Eczema...

My poor boy is suffering with his Eczema so much at the moment. Cheeky's Eczema first showed up when he was 6 weeks old, it was just a few red, dry patches on his face. I approached our health visitor who prescribed some Dipro base. It seemed to clear the eczema but made his face quite red. Cheeky's Eczema wasn't all that bad whilst he was a baby, the odd bit here and there, and one or two flare ups. It was as he got older that these flare ups were getting more and more frequent and each time not healing quite as well. We must have used every steroid cream there is and most Emollients and bath additives. Cheeky's Eczema was under control for quite a few months just adding Hydromol to his bath and hydrolmol ointment afterwards. He was always pretty greasy (lol) but i thought we had solved it, and gradually started to use the hydromol ointment less and less, whilst still always using the bath additive. However.... at Christmas last year he had a really bad flare up. I am still not exactly sure what it was or why it was so bad, we saw several different doctors, each saying something different, most importantly though we got some cream and some anti biotics and it began to heal, rather slowly. This did scar Cheeky's skin for a while, and sometimes if he gets too hot or too cold, you can still see it. After that we did gain control of his eczema for a short while, but unfortunately after that short episode of clear skin it has been visits to and from the doctors on a regular bases, using trial and error once again as a method of controlling his eczema. Nothing so far has completely cleared it again, and it really is having a huge affect on his life. Cheeky had recently started pre school, and was settling in really well, i was so pleased, as was he. This week however i have been called twice to collect him early as he just wouldn't settle. The pre school came to the conclusion that he wasn't ready (not impressed with this) i however was determined that there was no way he would settle just fine and suddenly hate it, and for them to give up entirely. I took him to the doctor yesterday and asked them to check him over, i knew something was not quite right, but i didn't know what it was. Initially i didn't consider that it could be his skin because we had been to the doctor just a few days earlier with it. I really thought it would be more likely to be his ear, he gets really hysterical if he has a poorly ear, and has had a few in his little life. Everything there was fine however, the doctor checked him over and said all seems well. At which point i mentioned his skin and asked if it could be that, he had already noted it and had a proper look, and then a look at what we were using at the moment. The doctor advised us that he does have a skin infection, cheeky scratches at his skin so much, hence the infection, he advised us this would absolutely affect his state of mind and the quality of sleep he was getting, advising he was probably exhausted. Cheeky has now been out on anti biotics again for 2 weeks and we have eumovate to apply twice a day. Cheeky took his meds and some piriton no problem yesterday and slept for 4 hours yesterday afternoon. Fingers crossed this will clear cheekys skin and he will return to pre school in 2 weeks, after an in depth conversation with his teacher, and try to settle him in again after this set back.

I do wish i knew the cause of his Eczema, and could figure out what sets it off.

x

Cheeky goes to pre school....

Ahhhhhhh my baby boy has gone to pre school. After the events of cheeky's 2nd birthday, and his reaction to a full house, i promised him and myself that i would address his 'seperation anxiety' as i believe it is called. Cheeky had it bad. His anxiety reared its ugly head on many occasions... and mainly occasions.. if that makes sense. Bless him he just looooovvvvvess his Mama! Anyway, i knew it was unhealthy and progressively getting worse as he was getting older. Most people advised oh, mine did it too, he will grow out of it, but i knew deep down he need a bit of gentle persuasion. So after a huge amount of research on how to tackle this i decided early pre school was definitely an option. We found a lovely pre school that takes children from age two and supports potty training.... for those of you who have looked at pre schools, you will know that many do not. So off we went for a visit! Cheeky would not even let me put him down when we were visiting he was really clinging on to me. The teacher was really unsure, and made it quite clear that she didn't think he would settle, but went ahead to arrange a 'settling in' day all the same. 

On our settling in day the following Tuesday, cheeky was once again clinging to me, but he did play, as long as i was literally sat next to him, he really kept his eye on me. After a little while one of the helpers came and engrossed him in some pretend play... a little pretend tea party (aw) he was really enjoying himself and allowed Mama to take a step back. Now unfortunately our first 'settling in' session did not get off to a great start given the confusing and somewhat different approaches of the teachers and helpers. I was told at this point that it would be a good idea to sneak away for 20 minutes and see how he goes. Off i went and waited outside. The confusion began here, but i won't go into it as its dealt with now. Cheeky realised i had left and started to ask for me with a touch of panic in his voice. He wasn't going to allow me to leave him just yet. We went back the next day after a lengthy conversation about the conflicting views and opinions, for another go. This time i was advised to take him inside, settle him with an activity, say goodbye and that i would be back soon and off i went. Wow, cheeky really flipped, screaming and throwing himself around, and i just had to walk away, i really bolted, desperate not to hear him upset, whilst knowing i was actually helping him. This time he stayed an hour. He didn't really settle down, and spent most of his hour with one of the helpers outside. When i collected him he was sobbing and stopped in and instant when  i cuddled him. He was elated to say goodbye 'bye bye pre school, bye bye friends' bless him. Off we went again the next day and then the first day of the next week. Just leaving him for an hour and then sharing the rest of the pre school session with him. He was really settling in. Still crying when i left, and liking to stand by the door for 10 minutes before he got involved, but each time i returned being told he had done better each time. Then came the day of his first full session!! Once again he freaked when  i left... but upon my return i was told he had done really well, he had be a little stand off ish with the other children but a definite improvement. Cheeky is on his third week at pre school now and although he still gets upset when i leave, he quickly calms and enjoys it. He tells me about it and even asks to go sometimes on a day when he isn't there. I am so proud of cheeky.... so unbelievably proud. He has completely changed, He is so much more confident that Mama will return and is so much happier to go off and play on play dates and playgroup visits. He doesn't feel the need to jump up or cry every time i so much as move. He is happy to go and play, even in other peoples houses without watching my every move whilst he does so. I love that he is still always so happy to see me. He always strokes my face when i am back to collect him, smiling, and cuddles and kisses me, 'its mummy, its my mummy'. Wow i love this boy, what an amazing, amazing little person he is becoming. Proud of you cheeky boy! You brighten every single day! xxx

Halo's N Horns

Hey! So a few weeks ago Halo's N Horns sent over a selection of products for cheeky and i to try. Including

-Baby bath, for angelic souls.

-Zingy Orange Hair and Body wash, for little devils.

-Mango Melon Mayhem shampoo and conditioner, for little Devils.

 

I have used one or more of these products on cheeky every night at bath time and sometimes in the morning, or when he was rather more mucky than a wipe could handle... for the last few weeks.

