft Work Boutique is run by a mummy that loves to make. She sells beautiful hand make tutus, cheeky looking sock monkeys and gorgeous wooden plaques. as well as the hair accessories. All of the items can be personalised and are made as special as can be. They are available to purchase online through KiddieBase and through facebook. There will also be a website available shortly.  


Hair bows and bespoke bows can even be made to match outfits for special occasions.  The sets of clips in a kitty style are available at £4 per set and the big sis/lil sis are available at £3.50 per set. Larger bows are priced at £4 and mini bows at £3.  Quite reasonable I think!


We love them and will be visiting for more.  We give them a huge 9/10.


If you fancy some hair accessories for your little one then Kraft Work Boutique are giving one lucky person the chance to receive a bundle of goodies for themselves (worth a minimum of £20).

Its so easy to enter, all you have to do is:

• Follow me on GFC and leave me a comment saying why you would like to win
• Follow  Kraft Work Boutique on FB

For extra chances you can:

• Follow  Kraft Work Boutique on FB
• Like my FB Page
• Follow me on Twitter, or
• Tweet the following " I would like to win gorgeous hair accessories for my little one with @wouldliketobe and @kraftworkb http://bit.ly/mQFvhx" 

Please leave a separate comment for each.

The winner will be selected at random at 7pm on 21st August 2011.

In the meantime if you can't wait you should check them out for yourselves. Good luck.


Karen x

Get Crafty With This Fantastic Art Jar

I have been asked to do a review of this fantastic Art Jar from Galt Toys for www.izziwizzikids.co.uk.  It costs £14.99 which might seem a little steep but it is fully packed with activities to keep your little ones busy. It  is aimed at children 4+. Poppy is only just three but already plays with toys like this and loves sitting at the table doing arts and crafts.


Poppy was very excited when the parcel arrived and even Rosie was intrigued:

We chose to open it while we had friends and their two little girls to stay. This meant we had more mini testers to help to review it. We did it one morning whilst it was raining and it kept them all busy until the sun came out so we could all go out to play! Despite being promised a day at the beach there was no moaning at all from any of them..they had great fun.

The jar really is jam packed, filled to the brim with an exciting selection of art & craft materials. It also includes handy idea sheets to help you out. It contains: 

70 pompoms, 40 wiggly eyes, zigzag scissors, sequin pack, shredded paper, 2m red fringed crepe paper, felt alphabet, 18 plastic buttons, 7 cotton reels, 50 pony beads, 20 small star beads, 10 pipe cleaners, 10 straws, 6 sheets self-adhesive foam shapes, 7 printed card templates, 10 sheets coloured paper, 25 gummed label strips, glitter & white glue, 2m wiggly trim and 3m elastic. Quite a selection I think you would agree!

 Here is a little video to let you see how we got on:

As you can see, it provided great fun for all and there is plenty left to keep us busy for any more rainy days. The only negative thing I would say, is that with so many activities a little more glue would be nice.  It really is a small tube and children tend to be a bit generous with it. Despite this we still give it a huge 9/10.

Karen x

For the record I was provided with one of these art jars for reviewing purposes but all views, opinions and words are my own.

"This Is The best Toy Ever" Says My Little girl!

I was terribly gutted that I missed Toyjeanius advertising for toy testers and only found out when she announced the successful ones. However, I have been in luck because she has been watching my pink and girly blog since then and has been on the look out for something appropriately girly for my little ones to review.

I was told to expect a surprise and was sent this fantastic toy:

Stylish Eve Wooden Magnetics by Djeco:

This is a 29 piece wooden magnetic dress up set that costs a very reasonable £12.95 and is for children 3+.

We were thrilled with it. Appropriately for our home, it came in a pink sturdy box with a magnetic lid.  This looks appealing, keeps all bits safe and tidy and is easy for little hands to open. The wooden magnetic pieces include Eves head with different hair colours and a variety of outfits including  pretty dresses, a skirt, jeans and a jumper. There are even shoes and accessories to compliment, including handbags and her favourite teddy bear.

As a little girl, I remember having the old fashioned paper dressing up dolls but this is far better and will last much much longer. It also means younger children can use it as it is much less fiddly than the paper versions.

This is a great toy for developing imagination. Poppy has really enjoyed making up stories about what Eve is wearing and where she is off too next. It has kept her busy for hours.

Don't just take my word for it though...here is a little video clip of her using it:

As you can see in the clip, we used ours on a magnetic board but you could use it on a fridge or anywhere you have a magnetic surface. The pieces all feel very sturdy and are a good size for little hands. Poppy is just three and has had no difficulty with it at all.

Poppy even announced that it was "THE BEST TOY EVER"! which is high praise indeed. We give it a huge 10/10.

For a wide range of beautiful toys including traditional wooden ones then head over to Toyjeanius yourself.

Karen x