The first product cheeky and i used was the baby bath for angelic souls. The product is in a tall squeezy tube, with mostly blue and pink writing. Stating that Baby bath for angelic souls is Dermapaedic, kind to eyes and hypoallergenic. The baby bath comes with a little message from the founder and owner of Halo's N Horns which says as follows " As a mother i know how delicate and sensitive young skin is. That's why this product doesn't contain any scary chemicals still found in many baby shampoos and body washes, but will still leave your baby by smelling delicious. My sons eczema cleared up the moment i cut out SLS/SLES, inspiring me to launch Halo's N Horns, which he loves. I hope it helps your family as much as it has mine." I personally find this quite refreshing and encouraging. I have faith in many products as they are so professional, knowledgeable and well used. This gives me faith in the product on a different level. Its a personal touch, knowing that her own son was the inspiration behind the products is a nice touch. There is mention on the bottle or many chemicals that the product does not contain. The Halo's N Horns products DO NOT contain the following. SLS*Phthalates*MIT*Parabens*Triclosan*Propylene glycol*SLES. I must be honest, i hadn't heard of most of these so wasn't aware of the potential affect on delicate baby skin. The baby bath has a gentle smell, fresh yet subtle. Only a small amount is needed in the bath it does bubble pretty easily. Cheeky was happy to be in the bath with his new baby bath, and of course play boats with the tube. The first time i also used the baby bath as a body wash, which it doubled as really well. As a child that sufferer's with eczema i wanted to see if this helped my son and his poorly skin. So when taking him out of the bath i noticed that his skin didn't feel soft, but almost 'squeeky clean' i was a bit unsure of this at first. I applied cheekys usual moisturisers and figured i would see if/how it had helped him the next morning. The next morning i didn't really notice a change in cheekys skin, i was a bit worried about the 'squeeky clean' feeling but it didn't seem to have caused a problem. I decided to keep going with the product as i know that even with the perfect product, skin doesn't change over night. 

The next night i used the Mango Melon mayhem Shampoo on cheeky (and mama) as well. With this i found that you did need to use a medium sized amount, it is quite thick and i found it helped to add extra water once you use the product on your baby's hair, helps it to lather up a bit more. This Shampoo and Conditioner smells beautiful, which is why i ended up using it on my own hair =) and did a perfect job on cheekys curls. It smelt so lovely for ages, even when coming to wash it again the next night. The product is kind to eyes, cheeky isn't keen on having his hair washed so rubs his eyes a lot when I'm washing it, the product didn't bother his face or eyes at all. Cheeky and i really like Mango Melon Mayhem! Zingy Orange Hair and body wash was almost as great. Again smelling gorgeous. I was recommend this product 100% as a body wash, it even bubbles in the bath, not over keen on it as a hair wash. It just didn't lather enough, and cheekys hair was a bit tangled up afterwards. As a body wash though 'cheeky says buy it'! These two products also do not contain any of the above chemicals either, but no message from 'Leila' I'm afraid. Having used these products for a little while i have noticed some improvement in cheekys skin, we have had a flare up, which was a reaction to a biological washing powder, i am going to buy some more Halo's N Horns products and i will post on here if i feel it has helped cheekys skin and how his eczema is doing etc. 

I have noticed this product priced differently in many places. As high as £4.49, and as low as £1.00. So when looking for it, do your research.

Images courtesy of, babybudgeting.co.uk, price inspector and evergreen.ie.

Tommee Tippee closer to nature, 3-in-1 feed time comforter

*This is a sponsored post*

Tommee Tippee kindly sent this product for my sister and baby L to try. Which as a second time mum, first time Mummy to a girl, was happy to do so.

Here are some facts that Tommee Tippee provide about this product.

"Comfort touch fabric

• super soft fabric for extra comfort at feed time
• extra absorbent to protect baby's sensitive skin

Feeding wrap

• swaddling can make feeding so much easier by keeping baby's arms and legs secure and comfortable
• making it easier for you to position your newborn during feeding and can calm fractious babies

Burp cloth for winding

• the closer to nature feeding wrap is softer and more absorbent than standard muslin squares making it easier and more comfortable for you and your newborn to enjoy cleaner feed time

Breast feeding privacy

• use this wrap for a more discreet breastfeeding experience between you and your newborn whether at home or out and about"

This arrived in perfect Timing, Sister and her family were off to a wedding. With baby L still very young, Sister was understandably worried, especially about having to feed baby L whilst sat at the front of the wedding venue. Sister was pleased with the neutral colours, and the fact that the feed time comforter was discreet. Sister initially placed the feed time comforter on her shoulder as a burping cloth, finding the correct position was a little tricky, in the end she just went for comfort as a pose to where the softer material lay on her shoulder. Sister felt that the comforter could only really be positioned comfortable and effectively on the right shoulder, where as she prefers to wind on her left shoulder, aside from this it served its purpose to a satisfactory standard.. At the Wedding baby L was violently sick whilst swaddled in the feed time comforter, Sister said the comforter absorbed it, and baby L and her clothes were completely dry underneath. Sister was impressed that her pretty outfit was preserved .

Sister uses the feed time comforter mostly as nursing shawl, placing it over baby L whilst feeding in public. She liked how it really helped breastfeeding to be discreet, whilst also being able to see baby whilst she was feeding her. One thing sister commented on was that, on occasion baby L did feel rather hot underneath the comforter.

The feed time comforter washes really well and dries very quickly which as parents we all know how great that is. Sister likes the shape of the feed time comforter, both for swaddling, she commented that it serves really well as a swaddling blanket, because of it shape and material, and for use whilst nursing, being able to peep at baby whilst still remaining covered herself.

This product retails at £9.99. We both think this is extremely cheap, given it serves so well as a nursing shawl. We had a look at other nursing shawls and this is by far the cheapest. The closer to nature 3-in-1 feed time comforter is a really great product. It should definitely be marketed better. I had asked around and nobody had any idea what it was or could recall having seen one. We went to tesco to see where it was positioned. It took us a while to spot it. For such a useful and reasonable priced product, we say they should be advertised a lot more.

All in all thumbs up Tommee Tippee... and thank you

Mama... baby L and Sister

x

Cheeky has a birthday!

So we have recently celebrated cheekys 2nd birthday..... i still can't believe that my tiny little bundle....with one huge set of lungs.... has just turned two years old. Gone are the 'baby days' he is all toddler now. I spent pretty much the whole of august preparing for cheeky's birthday, buying presents....party or play center...family and friends together... or separate 'do's' for each... what cake do we buy.... does anywhere sell  a chuggington cake.... what food do i serve....it must all be home made right?...and the rest.

So my decisions were as follows

*Party at home

*Friends and family together

*No, i really can't find a chuggington cake anywhere

*Trying to have everything home made and perfect is stressing me out way too much, and i got totally fed up of practicing, i was getting worse.

*Presents were bought as and when cheeky showed interest or excitement in something when we visited many many toy shops.

*Cheeky's cake was made using a photo of his current favourite toy choo choo, turned out great

So as his birthday got closer, Mama got more and more stressed out, seriously, who knew a birthday could be so stressful. I was just so desperate for everything to be perfect. I decided that for the party i would buy 'party packs' of food.... just making this decision took away so much of the pressure. I bought party plates and tables covers and party bags from tesco. Seemed like the most sensible option, despite then seeing all of it cheaper in asda the week before his birthday lol. I bought party bag fillers off ebay, and little chocolate animal biscuits from the £ shop. I decided to do two simple games of pass the parcel and musical bumps... natural trying to ensure that everybody would win a prize and then realizing the game could go on a while if this was the case, so instead having a bucket of 'loot' to hand around at the end to save any tears. I bought painting sets as the prizes. One for a girl, one for a boy. (I must say... these were plans, of course it didn't work out this way) 

On evening before cheeky's birthday, i set up his presents, and his name (which has been made by Mamag, Mamar and i, using wooden letters, and fat quarters) I had wrapped the presents way too early and the wrapping paper pattern had already started to rub away... never mind. 

On the morning of 'The special 2nd birthday!!!' cheeky was in a great mood :) :) :) he had milk and cuddles in Mama's bed followed by a candle in a jaffa cake and 'happy birthday to you , happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Cheeky, happy birthday to you' off Mama. It didn't take cheeky long to spot his presents and animal balloons, Woooowwwww..... its wow, declared cheeky as he started to play with the balloons. I showed him that he could bring a couple of presents at a time onto the rug to open... well once he has done one...that was it... more present... more present, and wow was used more in this one morning than ever before i think. He was a very grateful little boy...and absolutely loved everything he got, especially his craft box, and easel (very into his painting and art at the moment). The whole morning was absolutely fantastic, it will stay with me for ever... so much smiling and laughter...not to mention rubbish music and rubbish dancing ha ha ha! Oh and the camera usage was in full swing... of course!

Family started to arrive between 10.30 and 11.00, where cheeky declared "wow present", at yet more presents being brought in for my very lucky boy. Mamar opened whilst Mamag and i tried to Get cheeky first remote control car to work. I was so impressed when i bought this. It is rubber and is made for young children of cheeky's age it flips over and is bump proof. Just a terrible shame we can't get it to work and are waiting for a replacement.

At 11.30 our friends started to arrive, cheeky was fine with this to begin with and happily opened yet more presents with the help of his cousin. Unfortunately the excitement didn't last, as more and more people arrived cheeky just became totally overwhelmed and just started screaming and would not be put down... the screaming continued for most of his party, and things were wrapped up pretty quickly... games were not played properly.... but luckily there was buffet food and drink and toys for the children to amuse themselves which they day. I was pretty sad that he didn't like his party, and felt like a terrible host. But hey ho... and least there is a story to tell him when hes older he he! On the whole the day was good and everyone was so lovely and generous, cheeky was an extremely lucky boy. 

I feel so blessed to have such an amazing little boy. Thank you cheeky, life would not be the same without you. Happy Birthday xxx

Think i will wrap this up before i waffle anymore!

x x x

Tommee Tippee Explora Active Sipper

*This is a sponsored post*

Initially here are a few details that tommee tippee provide about the Explora Active Sipper

*300ml

*Advanced flow technology for easy drinking

* BPA Free

*Insulated base, keeps the drink cooler for longer

                 *Truly non spill and leak proof

  * Super Sensitive drinking

  * Available in Pink, Blue and Green

  * Advance-flo technology ensures explora cups are truly non spill and easy to drink from, easing the transition from mealtime to active drinking.

I was very impressed when i received this in the post last week. I had seen them in Tesco and considered buying one, but didn't in the end. This is the latest in the collection of Tommee Tippee baby and toddler cups. We have tried most of them, and on the whole have been pretty impressed with them. 

We were sent a blue cup with planets and shooting stars as the design with a blue background. Cheeky was very impressed... "its wow" were his exact words.

The purpose of the Active sipper is to help the transition from sippy cup to a proper cup. I am sure all of you Mummy's and Daddy's have experienced your little one trying to drink from a cup and just pouring it right down the front of them. The active sipper has a blue screw on lid which is raised all the way round. There is a softer darker blue raised and slightly shaped 'sipping' area on the active sipper, with a small space where the child drinks from. I filled the cup for Cheeky and he knew without me having to show him, where to drink from. The child has to tip the cup up and put their mouth around the softer raised area to get juice... just like a real cup, but with less mess during the transition. I am impressed, fantastic idea. 

So we took the Active sipper out with us in the car.... the official cheeky 'non spill' cup test. So many cups come with a non spill label, but sadly don't live up to the expectations. I put juice into the Active sipper and shook it about tipped it upside down, then gave it to cheeky to take with him in the car. Well the result..... this really is a non spill cup, not a drop of juice... huraahhh :) Having used this cup both at home and whilst out and about, it is now the only Sippy cup we use. I decided however to give Cheeky a normal cup to see if the Active Sipper really does help the transition. I was so amazed to see that he knew what to do with a normal cup, he drank from a proper cup with no spills, one very impressed mummy here. I still intend to use the Active sipper, it is great for being out and about, even for children that already used a proper cup, it means you have juice to hand without your child having to use a baby sippy cup. I am really impressed with the Tommee Tippee Active Sipper, it does what it says and more, and whats more the cup is BPA free which i know parents look for now when buying bottles and cups for their little ones. 5 stars!

I just need to say....

I love Farewell scarlett pimple hell, by Anatomicals. You really need to go out and buy some of this... it is quite possibly the best face mask i have ever used. I LOVE IT! Asda have it for just 97p at the moment. Wish it came in a tube! xx

Review posts

I will be posting some reviews in the next couple of days.

Tommee Tippee Explora active sipper cup.

Anatomicals no old bags allowed.

I am also going to post my thought on some Organix Goodies biscuits that we received.

xxx

Blog my mood away?!

I am in such a foul mood today. I feel like all i have done is moan and nag at cheeky. It wasn't a conscience thing, i didn't wake up and realise i was in a bad mood, it has just become apparent throughout the day, realising i was irritable and being stroppy. Children are messy little monkeys i know that, i have known that for a long time, but today i just couldn't accept it, i wanted playtime to be tidy, just for one day! Needless to say it wasn't, but to be fair cheeky didn't do badly. 

I decided to paint with cheeky this morning. A few months back we went to llandudno for the day with family, cheeky and i brought home two large pebbles/rocks and two small ones. We decorated the two large ones this morning. I did one and we did the other together, one is finished one isn't. Cheeky ended up getting really ratty and going for a nap straight afterwards. On a normal day this i could understand and appreciate, but not today. Today all i could think was 'ugh for goodness sake i just wanted to do something nice with you, why do you have to spoil it?' He got covered in red paint (pretty standard) and kept screaming for me to let him have more gold paint.... he had lots of it already... so in the sink he went to wash all the paint off and then down for a nap. He woke in a much better mood and has played with his trains and track for most of the day. He has actually been very very good. It is definitely me who needs to sit on the naughty step. 

He ate his tea so well, saying pasta...pesto between mouthfuls lol.

So i won't go on about my mood anymore, hopefully it has gone my tomorrow.

"Our lips balm's better than yours. ba na na na na na"

*This is a sponsored post*When it comes to lip balms and bubble baths, any sort of smellies really, i always go for the sweet berry ones, generally i don't often give the others a second glance. So this spf 15 banana lip balm from anatomicals is something new and exciting for me (he he). When this arrived i thought, oooooh yay lip balm, I'm a girlie girl, of course i love lip balm. Then i saw banana and thought, oh OK, I'll give it a whirl.

I tried it at home just to see what the smell was like, before i wore it whilst out and about today and popped it in my bag to top it up throughout the day.

So for the packaging. It comes in a small box, with anatomicals signature bold writing, quirky name. This products 'Quirk' is based around playground teasing.... 'na na na na na'. The lip balm itself is in a yellow tube, with..... yes you guessed it more quirks written in....green.... not the best of the anatomicals packaging "to lesser lip products, we don't stick up 2 fingers, we stick up a whole hand (of bananas). We also blow a raspberry (flavour is not included)." makes you smile again. The lip balm has a slanted applicator inside so you can apply straight from the tube. 

I have to say i was really pleasantly surprised, this banana lip balm smells gorgeous, really really gorgeous. The balm itself is clear, (smells divine!) not gloopy but not as liquid like as..say..Vaseline. You can't actually feel it on your lips and most importantly your hair does not get stuck in it when the wind blows. On my lips the balm is shiny, but not sticky and I'd say it lasted about 2 hours without eating or drinking. Another big plus about this lip balm.... it does not taste awful... so many lip balms i have tried smell great and are great but i can't use them as i can taste them... and the taste is bad. I can't taste anything when it is on my lips... and i have actually just licked my lips (lol) and still can't taste it...yay! 

My lips are generally quite dry at the moment (dehydration apparently) i left my lips balm free for an hour after using it for the day and they are noticeably softer, after just a day i am pleased with this.

To summarise "our dad's bigger than yours (he's over 6ft 10). Our sister's prettier than yours, (shes a model) our cars faster than yours (it goes 202 mph). Naturally we keep a tube of this soothing lip balm in the glove box to help combat wind chapped lips. You see our motor's actually a convertible Bentley Continental Supersports". 

I am really loving these anatomical products so far!

My lip balm IS better than yours! 

Anatomicals is available at Asda, Morrisons, ASOS.

Mmmmm its bananas B.A.N.A.N.A.S.........

Anatomicals Banana spf 15 lip balm is on test today ha ha! I will be wearing it, annalyising it, and prompting for honest comments! he he! Review will be up later! x

Cakes, bakes, cooks, mess, happy smiles!

Wahooooo i have stuck to my word, and got a bit carried away with the whole baking and cooking thing.... i haven't mastered anything too challenging but change is enough for moi! So on Monday i made chilli, it didn't look so great, but tasted gooooood.... and wow i was soooo impressed that cheeky loved it and ate a huge bowl with rice. Last night i completely cheated, but it was something new for cheeky to try.... i made sweet and sour chicken, i added my own veg but i did use a Jar of sauce...i thought it was lovely... cheeky on the other hand didn't :(.... i am going to try him with it again though because shortly before we had a biting incident, where the little monkey bit my leg. I was cooking and he came up behind me and bit me, i jumped so much that i ended up stabbing myself with the fork i was holding... ouch, i don't know what hurt more... its laughable now,  but at the time i was pretty cross with cheeky and he had a session on the naughty step. So i am thinking he wouldn't have eaten anything. Woke in a super organised mood this morning, cheeky and i have baked little buns. It was so so great baking with cheeky, he loved it, although note to self, write the ingredients on paper and don't take the laptop into the kitchen! Cheeky helped to measure and mix, and flicked flour and sugar everywhere :-s....ha ha, it was so fun though. When pouring the cake mix into the cases, all i could hear was "wooow wow wow wooooow"... from cheeky! "Cake, its cake, cake taste cake mummy!" Cheeky very responsibly reminded me that the oven was hot and to be careful when putting the cakes in the oven. He then sat and watched them cooking, saying more "wow, cake, its cake!". Unfortunately i made the exact same mistake with the icing as last time, we just used icing sugar and water, and i added way to much water, but luckily i had more icing sugar to add to it so it was OK. I gave cheeky two of his very own to decorate, literally letting him do what he wanted with the icing and hundreds and thousands. Well obviously given he is a toddler after all, most of it just went straight into his mouth. We decorated the rest of the cakes together, and whilst they are not perfect, i still took a photo and am proud of Cheeky :)). A couple of cakes will be coming with us later on our 'playdate' he he! Shepherds pie is cooked and in the fridge just ready to pop in the oven when we get home later! Yay i like it! Have a great day!

"Snog me senseless"

*This is a sponsored post* "Sugar Free peppermints with Xylitol to fight bad breath and help reduce cavities" These are tiny white coloured mints in a small blue tin, with written boldly on the front "Snog me senseless mints" you have got to love the name, i know i do. I would probably buy them based on that entirely! Mints are not really something i buy very often, i am more of a chewing gum lover. Priced at £1.50, initially i thought, oooh a bit pricey for mints, however i do quite like having them in my bag, i have had so many of them, as has the little one (he loves them) but there are still loads left. Seriously, this tin is like Mary Poppins handbag, bottomless. So taking this into consideration i would say they are value for money, i doubt you would have to replace them very often. The mints are strong and really make your mouth feel fresh. One thing i find with some mints is that they leave you with a kind of artificial after taste, making you have one more, and one more... these don't, the freshness does last, and when the minty feeling has gone you mouth just feels, what i would call neutral. So the quirks of anatomicals continues on the back of the tin "a smooch should be tender, a smooch should be romantic, a smooch should be...whoah, just put a lead on your partner and call them fido. Keep breath snog-matastical fresh with these mints. When Cher sand 'its in his kiss' we bet she didn't mean halitosis'" (lol) So yes i say grab yourself a tin of "snog me senseless mints" keep them in your bag, you never know when you may need them ;-) Thumbs up! x

"Farewell the scarlet pimplehell"

*This is a sponsored post*Well firstly I have been living in scarlet pimplehell for nearly two years now, so when this arrived in the post I was very excited to try it. “Farewell to the scarlet pimplehell” is a deep cleansing mud mask. The mask comes in single sachets priced at 99p each, pretty standard price for single sachet face masks. The sachets are pink, with bold white and black writing....simple yet quirky.So when the evening arrived, off I went for a hot bath with my mud mask. Excitedly (lol) following the instructions carefully  “Soak face with a warm, moist cloth, blot dry. Apply the contents of the sachet over the entire face avoiding eyes. Allow 10-15 minutes to dry, soften with a wet cloth and gently wipe off”. So off I went!!  The mud mask is a sort of army green colour, with quite a pleasant smell, quite a strong smell, yet not overpowering. I left the mask on for 15 minutes whilst examining the package (lol) "100% pure clays containing special minerals to absorb excess oil, deeply embedded dirt and make up. Helps control spots and blackheads as it tones and tightens the skin." The mask was easy to remove, it does say soften with the cloth first, the mask doesn’t completely set on your face so I didn’t really need to do much of this.So immediately afterwards needless to say I was inspecting my skin. My face was quite red so I was pleased about that....not because I want a red face but that is a sign that your circulation has been stimulated. The redness went away don’t worry ha ha! Normally when applying my toner and moisturiser I find myself frowning, even having cleansed my face and exfoliated every other day my skin still seems to look dull.... and doesn’t necessarily feel refreshed.... however I must say after using the mask, my skin felt so refreshed, and looked a lot less dull....a lot less. Once the redness had gone away I was still pleased with the way my face looked and felt. I also suffer with quite dry skin in areas and wondered if this would be aggravated, it wasn’t, in fact I can also see an improvement there, whether that is a coincidence or not I don’t know.  There was no immediate improvement of my “pimplehell” however I am realistic and having studied the skin and face at college I knew not to expect overnight miracles. After a couple of days I have noticed a HUGE improvement. My main areas of concern tend to be my nose and inner cheeks, well ‘wow’, although not completely clear I have noticed such a change, such an improvement. “Farewell to the scarlet pimplehell” will be added to my shopping list, my foods shopping list...yes this stuff is available in supermarkets...Morrison’s, I believe it is coming to Sainsbury’s and I have seen it in the larger Asda stores! With regular usage I believe this product could actually keep even the most acne prone skin clear.

I recommend this product to all!

I can cook??

I am pretty pants in the kitchen. I'm not sure if its is because i lack confidence so don't make a huge effort or because i genuinely just can't do it...or maybe its laziness lol... I cook for cheeky and i, and like everything to be freshly prepared....but it isn't always, i do sometimes just put something in the oven.... shame on me he he.... Quiet seriously though i would love to be able to be an adventurous cook. Trying something new each day, introducing cheeky to lots of different things. I have a friend and she is just amazing in the kitchen, she bakes all the time and makes these amazing dishes. Sometimes i get all inspired (like today) where i just think, i am going to do it, 'i am going to be fab in the kitchen', however i always seem to be in such a rush to do everything i make mistakes and get it all wrong, and once i have done so i lose confidence for a few months and just go back to basics, Spaghetti Bolognese, Shepherds Pie, Hot Pot, Roast dinner, Chicken Caesar Salad (not really cooking but yummy) all healthy and great for cheeky, but this really is about as good as it gets....and it took me many many attempts to achieve Shepherds Pie, pretty pathetic. In reality though everybody must be able to cook, if you follow a recipe correctly..right? I remember once buying one of those add an egg cake mixes to do with cheeky, literally add an egg, bake, add water to make icing sugar.... ha ha... the baking was just fine... but the icing, the only thing i had to do was add water, and i got it wrong, it was just like mercy white water... deary me! I am determined to master this, baking with cheeky is great so much fun.. one thing i can make is chocolate truffles... i can also do cakes with melted chocolate on top... still pretty standard! Anyway i am going to (i really really am) cook something new from time to time, my aim is once a week, but i won't promise, and post the recipe and photo of the finished product...Practise makes perfect.... patience is a virtue!!! I can, i can, and i will! One day! x

Well this worked out well...

So it is that day and that number in the month that nobody likes... me included... I am a very superstitious person. So much so i am not even going to write the two together. So it is rainy and dull outside, my bank and i seem to be a loggerheads (lol) so everything was pointing towards a day at home...generally i don't like to spend full days at home. With a young child i really feel it is important to go somewhere everyday, not necessarily for the whole day but...you know.. its healthy to be out and about, letting cheeky explore the world etc. I love knowing at the end of the day that he has experienced something new or learnt something, or even just played well with his Friends.....So anyway, for quite a few weeks now i have been in communication with my mobile network provider, as my phone has broken. I was expecting a 'jiffy bag' as they called it to put the phone in and send off to them for repair. This did not appear. So yesterday i called them to see what was happening and the very helpful lady told me there was another option.... to have a replacement phone delivered the next day.... ha ha after waiting all this time i can't believe no body had told me of this option...or course i would like a replacement the next day, how much quicker and easier is that!! So today is that day, their 'wait in' time is 8am until 6pm... well that is a long time to be waiting in at home. So with the rain outside, no pennies in the bank this has worked out pretty well. Just knowing that i am at home waiting for something has somehow made it easier to stay in. Cheeky has been perfectly behaved this morning and we have just totally relaxed, we haven't even got dressed today... we never ever do that... but as a one off, a snugly morning in our pj's has been perfect. Cheeky has used his potty all morning, although we have had two little mishaps (which are completely expected) and has now gone off for a nap. I'd really love a cup of tea, but typically we used the last of the milk this morning! :)

"We only want you for your body"

So i have some products to review. I am very much looking forward to doing this. The products i am reviewing have kindly been sent from the product range 'Anatomicals'

hence their slogan above. The products i have are....

'Our lip balm is better than yours, ba na na na na na'

'No old bags allowed eye gel'

'Snog me senseless mints'

'that's when i fell for the leader of the (hair) pack'

'farewell the scarlet pimplehell'

My firsts impressions are wow great funky packaging, can't wait to get started, reviews will follow in a day or so. These reviews will also be posted on Dooyoo! :)

I just love the way you......

I just love the way that cheeky sometimes gets a sudden burst of love and cuddles my legs, or takes my hand and kisses it over and over, saying "ahhh Mimi". It makes me feel all warm inside and i just want to snuggle him all the more.

I just love the way cheeky helps me when i am doing jobs or moving something, or making something, if i get the hoover out, he helps unravel it and presses the on button. I always say thank you, you are very kind, although now, cheeky gets there first and says "its kind" and jumps up and down with an utterly beautiful smile, so proud of himself.... Mama beams with pride too.

I just love the way cheeky cares when i am hurt, if i bump my arm, or just say ouch at something small, along comes cheeky with genuine concern on his face, and rubs it better saying "ahhh Mimi", followed by "OK?".

I just love the way that cheeky helps me carry the shopping bags. I have never asked him to or even encouraged him, i think he is just a natural gentleman. 

I just love the way that cheeky has started saying "Come in, Come in" if somebody is at the door, or as i go into his bedroom.

I just love the way that cheeky uses his potty and looks at his achievement and says "Woooooow"

Cheeky i just love the way you.... Cheeky i just love you, and everything you do! xxx

Something on my mind??

Today cheeky woke pretty early and in a pretty good mood, i was too... as the morning has progressed though i just have this niggling feeling that i have something to worry about. Cheeky has gone for a nap now so normally this would be a time where i would start to really worry. I really don't know what it is that is giving me this stressed out, nervous feeling, have a forgotten to do something, is there something i need to sort out, do i need to make a call, have a done something silly and forgotten?! I really don't know... or i just can't remember, but this feeling remains. I think i may have to make a list of potential worries and try and figure this out, otherwise i am going to be stressing all day with no apparent reason.... at least if i figure it out, i have a reason to be stressed, or can hopefully work it out. Ohhhh big sigh, i don't like this :(. If only i could be one of those people who took everything in their stride, dealt with everything immediately, and generally just got on with things, rather than (like me) anticipate a problem whether one will present itself or not, spend a couple of days panicking about something before dealing with it....and generally really just needing to get a grip, LOL...

Mama Mimics!

Ha ha ha ha, our children really do give away all our bad pointS don't they ha ha. Cheeky is pretty good at this...or bad for this dependant on how you look at it lol. We have gone through phases of several different things, some good some bad, some i can think of others, well nappy and now potty brain is taking over. From him i have had...always in public of course..... "Oi", "Get down NOW", "oh goodness sake", "stop it"... to name but a few, it amazing that you don't really realise you do these things until you child copies you.....he also really mimics me in my actions, he is good at cleaning, he puts his toys to bed and goes through the whole goodnight ritual that i do with him, he likes to pass me my towel when i have had a bath or shower, and ask me if i need a wee wee lol, it is very very sweet. Today however came a new mama mimic.... oh dear i was laughing hysterically, but goodness it is so awful when i think about it. We had stopped behind a couple of cars at the traffic lights, when, from the little car seat behind me, came a huge sigh, followed by a rather loud "COME OOOONNNN" shock followed by laughter at cheeky's road rage, or rather mimicking mine .... i actually think i am rather a calm driver, but i suppose we all get a bit uptight when in a rush, or about to run out of petrol and the car in front is going slower than a slug lol! Cheeky and i did have a little giggle about this for the duration of the journey, but i have promised myself that if he does this again i won't laugh! Priceless!

That Baby list!!!

When i was pregnant with cheeky i got a list from toys r us of all for the things i needed to buy so i was equipped for my baby. Did anybody else follow one of those?.....maybe just me, i was clueless..... i bought most of the things on the list and still didn't feel ready lol.... seriously now there is one item missing off that list that is extremely well used and needed when you have a baby/child..... STAIN REMOVER.... my advice to anybody having a baby, buy this stuff by the bucket load. I have tried many and my current fave is a stain remover spray gel by tesco, its really cheap too...hehe....

Two cheeky monkeys!!

Had rather a busy day today, busy in a good way. This morning i took cheeky to a summer holiday toddler group that my friend told us about. It was quite nice, rather quiet but everyone was pleasant which i feel i very important at a toddler group. We have been to a few before where you just feel completely judged and uncomfortable, this one was nice, and it is on twice a week for the duration of the holidays. Cheeky remained close to me as always, however he did have a moment when he went to get is juice and forgot where i was, he didn't cry however he just studied the room and when he saw came bouncing over with a huge smile..... Muuuuuummmmmmmyyyyy! (aw) After toddler group we had to go and pick up cheekys cousin, sister has just had her second baby so needs the rest. Cheeky fell asleep in the car and A was pleased to see us, and creeped into the car when i said whisper as cheeky is sleeping, bless him. Two toddlers safely in the car i had to think quick what to do for lunch, really due a food shop so not much in..... Do i take them out, shall i buy picnic food (down came the rain as i though that) in the end i was sensible (lol ) and just picked up some sandwich fillings and bread, crisps etc. Cheeky and A were great in the supermarket, singing away.... very loudly... and tickling each other and me helping me choose which yogurts, which bread lol, it was great fun. Once home again cheeky and i sat down to lunch, A, ran off to play in cheekys bedroom, i calmly told him that his lunch was on the table when he was ready (a few small eating issues atm). They played so well for a couple of hours, whilst i went round picking up balls out of the ball pool, trains, cars, little people and goodness knows what else. They shared and played together, which was lovely to see as sharing is a issue....like all children....eventually A sat down and ate some lunch, then they both shared some crisps, had a yogurt each and shared some raisins, little pigs ha ha. I knew it would happen....eventually A got it on him and started throwing toys down the stairs, they behind cheekys bed and then......the little horror....out of cheekys bedroom window. I was mortified as they were bouncing on the velux window on the way down and most of them got stuck and are still stuck on the kitchen roof. I am quite surprised actually that cheeky didn't join in lol. By this point i decided it was probably time to take A home. So shoes and coats on and off we went, leaving the mess behind :(. The giddy behaviour continued at sisters house... but the main thing was that they were happy and occupied and i could have a cuddle with baby L :) ooooh she is gorgeous. Grandparents turned up the boys went crazy excitied and became extremely loud, sister got stressed so i took them off to the park and they ran off some energy running up and down the hill before i dropped A off again and took cheeky home for teatime and bed.... where he is now all cuddled up. :)) So yes there is a running comentry of my day, nice and boring YAWN lol x bedroom window

Television, friend or faux??

I have always had this feeling that children watching television is really bad. I remember once watching a documentary and on it a child was strapped in a high chair and sat in front of the television. I was disgusted, i always thought my children won't watch television. Obviously this is easier said than done, pretty much everybody has a television, and pretty much everywhere you go has a television, we have one in our home as well so this didn't exactly go to plan. Jo frost advises suitable television in moderation, along with most people surrounding us we were well aware of cbeebies. For cheeky's first year the only time he really saw any of it was at my sisters house, my nephew was quite into, In The Night Garden and Waybuloo. Cheeky wasn't really interested in it tbh. Obviously as he got older he developed and interest but never an obsession and i definitely relaxed my no television rule, deciding i didn't want to make him 'different' and if i am honest cbeebies is kind of great if i have housework to do or a call to make. Having said that television time is still limited, and i do watch an episode of anything before he watches it to make sure it isn't filling his head with rubbish. I must say the majority of cbeebies is educational. So for the time being cheeky's favourites are Chuggington, Zingzilla's and Everything is Rosie, up until very recently he loved Waybuloo and In The Night Garden, he still loves the merchandise but is overly fussed about watching them. I really hope i am doing this right, i would never just sit him in front of the television he is always free to play.... so am i a hypocrite or just realistic!!!

Sleeping Beauty!

By day cheeky is a total jekyl and hyde, he can go from dancing and signing, to screaming blue murder in about 20 seconds. Sometimes i can't help but laugh in total shock, its is just ridiculous. By night he is pretty steady, generally goes to bed at 7 oclock, bottle, bath (sometimes the opposite way around) story, bed. Sometimes late nights are unavoidable, and an early night is often the only way to keep us both sane. I have however noticed something which seems a little strange. Earlier in the week cheeky had a late ish night, it was about 8.30pm when he went to bed, i was thinking he would probably sleep in a little later, how wrong i was he woke at 5.10am (his normal waking time being about 6.30). Last night he had an early night, he just decided after teatime he just didn't want to be awake any longer and cried for night nights, so he was asleep by about 5.50pm (really early i know) yet this morning he didn't wake until 7.30am?! One very baffled mummy here?!!

Baby Boom?!

I seem to be surrounded by baby births at the moment. I became an Auntie again at the beginning of the week, and a friend had a baby on my birthday, i seem to be hearing about lots of births, bumps, pregnancy sickness, baby names, breast or bottle, boy or girl.....and i must say i am full of advice ha ha, having had one difficult baby who just loved to scream, i am on hand with lots of tips, still however not imposing on people. Anyway happy baby August lol x

Potty or Potty!

I have recently started potty training with cheeky. My approach is just to relax and enjoy the process, whether it takes a month or a year that is just fine. I have a tendency to get stressed about things, sleeping, weaning, cot to a bed, all of the transitions with cheeky have worried me and stressed me out so much, i am just always so desperate to get it right. Anyway we bought a little blue potty with a boat on it just before Christmas and i have kept it out in the living room ever since. Cheeky quite enjoyed putting it on his head or putting his little figures inside it..... until very recently when i started removing his nappy for half an hour or so when we were in the house. Obviously we have had so many Miss hap's, the mop has been very well used. Each time he had a wee wee on the floor i said ooh quick sit on the potty (like a bit of a game) initially he didn't do anything on it he just used to sit there. Until about two weeks ago when he did his first wee wee on the potty, i was actually crying i was so proud of him, we did a little dance called the 'good job dance' ( if anybody could have seen us they may have thought we were potty lol) and said lots and lots of wows! From then on thats how it went, we still had lots of weeing on the floor but each time he used the potty we danced and sang etc. Today we stayed at home for the whole day, just the two of us, perfect quality time :) and i kept his nappy off, just to see what happened...... and wow i am just amazed and so so pleased we haven't had a single accident all day, the potty has been used, we have danced the good job dance endlessly and there has been lots of hand washing, smiling cuddling, goodness i am so so so proud of him. Still a long way off him losing the nappy completely but that is fine, i am calm about the process and we are both enjoying it so much.

Unconditional love

I actually can't believe how mature cheeky is. This probably sounds a bit strange as he is still a baby. Mama was upset last night (long story) he must have heard me and woke up, so i went into his room to settle him, but to my surprise he came rushing over gave me a big kiss and put my head on his shoulder, rubbed my back and said shhhh shhhh! I was so overwhelmed, i felt guilty that he was comforting me but wow i felt sooooo much better. I generally hide my emotions in front of cheeky, i don't like to be upset in front of him, so last night was very much a one off but this does show just how much they take in without you realising. Cheeky you are my little superstar. As lovely as it was to be comforted i shall in future continue to hide my emotion (unless it is happy of course) in front of cheeky x

The sun has got his hat on!

The weather is glorious here! We have had a really lovely day. Cheeky and i went to a friends, the cheeky's played in the garden and the mama's chatted with little baby E cooing at us. The cheeky's got too hot after a while though and started to get a bit whiny so we took them inside to play. There really is something amazing about the sun that makes you in a super mood.... do you feel the benefit of vitamin D instantly?  After visiting friends we went to see Auntie J and cheeky A, Mamar was there when we arrived, planting in Auntie J's garden. Cheeky went crazy when he saw them, hiya he shouted soooooo excitedly waving and smiling. Cheeky and Cheeky A love each other soooo much, and well they both love Mamar. So i took a very excited cheeky out of the car and into the house. Cheeky and cheeky A played a while whilst Mamar and Auntie J planted and i just kind of hovered between them and the cheeky's (i have never been very good at planting) After a while they moved into the back where Mamar got the hose pipe out to water the hanging baskets, she squirted cheeky just a little.... well that was it... he absolutely loved it, and was shrieking with joy wanted more, Auntie J continued this squirting him a little and he was dancing around in the water laughing. Cheeky A was squirted too but he wasn't quite as keen as cheeky. I kept thinking, i should get the camera, but i didn't want to miss watching cheeky have so much fun. Eventually i did pop out to the car to get the camera and got a few good pictures. Sadly it ended in tears though as cheeky didn't want it to stop, but he soon calmed down and we came home, where he snuggled down to sleep at 6pm, a whole hour early. All in all a great day, who knows why i feel so crappy now though :( x

Teach or baby proof?

Many friends of mine with children have their homes super super baby proof... baby gates on every door, and at both the top and bottom of the stairs, locks on the fridge, oven, cupboards, drawers. The list goes on. With cheeky however i have chosen not to baby proof the house, but instead teach him the dangers, and teach him that certain things are not allowed. This has worked for cheeky and i, he has been able to climb up and down the stairs since about 11 months, i wanted to make sure he had the ability to do so, i think this decreases the danger of falling down, however i was always in front or behind him. Until quite recently he knew that he wasn't to use the stairs unless mama was with him, it only posed a problem when friends came to play. Now however i allow him to use the stairs, and play upstairs in his bedroom, most of his toys are now in his bedroom... he is a confident stair user. I have also taught him the dangers of things in the home. He frequently reminds me that my cup of tea is hot, the radiators are hot, the oven is hot and dangerous, that it is naughty to open the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen. Obviously sometimes i do have to remind him, but he fully understands and confirms that he knows why. He he cheeky always frequently lets me know that the toilet is dirty, especially if mama is using the the toilet, he says bleuh dirty, bleuh bleuh, ha ha such a character. It would be interesting to know how other parents approach the dangers in the home... i think making your home too baby proof, actually puts them in danger out of the home... x

Vitamins!

A post for those of you in the UK! Vitamins for your 0-5 year olds are available from your clinic or surestart centre for just £1.70, free for those who receive healthy start! I only just discovered this! Would have been good to know sooner, having spent a fortune on vitamins! x

What's been going on!

As i am writing, thinking last week, last week... hmmm how long ago was that?? Erm.... nappy brain last week seems to have left my memory... thinks a little.... a lot... ahhh yes got it!! (geek) hehe

So i have been looking to move house and honestly it has been a pain, we rent currently and it seems you have to be super quick! Anyway after months of searching, and applying, and losing out to somebody quicker, last week i decided to stop looking and stay put. With this decision i decided it was time to make our house a home. So last week goodies were bought for our HOME!  Very exciting, it is probably the first time i have ever put my very own personal stamp on a place, and it feels good. 

Also last week, we spent some nice afternoons with friends, both locally and afar, we missed playgroups :(  mama had a bit of an off day, where i felt a bit poorly, really poorly actually. I feel like i took a step in a good direction last week! I also realised i really need to start saving money. As the week went on Cheeky's behaviour went from pretty awful to pretty damn amazing. On Friday, i was especially proud, a long car journey meeting with a friend and baby, and lunch in a restaurant, zero tantrums and wow what a sweetheart, i was BEAMING! All in all a pretty good week! 

:) xx

Household appliances!

Another whiny post i am afraid!! Why do electrical appliances never all work at the same time... Is this just me?? Maybe. I always seem to have something that is missing, or broken. Currently it is my washing machine, making a strange banging/clattering noise when it is on.... grrrrr. Recently though we have had problems with the fridge, the boiler, the television, the Wii, the list is endless, and there is always something that doesn't work. This makes for a stressful existence... count to 10, deep breaths, ha ha x

Bin day!

So it is bin day, i know this is a super boring thing to write about but i can't stand bin day. For one , nine times out of ten it will rain the night before so you get soaked!! But mainly because it is just disgusting, where we are i have to pull the bins through the house, so it really is a chore, first putting the bins out and then scrubbing my hands, bleaching both the front and back gardens, then the house, and finally clothes in the washer and a hot shower! I have to do all these things otherwise i just squirm all day feeling unclean and like there are bugs in the house. On a good note, i think one good thing about bin day is you feel kind of clear, clear house clear mind sort of feeling! I know bin day is UN avoidable but it absolutely should be made easier, more practical, and less disgusting. I have decided however from now on that i am going to try and reduce my rubbish, i already recycle, like most, but i am going to opt for the least packaging when shopping, where possible of course, and i think i will also clean my garden daily! :)

Sleep!!

I am interested to know how other children's nap times have altered. Cheeky has always had a morning nap, up until about lunchtime, when he was younger he took an afternoon nap as well. Recently i have noticed his is resisting his morning nap, i am unsure what to do, do i just go with it, is it a phase, do i plan a later nap..... if i miss his napping window he really is grumpy, it makes for a terrible day. Currently i am just doing things as always, but he has started to cry when i close the door, and it takes him about 40 minutes to go off to sleep. Well i guess i will just have to go with trial and error, i think tomorrow i will just follow his lead, if i miss the window at least i will know for the next day! x

Messy mealtimes!

So cheeky is desperate to feed himself, and he does.... it is just a very messy affair. He have one of those bibs that covers his whole top and arms, but somehow it ends up and his bottom half too!! It is really amazing to watch him be so independent and make such an effort, and most foods are easy to clean off, the main problem is breakfast, he loves fruit toast which is great and he will have that most mornings but i also like to try and give him weetabix or cereal, its here that we have the most problems, with every mouthful the milk goes everywhere, i find i am just walking around him cleaning up milk off his seat and the floor throughout breakfast! .....and what is it about weetabix, does this stuff breed, i find it everywhere and it doesn't come off. Mama tries to help cheeky at mealtimes, to get more in his mouth and less on his clothes, but that won't do, cheeky wants to do it all by him self..... ah well its all fun and games :) x

Eating at the table!!

So since cheeky was out of a high chair we have had some difficulty with mealtime. We didn't have a dining table so i bought cheeky a little child's table, which he was very impressed with. He very quickly adapted to sitting at his own little table at mealtimes... with the odd tumble off his chair of course, and attempting to sit on the table and not the chair, pretty standard stuff i think. So all was going well, we would generally have breakfast together, Cheeky at his table and mama just sat close on the sofa. I would give cheeky his tea at about 5 am and i would eat once he had gone to bed. It was much easier this way. Whilst this worked at home, when it came to taking cheeky out to eat or just to sit and have a drink somewhere, it was awful, he would not sit still. A friend and i took our boys out to eat pizza, my friends little boy, being a full year older sat perfectly and ate and was as good as gold, but cheeky, goodness me he was all over the place, jumping on the seats running off, spitting food out, climbing over the chairs, it was a bad experience, i promised myself i would address this issue. It took me a while to figure out what to do however. After trial an error i eventually bought a dining table and chairs for home. We now eat together at every mealtime, eating is a real occasion and cheeky loves it, in fact mama loves it too. He knows that once i start to set the table its time to have a meal and he says "sit down" and gets on his chair. He now has his very own knives and forks. The difference is unbelievable. He now feeds himself ( a bit messy but hey) eats better and stays at the table, since introducing the table we have only had one incident whilst out where he screamed and tipped food on the floor, but he was exhausted... on the whole though introducing mealtimes at the table has been a very positive for both mama and cheeky! :)

Here we go again!

Hi there everyone!!! 

So i have decided to start my blog again. All previous posts have been deleted. I didn't blog for a while so when i returned to my blog i decided to have a fresh start!! 

So i am a mummy of one. My adorable toddler/devil child ;0). Whom i will refer to as 'cheeky' as it sums him up perfectly, is 1 year old and 2 is approaching us very quickly. He is a really super boy, he is extremely intelligent yet this intelligence often turns into frustration when he can't quite figure out how to do something he desperately wants to...... it can be a total nightmare when this happens, throwing himself on the floor, screaming stamping his feet, throwing toys, even household items..... nobody could have forewarned me enough about tantrums hehe, all fun and games though!

So being a mummy is a huge challenge, as i am sure many would agree, but wow what a blessing and an amazing experience i am having bringing up cheeky! x